I didn't even realize who Ledger was until I saw this film so I went into it, I think, with a fresh eye. His performance as the Joker was one of the best pieces of acting I have ever seen! I would say yes, I think he deserves recognition for the hard work...even if it is posthumously.

A true 'actor' must become the one whose part he is playing: Heath Ledger did just that and it cost him his life. It is tragic: certainly worth far more than an Oscar nomination; more thanthe award itself.
James Dean got two nominations; yet, he received no Oscar. Hopefully, we have learned something, since that time.

I watched the movie with a friend on my vacation trip to my home town in India. He never knew who was Ledger until he saw the movie. After the movie ended we both praised his performance and when I told him that Ledger passed away, my friend was in shock for some time and said "he is a alive, and the dark night is were he is"

Ledger's acting was just brilliant! I didn't see for a long time an actor that "lived" the character as he did. IMHO he clearly deserves the Oscar.

I just want to see him in a new movie.

When I heard that Heath Ledger was casted over Andrien Brody to be the Joker, I was not only disappointed but thought he would tank at trying to play the part. I will openly apologize and say that Ledger did an outrageous job at the role, unreal, FANTASTIC!!!!!! I know that a comic book character can not receive an Oscar, but I think it was the best piece of acting I have seen in a long time. I just wish he were alive to see how much people took notice to how well of a job he did with this role.

He clearly deserves an Oscar

I watched The Dark Knight in IMAX soon after it was released in UK. To be frank, I liked the Heath's portrayal of Joker a lot, but I didn't fully appreciate it until I watched the movie again, once it was released on DVD. I could then watch the movie in more relaxed manner and it is then I realized what a brilliant job he has done in the movie. I can probably say safely that he has set a benchmark which other psychopathic villains of superhero movies will find harder to achieve in future.

As a longtime Batman comic book reader, I feel Ledger captured the true essence of the character. The Joker is so crazy that he's absolutely scary, and unlike the goofy Jokers of the past, Ledger nailed it. It's sad that I won't be able to see him return as the Joker.

He deserves the award. Ledger was phenomenal, his role as the joker eclipses any other potential nominees. The best performance I have ever seen ... period.

He at least deserves an Oscar nod because of his unique potrayal of the Joker; Ledger captured the essence of a psychopath in that role; alot of my friends were disturbed by the chilling potrayal of the Joker and some were a bit shaken after the movie.

Mr Ledger was one of the best young actors out there. Honestly, he deserved the Oscar win for "Brokeback Mountain" – his performance in that role was only slightly outdone by his chilling performance as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." To me, this has nothing to do w/ posthumously or not – he deserves a nomination, and as far as we've seen in movies this year in his category, a hands-down win.

Nicholson's performance was 'campy' and over the top, which suited the first film fine. Heath Ledger's performance was dark and brooding, which was perfect in The Dark Knight. Even if Ledger had not passed away his performance would have been heralded as one of the best of the year. If he doesn't win an Oscar I would be greatly disappointed.

As a fellow actor, I can say that film acting is generally much easier than stage. Take after take can be shot until you get it just right. As a matter of fact, I know that the "party" scene is The Dark Knight was shot for hours on end until they got it right. But...it is my personal opinion, that we are all lucky that this was a film, and not a stage production...because Ledger's realism of The Joker probably would have been even more chilling. He was that good. He definately deserves to win this award as I've seen few film actors thrust their minds and identity into a role so completely.

Ledgers performance was simply phenomenal. His death is shrouded in mystery, but I think we can all appreciate and honor his accomplishments in this film. He was a rising star, at the peak of his abilities. His performance carried this film to true 'behemoth' status almost single-handedly, in spite of a weak performance from Christian Bale’s continuously grumbling dialect.

Ledger was the star of this film, and he deserves all the accolades we can give him. With or without this untimely death, this is one of the finest performances I have ever seen.

I was disturbed with his potrayal when I watch the dark knight.. and said to my wife how he got under my skin with his immensely intense intepretation of the Joker

The best piece of acting I've seen in a very long time.. he is sorely missed for his presence and spirit

I was horrified when Heath Ledger passed away as I had always liked his work. Brokeback Mountain was phenomenal. It still haunts me. I also very much enjoyed The Patriot and A Knight's Tale.

When I saw him as the Joker, I was speechless. He scared the heck out of me and I was blown away. I think he definitely deserves both the Golden Globe and the Oscar for his performance. My heart still aches that we will never see future work from him. What amazing stuff he would have done!

Ledger's portrayal of the Joker was just brilliant. What was most shocking for me was how different it was from his previous roles.

He easily outshines all the characters including Batman. He makes the previous Jokers look very ordinary.

Heath Ledger truly deserves an Oscar.

He definitely gave the cinema-world "a better class of criminal" !!!

Another Fan here, I was just amazed at how well Heath Ledger portrayed the Joker, He was just AMAZING!! A really great actor will take on the role and make it REAL, not just act but become the character and so all you see is the character on the screen and not the actor playing the part. He Deserves the Golden Globe and he Deserves the Oscar as well!!!!

He embodied the chaos in human form that was the Joker... His ability to show souless calculation was incredible. That takes talent and he deserves these awards! Crossing my fingers!

The Joker is absolutely my favorite villian of all time. I am also a major fan of Jack Nicholson. So i was at odds on whether or not to see the film. The end result was that i was so glad that I did. It is a true gift of an actor to be able to have an audience root for the villian then the hero and seem so good at it. Maybe it was because Heath was dead, i dont know but he earned an Oscar and every major award with the performance that he did in the film.

Heath Ledger absolutely deserves an Oscar for his role in The Dark Knight. I couldn't take my eyes off him for the whole movie. What an outstanding talent. It was terrible that he died so young, and evertime I think about it I feel so sad, but that shouldn't have anything to do with his performance in that film. It's an outstanding, solid performance that deserves a reward regardless of circumstance.

Yes, most certainly.

I thought that Heath performed the role as he did any other role he was garnished. He was a fantastic actor and it is just sad the circumstances of his death.
I have always enjoyed Heath's work and felt he had a real passion for all of his roles, no matter who he played. The role of the joker was no different. He should be honoured for his tremendous acting, he certainly is missed.

I always thought the perfect Joker would be Crispin Glover. He's so off the cuff strange and I thought he would be an outstanding choice for the "Clown Prince of Crime"! That being said, I was absolutely blown away by Heath's portrayal of the Joker. Not since Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector, has an actor embraced the cool, calm, demented and evil side of humanity. Whether the actor is living or dead should not be of consequence in deciding whether or not to award them for their artistry. I think that many people will agree that Heath Ledger is the JOKER and deserves the Oscar.

The reason I think he deserves at least nominations is that going into it, I knew Heath Ledger was the Joker, but watching it, I didn't even really notice that it was Ledger. He became the Joker. He embodied that role so much that knowing he has passed on washed away. It wasn't until the credits rolled and his name came on the screen that I then realized that "Oh yeah, that was Ledger's last role!" Breathtaking. If Hopkins as Hannibal Lector can get nominated and be in the movie for 15 minutes, Ledger deserves a nomination as well. Should he win? I haven't seen enough movies to say yes or no yet, but it's likely he could.

Ledger's portrayal was nothing short of brilliance. He embraced the character wholeheartedly. His voice, his sucking on his scars, his lack of fear towards death and the Batman, and his laugh were all pitch perfect.

He captured the Joker's sadistic, deprived, and evil life with one line:

(while laughing) "You have nothing to threaten me with, nothing to do with all your strength."

I am from Mexico,
When I finished watching the movie I call my song to tell him that I Liked the movie but I was more impressed by Heath Ledger performance, with no doubt, enough to win a posthumous Oscar.

I'm 25 years old and grew up with Heath's movies "10 Things I Hate About You" and "A Knights Tale". I fell in love with the boyish charm and his ability to submerse himself in the roles he was playing and captivate the audience (well, me anyway). I went into "The Dark Knight" with a heavy heart knowing that this was his final completed film and possibly the cause of his death. I was expecting to cry or be somewhat emotional when the movie ended, but I have to say I was completely taken aback. He personified the character of the Joker, and I completely forgot that he was playing the role. I couldn't believe the same person that played Ennis del Mar in "Brokeback Mountain" was now a sadistic, maniacal psychopath. He completely embodied the role of the Joker, and I absolutely believe he deserves an Oscar – regardless of his death. He will be sorely missed, but I believe this film is a great representation of his abilities as an actor and he should be rewarded for that.

Ledger was Brillant ...He deserves the award hands down, not just the nomination.

I also believe that Nolan deserves to be recognized for best director and the "Dark Knight" itself should be up for award as best picture.

The film goes way beyond a super-hero movie, it is one of the best crime stories I've ever watched. And deserves it's place with films like "Heat" and "Unusual Suspects."

Also the film's score was outstanding! The joker's theme was erie and created the feel of the whole movie...

The "Dark Knight" is an instant classic. All super-hero and comic based movies will forever be judged.

This late gentleman has proved time and time again that what ever role he play's he does so with 150% each and every time.
I can but only imagine what other roles he would have gone on to.
He was and still is THE best actor to date without a doubt, and if he does not reicive an Oscar for this, shame on them.

Until yesterday I had dismissed all this talk of Heath Ledger deserving an Oscar. Feeling the media was simply pulling on heart strings to get more people to their sites, magazines or papers. Now, after borrowing the DVD last night and watching the movie, I come away from it very impressed. Not having known very much, if anything, of Heath Ledger before the announcement of his death, the Dark Knight gave me the first real insight to his ability as an actor. I found his portrayal of the Joker to be chilling, as if I were watching a real life Psychopath. I promised my friend I’d mail the movie back to Netflix, today, but after seeing this performance, I’m sure that can wait another day, so I can enjoy a second viewing.

An over-praised role for a nihilistic movie that makes stupids feel smart, The Dark Knight is as contrived and forced a film as you're able to find. Ledger attempts to fill the screen with *anything* he can get his hands on – and it amounts to nothing. Sound and fury without form amounts to a fart on the wind.

In TDK, Ledger is Joker in name only; for a character based on humor, he brings a cheerless vapidity previously unmined by better performances. For someone who's an "agent of chaos", he sure did have exceedingly elaborate and thought-out means in which to be chaotic. Its nothing more than dull dimwittery for the disaffected masses.

There is an irony to be had – Network had the last post-humus Oscar win for Peter Finch. Now here we are, living out and relishing the warnings Paddy Chayefsky dished out in 1976. Welcome to the Machine.

I had no intentions of watching the Dark Knight as I've not seen any of the other Batman movies. My husband got the DVD this weekend and started watching it. My curiosity got the better of me and I also watched it. I was completely blown away – there was no hint of Heath the person; just the Joker. Frankly, his performance gave me the willies. The only other person to evoke that response in me was Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs (as mentioned above). He became the Joker (and pure evil) in such a way that you were drawn to his character. You couldn't help but watch him.

Irregardless of the fact that he is no longer with us, if he doesn't win the Oscar, there is something seriously amiss in Hollywood.

If the Academy does not recognize Heath Ledger's work, it will be a great disrespect to him and his family and fans. Heath was an actor that liked challenging roles thats why he chose to play the joker. He blew everyone away with his performance. Sadly it took away such an amazing actor. The Academy needs to look beyond the tragedy and look at his performance and recognize him for it. Please Academy this will be such a great honor for his family and to the fans.
RIP Heath

The only other actor that can immerse himself and truly become the character they are playing, in my mind, is Daniel Day Lewis. If Ledger doesn't get recognized for this chilling performance, the Academy will truly have committed a faux pas of great significance.

He deserved it for Brokeback Mountain, NOT this overblown piece of crap Dark Knight.

I have heard a lot about this movie and have seen many clips, and I can all ready tell that this movie, and Heath need to have an accadmy award!!! Everyone in this whole movie needs an award, I guess the only award this movie shouldn't win is best comedy!!! The Dark Kinght is one of the greatest movies of all time!!!

YES HE CERTAINLY DOES! HIS PERFORMANCE WAS PHENOMENAL!

Jack Nicholson deberia entregar ese premio!

No doubt in my mind that Heath deserves this oscar no matter what the circumstances are surrounding him.

It was brilliant!

It would be nothing short of disappointing if he didn't win. He was just coming into his own as an actor. He was great in Brokeback Mountain and the only reason I went to see Dark Knight was because Health was in it. I am normally not a fan of this type of movie. I went to see it twice more, only because of the brilliant performance of Health Ledger. I talked about it for days after. I can't recall seeing a performance in a movie that made me talk about it days after....ever!
One can only imagine that he would have become one of the greatest actors.

He was a great actor . And he does deserve to win the award for always being a good actor like in 10 things i like about you andfor the movie Dark Knight.

I was totally mezmerised! He was amazing, and he deserves to win
an oscar. It is a great legacy to his daughter.

I was skeptical that the sad news of Heath's death influenced the perceptions and reviews of his performance. I went into the Dark Knight with the intention of forming my own opinion without being swayed by events in the actor's personal life. Heath's portrayal of the joker still blew me away. It was more than a performance – it was a complete transformation. I agree with those who said that, posthumous or not, he deserves that Oscar. It's very sad that he is not alive to celebrate his greatest achievement.

in a way, this is the role that indirectly lead to his death. he put his life into it, literally. he deserves to be posthumously recognized.

I have always liked Heath Ledger as a actor however, it was not until I saw him as The Joker that I saw an actor actually "become" the part he was playing. To say he was outstanding or superb do not even touch upon his performance. I have never seen anyone actually take over the part they were playing like he did. If it did not ultimately take over his emotions as some say that it did, I would be surprised because his performance was so precise and flawless. I would love to see he get the Oscar and it be given to his family – no one else comes near it this year!!

Not everything has to be "dark" to be good. We wonder why today's society is becoming more desensitized to violence. I grew up with the Batman TV series and thought Cesar Romero's version was FUN (which was what the series was designed to be)! After all, the character's name is the JOKER, not the Terrorist, the Killer, the Torturer, etc.

I have to admit I am not a fan of the Batman movies. I did however see the Dark Knight because of Heath Ledger. His performance was magnificent. I left the theatre with my friends and couldn't stop talking about how wonderful he was and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

I think everyone spoke for me already. Without a doubt, yes he does.
He was outstanding and unforgettable.

Heath Ledger more than deserves the nomination, he deserves to win the Oscar ! I could barely see him under his make-up. His performance as the Joker really took over the film. His sadistic, and witty, and frowned Joker certainly beat Cesar Romero's and Jack Nicholscon's Jokers.

And he left us with one line that we would want to imitate in a low pitch and scary voice: "Why so serious ?"

Are you people kidding me??????? What kind of message would that send to give hom an Oscar? The guy was a junkie and now that he is dead everyone is praising him. Would you be acting like this if he was still alive????? BTW the movie was horrible.

Are you people kidding me??????? What kind of message would that send to give him an Oscar? The guy was a junkie and now that he is dead everyone is praising him. Would you be acting like this if he was still alive????? BTW the movie was horrible.

Simply Superb! his acting performance is one of the best I´ve ever seen!!!

I became a fan of Heath's when he played in Monster's Ball and he continued to amaze me as an actor in Brokeback Mountain. I still remember that scene when Jake's character was leaving and Heath's character cried in the alley. Just bent over with so much pain. That scene was awesome!!! He went away before his time but he left a body of work to be proud of. Just like Jamie Foxx became Ray Charles, Heath became the Joker. True to the comic book. I hope that he wins the Oscar!!! He so deserves it!!!!

Ledger's Joker is one of the greatest movie characters to ever grace the screen. He deserves the award.

I am a little puzzled that The Dark Knight was snubbed in so many categories for Golden Globe noms.

It seems to be on everybodies top ten list reaching towards the top. Its a little sad that the movie is only being looked at as a comic book movie when it is truly a great Crime Thriller. Hopefully the Academy will get it right but I have my doubts now.

We will be chearing Heath on!

Of course he does. He is amazing in this movie, and I dont even like Badman, but Heath Ledger made the movie interesting.
All in all Heath Ledger just deserves an oscar for all his great acting and for the person he was. I really liked this man!!

certainly does deserve an oscar. am not into this type of movie, but saw it purely for ledger and he was the movie, very intense and constant. brilliant

I rented Dark Night last night and said this morning to my colleagues that Heath deserves an Oscar.

I watched the movie this weekend.....to be honest I was disappointed after hearing all the hype. Sure he is a great actor...however, this character was nothing darker than any other character I have seen....The Shining, and The Silence of the Lambs.....for example. Jack and Sir Anthony are still around.

Maybe if Ledger had stayed sober it would not have pushed him over the edge.

Before the movie came out, I heard all the hub bub about how brilliant Heath was in the role. So I went on opening night with doubts – yeah right. How brilliant could he really be?

And darn if all the talk wasn't spot on. Heath didn't portray the Joker, he became the Joker in the movie. He didn't play it as a joke, but as true evil. Heath's Joker will go down in movie history as one of the best villians of all time. Right up there with Hannibal Lecter. Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for his role as Hannibal. I see no reason why Heath should not repeat that honor.

Ledger deserves this award and many others indeed! His role as the infamous "Joker" in the film the "The Dark Knight" expressed an attribute missing in much of the modern film industry. . . .

. . . .genuine acting chops.

The measure of a true actor is that once in the role you never think of the actor.... Even with all the media coverage surrounding his death and the morbid curiosity about his performance that followed, I can truthfully say that once I got into the film, I was watching the Joker NOT Heath Ledger.... Having said that I belive he might very well be wrothy of an Oscar.... However, death should not guarantee one... As of today I have not seen a lot of the other perfomances also nominated so it would be unfair to discount them...

I would never have guessed that he played the role "The Joker" until I was told. He did an extremely "Fantastic" job. He deserves an Oscar!!

Joker is amazing! His performance is real. O my goodness what a job...that's the acting! I know he is somewhere around and watching us and thinkin that if he doesn't get the Oscar, he's gonna to steal it like he did in the movie. Go for it Champ! But I wish I could see you...

Best score? YES,
Best Actor? No

Ledger was good, Nicholson was better.
Frankly, I would like to have seen him ACT more like the Joker, giggling, laughing and not walking around stooped over, sullen, lost in thought and constantly licking his lips.

If he hadn't died I think the media and most on this blog wouldn't be giving a darn about his performance, good or bad. It would all be about Bale and the Bat pod.

I first saw the trailer of the film months bedore Heath died and long before the movie was released but as there was absolutely no introdcution to the clip had no idea it was the dark knight. The trailer focused solely on this evil looking sick character and it took me a few seconds to relaise that this could be the joker. I never realised that this was Heath Ledger untill many days later but the joker looked so far off from previous interpretations, so believable and wicked that the image stayed in my mind . He made that movie come alive and i have never felt that strongly about any role or character before or after epsecially such a negative role. He was perfectly awesome if anyone deserves an Oscar its him, dead or alive.

I don't think he deserves an award at all. Not even a nod for that matter.
People just get carried away because he passed away.Period.

His performance in Brokeback Mountain is a million times beter than this one and yet it didn't get a fraction of the attention the Joker is getting.

The Dark Knight was a decent movie overall but the Joker's constant lip smacking became really irritating after 25 seconds or so and the character had zero depth. Pretty much anarchist that's it. If Aaron Eckhart had passed away then he would be the one getting all the fuzz. It's just that simple.

i thawt he wuz gr8.

Good grief. Learn to spell, Gene.

Whatev.

Here in Australia there is tremendous support for this award. Many feel a National treasure has been lost. The risk we face is that a bunch of patriotism confuses the argument. I do hope that does not happen.

Heath was the Joker – He has been one of the young best actors around for quite sometime – If we need any further proof of that see him in a little Indie flick from Australia called 'Two Hands'.

Of course he should win an Oscar – enough said.

I think the fact that having seen Heath in many films, and then seeing him in this one and realizing, had I not known who was under the makeup, that I would not have been able to pick him out is in itself pretty amazing. Shows that he was able to remove all that made him Heath and drop headlong into the abyss that is the Joker.

I sincerely hope the Academy sees Heath as the powerful actor he was and would have become ever more had he lived on and award him the Oscar. Award it for him as if he were alive, not just because he met a tragic fate soon after wrapping this performance. For me the saddest part of all is we will never see what performances he may have turned in that could shadow his turn at the Joker.

It is a toughy. The situation being..

Fact is that this Joker well you pretty much had a good reason to be scared. Sure the other jokers had that flair and smile and..crazyness. Dark Knights Joker is grim, showing a pure human evil..that is the scarriest part.

Are monster scary? Well depends..are offkey acting people scary..at times. But are humans that are..just broken..scary? Hell yeah! The most scary things i seen usually we're a family gone wrong.

He put it right..a broken person..so broken even the he himself wasn't fully in control of what he did. Puttting a character like that on screen..

Yeah I think he deserved it!

Heath .......Brabisimo what a great performer.he deserves not just one but 2 Oscar

HE deserve it.....
wonderfull perfomance on «jocker» ....

not because he died,
but because , He is the BEST in/on movie.

I thought Dark Knight was terrible -it ran out of ideas after the first 15 minutes. Heath Ledger was interesting but that's all -after a while he seemed like he was simply doing a re-run of Jack Nicholson.

I can only agree to all the comments here. Watching the movie you see the Joker. Only after the movie you realize that it was actually Heath Ledger acting as the Joker. Nothing short of brilliant and most certainly he should get the Oscar.

You only have to watch the film to realise what the Joker achieved. He was notorious, witty, a dark past and a dangerous agenda. All part of the comic book character. What was more interesting was when you watched the movie it was worrying just what he would do next. That in itself was good enough to make his character as the 'bad guy' very believable.

Often, actors are being hyped up after they have died, and when I heard he was supposed to be brilliant in this role, I was immediately skeptical, "They're only saying that because he died" was , I confess, my thoughts at the time. When I saw the film, however, I was blown away. It is one of the best performances I've ever seen, not just in a "superhero movie" , but one of the best ever. I thought, "How could any actor compete with Nicholsen in this role?" but my doubts were obliterated by Ledger.

Ledger has to win this Oscar, everything else will be a disappointment, despite the expectations.

Heath performed his role fabulously in the "Dark Knight". It is just right that he receive the recognition...

I don't know what competition Ledger is up against but I would at least think he should be worthy of a nomination. I thought he was brilliant.

but of course he deserves the oscar

While I certainly have an opinion, I do not feel it is appropriate for me to appear to be trying to influence the Academy's choices. They bestow the award and therefore it is the prerogative of it's membership to make the call–not a non-member.

In these politically correct days, Heath Ledger should win, not only for an exceptional performance, but because it's the right way to pay tribute to a sadly departed young talent.

Tom Hanks won for Philadelphia over Liam Neeson's Schindlers List, ostensibly because of the subject matter, a young man killed by AIDS.

Do the decent thing. The likes of Sean Penn already have Oscars and has years ahead of them to do so again, Heath Ledger has been deprived of that chance. He was outstanding, let Oscar remember him that way.

In these politically correct days, Heath Ledger should win, not only for an exceptional performance, but because it's the right way to pay tribute to a sadly departed young talent.

Tom Hanks won for Philadelphia over Liam Neeson's Schindlers List, ostensibly because of the subject matter, a young man killed by AIDS.

Do the decent thing. The likes of Sean Penn already have Oscars and have years ahead of them to do so again, Heath Ledger has been deprived of that chance. He was outstanding, let Oscar remember him that way.

Like others here I too grew up watching movies with Heath Ledger in them. I still enjoy watching his earlier flicks such as 10 things I Hate about you (who can forget the stadium scene where Heath sings his heart out!) or The Patriot in which he portrays the role as Mel Gibsons brave son.

The Dark Knight would have never been as chilling and sadistic without Heath's brilliant performance as the Joker. The Oscar award is not enough to represent the recognition due to this man for he has become more than just a man, he is a symbol...a legend.

He deserves every bit of it! He was a genius actor as he proved it in "The Dark Knight." Nothing was too much and artificial about his portrayal of Joker. He revealed the darker, painful, sick side of Joker, beyond just being crazy as his predecessors.

Dead or not this certainly deserves an Oscar, and a hell of a lot more. While there is no shortage of villains to watch in movies and on TV, very few stand out as genuinely memorable. The only other that even comes close was Anthony Hopkin's Hannibal Lecter, and I don't hesitate to say that Ledger's Joker was better.

As great as The Dark knight was overall, Ledger individually dominated every scene he appeared in – you just couldn't take your eyes off the intensity of his role. You wanted him to be in every shot just so you could watch the perfectly calibrated monster revealing a little more of himself to the audience. He was entralling in a way very few other characters – hero or villain – have ever been. If that isn't Oscar-value then nothing is.

Ledger is beyond description in his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight. – His facial expressions and mannerisms. And, Beyond his role in Brokeback, this role really will solidify his impact as an superb actor. He should get the best actor nomination since he stole the movie with his performance...

he absolutely deserves an oscar! dead or alive, his performance was mesmerizing! he has mastered all different angles from the joker personality and should absolutely be an award winner! He was brilliant! would absolutely vote for heath!

yeah i think he should. he played the role so well that i keep thinking how well one can really act. his death is tragic and really a sad loss. he could have lived to enjoy the fame. well i think he deserves the posthumous award. at least his family, friends and loved ones can have somehing to rememer him for

HELLO

I MUST SAY THAT I LOVE THE OTHER SIDE. I HATE BATMAN BUT I LOVE JOKER. HE IS THE BEST VILIAN I HAVE EVER SEEN. HE REALLY DESERVES AN OSCAR. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. THANKS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. YOUR FRIEND PYRIEL.

of course he deserves an oscar, I would be the first to be disappointed if he doesn't. Many actos acted well this year, but he had been the best actor of the year.

Heath Ledger deserved an Oscar for the role in The Dark Night. In fact, the movie should be called 'The Joker'. The movie is impressive and the acting role by Ledger is brilliant. He made The Joker scarier than Hannibal Lecter.

He is one of the best villain I have seen in years, I loved his style and the confidence he has shown in his acting, I think he was the inspiriation of this movie and was more popular than the Batman.

ledger deserves both golden globe and oscar

I first saw Heath Ledger on screen in the movie A Knights Tale, this was a hilarious action adventure that i really enjoyed.

I did not see him as an actor who can play a character, but his performance in The Dark Knight, was mind -blowing and a revelation, it is a shame he passed away, after this performance he would have had Hollywood on his feet.

Whether posthumously or not he fully deserves the Oscar

...and the oscar award goes to....Heath Ledger. Period.

Ledger, dead or alive, deserves an Oscar for Dark Knight.

Nothing against Heath Ledger - fine actor, untimely death. RIP. In my opinion, performance not worthy of an Oscar, however. Whereas Batman Begin was amazing and truly larger-than-life, The Dark Knight was one of the stupidest and most over-rated movies I've seen in a long time. Everyone's like "ooh, it's so dark", "ooh, the psychological exploration of a psychotic mind". What's the point? It was violent, gratuitous and silly. And taking itself way, way too seriously. The only cool part was the SFX on Two-Face. That and a pitch-perfect performance from Michael Kaine, if you want to talk about good acting.

i was never a big fan of keith ledgar or of batman movies. never bothered to watch any batman sequels or ledgar movies. however his acting was amazing in batman and it made me watch it more then three times. i think he deserves the oscars without a doubt, alive or dead.

Yes!! He was awesome. Best acting I have seen in a looooooooooong time!!!!

When I saw the movie trailer of “the dark knight” (English spoken) for the first time, I was really excited to see the film but after I saw it in a local Cinema in Germany I was not convinced of Ledger’s class of actor.

Everybody spoke about the film, Ledgers death and if he deserves an Oscar. So I decided to watch the Movie again, English spoken.
AND: I turned around. That Joker is the best of all time. And (for me) its Ledger’s best roll ever. You don’t see Ledger in the Movie – he’s totally into the Joker. Awesome.

Got to get the Oscar.

Heath not only deserves the Golden Globe but an Oscar as well. His portrail of the Joker personified what great acting is all about. To engage an audience and have them transfixed in awe and wonder at the complexity and depth of a character is something very few actors can achieve and his performance should not go unrecognised.

Sorry, but I was not very impressed by the movie or the performance. It seems like every Batman movie has to be "darker" than the last one to get noticed.

Poor Heath bent over backwards trying to assign motives to a cartoon, and he came up with lip smacking nonsense. I think you gotta go with the campy approach on this material.

Saw this movie twice...and I did that only for watching Ledger's performance. Would have seen it a couple of more times if I had the time.

This is the most awesome performance that I have seen in the last 10 years. Make no mistake...the Academy will be honoring themselves if Heath Ledger gets the award in the "Best Actor" category. This is too important a performance to be categorized for "Best Supporting Actor".

Heath Ledger definitely deserves the posthumous Academy Award. He gave a stunning performance. I would still like to know why Nicholson was quoted as having told an interviewer upon learning H.L. had passed away that 'I tried to warn him' (about taking on the role of the "Joker".) We'll probably never know the truth about the circumstances, but it sure will be one for the memory books should Michelle Williams accept the award on his behalf. Have kleenex ready. In addition, I recommend anyone who appreciates this incredible actor to watch his performance in a little-seen film called 'Candy', with Abbie Cornish. Astounding.

Heath deserves the Oscar for TDK, but it was 2 years ago that he should've gotten the Oscar, for best lead role in a motion picture, for Brokeback Mountain. The Academy will never be able to make this right, ever again. What Heath did in that one movie was magic, pure and simple magic.

Heath Ledger's performance was flawless. He created the perfect Joker. He was dedicated, and more than willing to lose a little of his mind to embody that which is the Joker. I believe he deserves an Oscar because every SINGLE part of the Dark Knight in which he was, is actually the only reason I watch the movie now a days.

There is no doubt in my mind that Heath Ledger deserves an Oscar for his performance. He took a character that was already portrayed by an Oscar-winning actor (Jack Nicholson) and re-invented him into a schizophrenic clown with zero empathy. His preparation for the role included secluding himself in an apartment for 4 weeks and creating the character, writing in a journal thoughts of the joker, and formulating a laugh different from Nicholson's. He turned out a virtuoso performance, and stole the show. The Oscar should not be awarded to Heath because he is dead, but because his performance was so convincing. It is a shame he had to leave us so early.

I think I am the only one who thinks that his performance was average. He looked like an actor trying to play the role of a guy who was crazy. To me he was really 'nothing special'. I liked the guy, I thought he was a good enough actor, but an Oscar for that???? No, I really don't think so and I really do think that so much of this talk is being based on his unfortunate passing. And just incase any think they know the 'True' Batman more than anyone else because they read the comics when they were young and therefore believe I just don't 'get' what the Joker was actually about, I did read the comics, watch the program, see the movies etc. I'm an almost 40yr old guy, I mean, who didn't in our time?The story has been a part of popular culture and popular subculture for many years before me and will be for many years after me. I 'get' the character. And one last comment, though the movies were somewhat terrible at best, Jack N for me was more believable...... because the difference between the two portrayals is that Heath Ledger was playing crazy, Jack N IS crazy, I mean he really is......and therein lies the secret of 'playing' the Joker.

Wow,
I can see that there are some people who think that Batman should forever be preserved as a "campy TV show" but as an avid comic book reader, it is easy to see that the Dark Knight comics have grown darker throughout the years so so has the televised versions. The Joker may have started as a comedic villain, but he evolved into a sadistic clown with no humor which Ledger portrayed to perfection. The mystery of the Joker's past lends to his insanity and perversion on the screen and I for one really enjoyed the movie.
Yes, I listened to all the hype about it being the best movie of the year so I was a bit dissappoint expecting every inch of the movie to be perfect, so I was a little let down.

But not by Heath Ledger's performance.

The Joker has been molded throughout the comic generations to truly inspire terror and fear and was brilliantly depicted through Ledger's performance. I had expected to be a bit morose seeing Ledger on the big screen after his death, but I never saw Ledger on the screen. I only saw the Joker in all his sick twisted glory. I was actually surprised because I thought they would use such a dishy actor to give the Joker sexy appeal. But there was nothing sexy about that character! The Acadamy can do what it pleases with its award, but I knew as soon as I walked out of that theater that I had just seen the performance of a lifetime!

If he couldn't get an Oscar for his performance in Brokeback Mountain, it would really show how ignorant the voting population is. Without him, The Dark Knight might might not have been worthy of the big screen. His performance was truly exquisite. Heath Ledger is the JOKER!

Giving Heath Ledger a posthumous Oscar is giving a very bad signal. in behavioural terms, it means that society rewards negative coping behaviours such as drug taking, overdose and even suicide. Do we want this? I saw the film and I thought his performance was good but so were those of the other actors. If people feel guilty because they think they treated Heath badly in life, there is a better solution. Treat people who are alive better and then you won't feel guilty when they are dead!

How sad that his death is overshadowing his performance – it's like we're only having this discussion because he passed away. He was good as Joker, yes – perhaps even great. But let's not focus so much on whether he should get it ir not because, after all, he's already dead; but also on the real merit of his acting COMPARED WITH the others who will be nominated in the same category.

Yeah, in fact I didn't know who Heath Ledger is or what he does.
But after watching Dark Night, I feel great and admire for him. He digest his role so perfectly that I even thought JOKER MIGHT BE REALLY EXIST!
I really hopin' I can see him doin' another movie.
Cher up, pleeeese, Heath!

The work of Heath Ledger through out his carrer as well as of his performance in The Dark Knight is quite enough to know and understand how this actor as great revelation and so happy for the work he did in the as the Joker, I could say "Yes, of course, he deserves it. Not just the nomination for the Best Supporting Actor in the Golden Globe Awards but for the Oscar itself." But what many could say is that we are being influenced by the fact thet he died in beginning of 2008 and he did a great job in the The Dark Knight but not that can be considered far better than the works of Jack Nicholson or Cesar Romero as the Joker. However what we can really say as Justin Chang already said about the work of “ Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson" are very considerable good but ", Ledger makes them look like — well, clowns,”, with Ledger's great performance he takes the Joke to another level of what we are dealing in the world today: terrorism, fear, injustice as well as justice, men's hypocrisy, governments spying on entire cities to know just for fun or to do what is necessaryto stop terrorism. I'm npot a supporter of president Bush administration, but the way that the oker is played invite all of us to know and discover what men can do and what he wants to control.

He was OK. He was kind of creepy and all, but I don't think he really nailed it. Really, his performance could have been much scarier. Instead of comparing him to other Jokers, compare him to Hannibal Lechter. Ledger was no Hopkins.

Oscar for Heath, without a doubt!!!!

Had he lived, it would still be an OSCAR .... and again the winner is

Heath Ledger for the the Dark Knight