For Matinee Muse
"Hello, bee-yoo-tee-ful!"
You of the face with the sinister smile
and blackened amoral heart.
A painted face exposing
a decayed, polluted, impure soul.
"Why so serious?
Was Daddy mean to you?"
Agent of Chaos
Master of Anarchy
Seeking to stain Gotham’s virginal souls.
"This town needs a better class of criminal,"
said you to those less committed,
transcending evil to an unknown.
Madness personified.
Yet it is that bee-yoo-tee-ful
painted, decayed face,
that hardened criminal look,
living inside a perpetual, evil smile full of disgrace -
it is that very thing,
that took my breath away.
***********
"Hello, bee-yoo-tee-ful!"
You of the face with the sinister smile
and blackened amoral heart.
A painted face exposing
a decayed, polluted, impure soul.
"Why so serious?
Was Daddy mean to you?"
Agent of Chaos
Master of Anarchy
Seeking to stain Gotham’s virginal souls.
"This town needs a better class of criminal,"
said you to those less committed,
transcending evil to an unknown.
Madness personified.
Yet it is that bee-yoo-tee-ful
painted, decayed face,
that hardened criminal look,
living inside a perpetual, evil smile full of disgrace -
it is that very thing,
that took my breath away.
***********
I went to see The Dark Knight this weekend. Phenomenal. Heath Ledger, in particular. His execution of The Joker was flawless. Brilliant. He took it to a new dimension giving the Joker a much darker interpretation to with his sinister whiny voice, the serpentine way he kept licking his lips, and feral movements. He was the embodiment of anarchy and chaos to perfection. It is tragic that he passed away so early in life and never had the chance to bask in what would have been one of his greatest roles. And I am left to ask: could anyone ever possibly top this? And I apologize for the rudimentary poetic attempt... I am awful when it comes to poetry.
39 comments:
A great poem for a worthy actor.
I really wanted to see this movie....and now with what you've said, I'm going to RUN to the theatre to see this movie !!!!
Living in Chicago, and having watched it being filmed, I cannot NOT go see this movie. When I heard of Ledger's death, it ...knocked the wind out of me. He was just one of those people/actors you simply assumed would be around to magnify our sense of what's possible for another 40 years.
thank you noah the great... :)
beth,
yes, run! but be prepared for sold out shows and mucho lines.... it's worth every minute's wait.
holly,
i feel the same. i don't think i've ever been so affected by an actor's death. i still can't believe he's gone. we were just beginning to see the brilliance that he possessed. it saddened me so much because you could see he loved his daughter so much ... to think had he known something like this could happen, he would've stayed away from all those drugs. his death reminds me of elvis's death: drugs to sleep and drugs to keep awake... after awhile, you need more and more of it to be effective until one day you overdose. but i think this was one actor who totally immersed himself in every role, each role taking a piece of his sanity/well-being/peace with it. so very tragic.
What a beautiful poem.
Only the good die young, right?
I wasn't anxious to see this, knowing he is gone, but maybe I will now.
Your poem is beautifully done!
I haven't seen it yet... hope to go this weekend or one of these days. Ah I can't wait to see the brilliant performance.
"it is that perpetual smile
full of disgrace -"
That is wonderful.
Sold out show down here. I must wait.
vered,
indeed...
La La,
it's a must see. many times you forget you're watching an actor who passed away playing a role and just get carried away with the movie. it is only after the movie ends that you're reminded once again that he is gone.
best,
rebecca
mother hen,
go, run, run! and don't forget to take your chicks with you (well, it depends how old they are). this is not a movie for young children....ledger's interpretation of the Joker is so sinister, if the child is too young, it will definitely terrify him/her and guess who'll be sleeping with you in your bed for the next year of so? don't say i didn't warn you!
xoxo
coyote,
i read somewhere that it was his idea to paint his face that way (he would do it himself), all smeared and in a decayed state to signify not only the deterioration of his soul but the deterioration of Gotham as well. that smile scares you, no doubt about it. plus, he had voice lessons for a year to get that voice that, when you listen to him, you really cannot hear ledger at all. all of that was his idea, not the director's. i tell you, it was incredible.
I like the poem much more than the movie. The darkness, the perversion was heart-wrenching. I can admire the talent of the actor and hate the subject of the story. It is a work of art, and like some works, as much as you want to turn your head, you still have to look...
Thanks for your kinds words on my site.
Amazing post rebecca. Excellent writing.
I am going to see this film this week...I cannot wait.
I read somewhere that Health was very affected while playing this "dark" role, thus contributing to his insomnia, etc.
I think the world has lost one of it's great actors. I think he was just getting started.... So young...who knows what he could've accomplished. It's such a shame.
hi boho mom,
i feel the same way, the world has lost one of its greats. and it seems his immersion into his characters played havoc with his life. what a shame.
you and your hatchling will definitely enjoy it....
thanks!
xoxo
Hola Mi Amor,
I've missed your insight, your words... and you've touched upon such a bittersweet victory... what every actor hopes to achieve is the ultimate illusion, for they are usually running from nightmares...
(((HUGS))),
Love,
Me
Hi,
Thanks for coming by my humble site! I agree, we lost one fine young actor--such a shame! My daughter lives in Chicago and actually got to work a tiny bit on the film. She said it was quite exciting.
I haven't seen the film yet, but I plan to, and I'm not into this type of film, but I really like the lead actors.
I'm still waiting for this movie, and was only very recently made aware of HL. I can't think of a better tribute than to watch and enjoy. I think you've introduced his character in a way that makes me want to do just that.
pixie!
so glad you're back! i've missed you too, mami...
if you have not seen the movie yet, go catch it with your family, it's a definite must-see.
((abrazos))
rebecca
crabby,
how exciting it must have been for your daughter! i bet she already went to see the movie! hehe!
all of the actors were good. all of them. eckhart and bale were excellent as well. but, heath, well, he tapped into a place that none of the others could reach. but actors always say it is much more interesting to play evil characters than good ones....
stan,
thank you. you will not be disappointed....
hi kip,
you liked the poem more than you liked the movie?!! oh, the battle between good and evil, the battle that is timeless... but, yes, as much as you want to turn your head, you can't, can you?
well, thank you and i'm glad you liked the poem...
hey rebecca :)
thanks for the comment on "Dream" I'm using tissue paper for collage art these days and loving it!
For the water ripple effect...I just layered different shades of blue tissue paper....I rip the pieces to be thin and wavy..and when I apply them with the gel medium, you can move and play with it...I think I also used one of my stamps to add paint over the tissue which also adds to the effect. Its hard to explain, easier to show you....however it is even better if you gave it a try...art is all about having fun and trying new things- I like to let my inner child take over my thought process while I'm doing it too- :) and sometimes, its just a happy mistake that looks great :)
I like your writing, and I've heard a lot about this movie- better go see it....although I think I'm going to see Mama Mia first LOL
take care
thank you miss T! i left a message on your lovely site.
mamma mia, here i go again,
my my, how can i resist you... :)
xoxo
YAY!! Art is for everyone!! Everyone of us is creative! sometimes in various different ways, but my hats off to you for being so willing to jump in and give it a try!!! Just wonderful!
I think for me, Art is all about the process of doing it- not so much about the end product! and I've learned that being present and focused on the process of doing art usually leads to the most authentic, moving and downright cool pieces in the end!!
And the great thing about this medium, is how cheap tissue paper is...the local dollar store has lots of colours! OHHH I'm so excited for you! I hope you share what you create with me !!
you are awesome!
xo
t
YAY! and i will share! i love to share! once i "create" my masterpiece, i'll just have to borrow my daughter's digital camera (i must be one of the last persons in the u.s. that does not own a digital) and then learn how to upload (yikes!), etc.... eh, this could take awhile... :(
listen, better yet, when i finally have a finished product and figure out what i want to create...i'll drop you a line and describe it, how's that?
xoxo
Yay, that sounds super fantastic!
I just finally got a digital camera last year as a birthday gift- and an ipod...so up until last year, I was pretty clueless about tech stuff. I prefer my old school all manual camera with my various zoom lenses...however I must admit the digital camera makes life easier to share my art... good luck! you will do fantastic, I know it! I can feel it!
xo
t
I've put off seeing the movie - I so loved the originals that I'm afraid I may be disappointed. But reading all this, I might just chage my mind
WOW WOW WOW! A most excellent poem to describe the darkest of characters! =)
sinister, that poem!
i have to run to the movies - been hearing a lot about the joker!
keithy,
you will NOT be disappointed!
michelle,
thank you! he was awesome....brilliant.
dharmabum,
yes, sinister like the character....and run! it is absolutely worth every panted breath.... :)
i am captivated by your words and the perfect match to the portrait. they are harmony incarnate! i have not seen the movie yet but will soon... it will seem all the more dark in it's darkness now that i have read your poem rebecca.
Excellent poem - perfect tribute to the character. And yes, Heath Ledger's performance was phenomenal. What a loss to the acting community. Peace, JP/deb
robin bird,
harmony incarnate... i like that! you will undoubtedly enjoy this movie.... frankly, i want to see it again!
jp/deb,
such a terrible loss. he was just tapping into the genius of what he was. his death reminds me of brandon lee's death as well... both tragically and accidentally gone before their time, both gone in the midst of their own particular path to greatness.
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