Heath Ledger Was Never the Same After Playing the Joker

Creative Sources of Inspiration

Christopher Nolan allowed a significant amount of creative control to Heath Ledger in his portrayal of the Joker. However, he did recommend specific artistic works for Ledger to gain inspiration for his performance.

Unsurprisingly, the sources of inspiration included the famous dystopian novel, A Clockwork Orange, heavy metal music, and paintings by Francis Bacon. Alex DeLarge, one of the main characters in A Clockwork Orange, proved to be the inspiration for the actors’ self-imposed isolation that occurred before the filming of The Dark Knight.