Tonight Batman and I went to watch The Dark Knight (it was her second time) and I was utterly enthralled. Heath Ledger is captivating, to say the least.

The Batman series, to me, presents an interesting picture of psychotic illness. Obviously, both The Joker and Two-Face are off their collective rockers - that's kind of the point - but Batman, too, ain't all under control. I s'pose that's one of the recurrent themes in several super-hero films/comics/ and the like. It's all about staying in control of what you've got.

Inherently, as Peter Parker points out, "with great power comes great responsibility".

I'd suggest that The Dark Knight and his other super- heroes and villains are just a wee bit closer to the edge than most of us. They're struggling (+/- failing) to repress anger or fear or other primeval emotion. They must control it, sometimes through an 'outlet'.

In the context of everyday life; the whole 'keeping it under control' is what some people keep as gospel. The fear 'losing control' might even be what drives some Med students. The need to stay on top of it all, the fear of failing. Or killing someone. Everyone need to feel in control of something.

That's the absurdity of the Joker. He controls everything and nothing and doesn't care.

With or without opioids, benzos, papparazi, sedating antihistamines and the lip-smacking extra-pyramidal side effects; I'm strongly willing to consider that 'method acting' for this role was the end of Ledger. The Joker was one psychotic man.