Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Heath Ledger (1979-2008)


The saddest thing is, he was just starting to reveal what he was capable of. There's Brokeback Mountain, of course, in which his remarkable subtlety carried a devastating emotional impact. Just today I was going to write about Todd Haynes' wonderful I'm Not There, which owes much of its joy to his Dylan on the verge of marital and spiritual collapse. These performances promised so much - now all we have is a few more performances and the constant question of what could have come next.

Now come the People cover stories, the pointless moralizing (don't do drugs, kids), the forced comparisons to James Dean for an actor who deserves to be defined on his own terms, and a daughter who will learn about her dad through the movies he made. Heath Ledger was 28. This is so fucking sad.

2 comments:

Ella said...

I concur with your thoughts. The sadness is the people hanging out side exercising no discretion getting photos.

I feel it was out of character given news acount thus far and given he had separated from his girlfriend and daughter may have triggered depression.

That to me, would be the ultimate sadness. Health news is revealing Vit. D and Omega 3 fatty acids can really help with that a Harvard study showed.

I hope it wasn't drugs, for that would be a waste of talent and a life. But being in LA myself I've seen how it happens beyond movie stars.

Very neat site. I've book marked it.

Peace Out,

Ella

viagra online pharmacy said...

This is utterly devestating news that one wishes was nothing more than part of a fiction, a horrible nightmare. I was too young to react when River Phoenix died, but I imagine this is a similar shock.

I was.. I am a huge fan of Ledger's work, and I truly believe he had even greater things ahead of him. May he rest in peace