Until I saw the movie, it was difficult to imagine how playing the Joker could have affected Heath Ledger the way we have all heard that it did. I also did not believe that any performance could live up to the hype. After seeing the movie, it is clear that the pain he must have endured to bring such a compelling villian to life was at least partly responsible for his death. It's hard to articulate the depth of his performance or imagine how he acheived what he did in this movie. The hype doesn't do his work justice. We will miss you, Heath.