Anita18 said:
The first time I saw the prologue, I was totally stumped when I first heard the voice. I did not expect it to sound like that at all, which is why I think I was lukewarm toward the prologue at first. Now I love it - the most important part is that it doesn't sound like Heath's voice at all and he obviously put in a lot of work to figure out the voice and get it that way.
The voice was definitely different from what I expected at first but I liked it from the 2nd viewing on. The 1st viewing was mostly me going all "OMG OMG OMG" and clapping my hands in delight like a child.
It cracks me up when I think of it now but the usual glee and excitement are still present when I'm watching and re-watching it today, of course. That feeling will never change. The prologue always brings a smile to my face.
After a few viewings I started analysing the sequences more. The first few times were reserved for Joker only and my eyes were focused on him alone (hehe, didn't we all do that?). It was the mannerisms that interested me the most, then the editing and cutting of the prologue itself (I love that part of post-production). It's funny but the first couple of times I could barely register the dialogue, I was
that excited to see Joker.moving.on.screen.and.doing.things.wow.
Anita18 said:
Animals often tilt their heads in curiosity while looking at something, and he's definitely stalking through that bank lobby.
Now that you mention it, the head tilt does remind me of my old neighbour's little dog LOL. *cracks up* He would always tilt his head in an amusing manner when he heard unfamiliar sounds, like when kids squealed or did other funny voices just to see his reaction. He would tilt his head one way, then quickly the other way, and back again!
The poor doggie actually looked a lot like this (minus fancy wig). Hehe, that's obviously not the image I'd like to have on my mind when I think of Heath's Joker even though it's funny as heck. A shark sounds much better, yes, thanks muchly.
It's amazing how the head tilt and the way Joker carries himself show a bit of an animal in him. Did you catch any interesting mannerisms in the goons? While not a mannerism, the bit with the hands in the sneakers is funny and pretty clever, actually. Gotta use what you have at hand! Too bad the camera doesn't linger on that shot, I know I missed the sneakers the first few times I watched the prologue.
Maybe the goons aren't important enough to have mannerisms? *sporfle* They did show some character, though, and I thought Sneezy's
"Boss told me when the guy was done, I should take him out. One less share, right?" line was well-delivered. Nice acting.
You also mention Joker stalking. I remember when people first got back from the IMAX and were putting up descriptions on the forum. The new "Joker walk" was mentioned a lot and before seeing it myself I really couldn't picture it in my head. Thing is, I still don't. The way he walks is just hard to describe. Some said he's "sliding his feet on the floor" more, some mentioned he's "skipping" a bit, etc, and that it showed Heath worked on it and obviously practiced a lot to get it just right.
The trailer shows him walking a bit but not nearly enough for me to get a good overall impression of the walk. There's more walking and moving in the prologue but I'm still not sure what
exactly he's doing. I just know I like it!
Does it appear like he does it a bit different in each walking/moving/running shot? Maybe that's why it's hard to pinpoint (and some shots are too short to really see it well). He's definitely moving in a strange manner that catches one's attention. Maybe he doesn't have just one "style of walking". I'd actully prefer if he did it a little differently every time because it's creepier that way.
Anita18 said:
In the trailer, he sways back and forth just slightly while sitting in the jail cell, and then he sort of wiggles like a cat does before pouncing when he approaches Rachel (and then being confronted by Bats).
The swaying is another fave of mine. That and the twitching fingers and also a slight tapping of the foot (his right leg, if you look at the knees), I think? He seems a bit impatient and on edge there (fake calm), like he's anticipating something and is ready to spring at any second. The body language alone reveals so much, you don't even have to see his face. Such an effective and unnerving shot. I'd be all O__O if someone like that sat next to me on the bus!
Anita18 said:
What I thought was fascinating was observing the camera-work in subsequent viewings of the prologue, after you know that Grumpy is the Joker. The camera definitely favors Grumpy in the shots when the entire group is in frame.
True! You're wary of him almost subconsciously because he's on screen a lot but you're not sure why it's bothering you so much... As if your mind is telling you he's important and you should pay more attention to him.
(And I realize this should probably be in the "Detailed descriptions of the IMAX TDK prologue" thread or whatsitcalled... Though IMO this post *was* on topic. Sorry for the length!)
