"Do you think you're really smart?"
The robber was about to get into the car when the bank manager, still lying on the ground and barely alive, suddenly spoke up: "The person who sent you to do this job will definitely kill you too.
"In the past, the criminals in this city still had some beliefs, honor, respect. Look at you—what do you believe in? What do you really believe in?"
The robber walked over, shoving a smoke bomb into the bank manager's mouth, saying something strange: "I believe that what doesn't kill you will make you…"
He removed the Joker mask, revealing a man with full Joker makeup underneath.
"Even stranger."
This was the debut of the film's main villain, the Joker, arguably one of the most unique villain entrances in all of cinema.
Heath Ledger's performance was extraordinary, incredibly natural, making his Joker feel real, not acted.
Christian Bale watched the entire scene being filmed. Confident at first, after seeing Heath Ledger's performance, his heart skipped a beat.
He thought to himself, "This is bad. Heath Ledger is too outstanding; my character might be overshadowed."
Honestly, this was an unfair battle. The Joker, in the script stage, had ample room for the actor to explore, whereas Batman did not.
But as Gilbert said, if another actor played Batman, the Joker would likely overshadow him. With Christian Bale, however, there was a chance for balance between the two characters.
This was also why, when casting Batman, Gilbert ignored Warner's suggestion to use someone like Ben Affleck, who fit the comic image, and instead followed Nolan's advice to choose Christian Bale.
Not because Bale had previously delivered strong performances in the series, but because no one else could accurately and perfectly portray Batman and Bruce Wayne in this installment.
After watching Heath Ledger's first scene, Christian Bale left without a word. In the following days, Gilbert often saw him poring over the script, muttering to himself as he studied the role.
In a subsequent scene, every actor on set, including Gary Oldman and Jennifer Connelly, had to give 120% to portray their characters.
This scene was when the Joker performed magic tricks for the gangsters—a true personal showcase of the character.
He was insane, chaotic, evil, yet utterly charismatic.
Michael Caine, a veteran actor, said he had never seen a villain so compelling. If this weren't a Batman movie, a superhero movie, he would even suggest the film be called Joker.
Incidentally, in the previous timeline, there was indeed a film called Joker, which broke the R-rated box office record.
But that film starred Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, and by that time, Heath Ledger had been dead for ten years.
If Heath Ledger had survived and Phoenix had still starred in Joker, there would have been endless discussion topics.
The Oscars discriminated against superhero movies, yet Joker, born from superhero films, won big at the Oscars. This shows the Oscars are not entirely inflexible, and Heath Ledger's Best Supporting Actor award wasn't impossible.
However, in today's era, if the actor isn't deceased, just getting a nomination is extremely difficult, let alone winning.
Gilbert would certainly never have the opportunity to direct Joker in the future, and his collaboration with Warner would be limited to the Dark Knight trilogy.
Of course, if Warner begged him in the future, Gilbert might still consider it.
During the following period, Gilbert focused on filming the Joker's dramatic scenes, including confrontations with Batman. Christian Bale withstood the pressure, not intimidated by Heath Ledger's Joker.
The two actors even sought perfection. Scenes Gilbert considered acceptable were deemed insufficient by the actors themselves.
"Director, I think we should do it one more time. That emotional release point wasn't quite right," Christian Bale requested.
Heath Ledger, hanging upside down, was now brought down to rest his brain, and Gilbert sought his opinion.
"What do you think?"
Heath Ledger, in his raspy, halting accent, said: "I think we should do another take. The emotional expression will be more perfect."
Gilbert, of course, did not refuse the actors' requests, though he worried about Heath Ledger: "Do you want to rest first?"
"No need," Heath Ledger waved his hand. "Let's go straight through. I feel great right now."
So Heath Ledger was hung upside down again, and the two performed the scene once more—a thrilling scene, a psychological probe into human nature.
Guo Fan watched from the side, stunned. This is the power of top-tier actors? So terrifying.
In that moment, Guo Fan suddenly understood what is meant by the "artistry of cinema"—it's honed through repeated clashes and interactions between actor and director.
Observing closely, one notices that Chinese actors' performances tend to be very restrained; they usually don't express themselves as openly as Hollywood actors.
Neither approach is inherently better or worse; each has its own characteristics.
However, in a major Hollywood blockbuster, restrained acting is clearly not ideal. Gilbert needed performances with dramatic conflict and tension to enrich the entire film.
Scarlett and Avril Lavigne visited the set together and happened to watch this scene. Avril Lavigne was completely stunned; she had never seen such terrifying acting.
"Scarlett, is this really a superhero movie?"
"How do you mean?"
"Why does it feel like this came straight out of a mental hospital?"
Scarlett laughed. "Funny you mention that—the Joker was later locked in a psychiatric hospital."
"Why is Gilbert making a movie like this? Just watching this one scene makes me feel oppressive and uncomfortable—really uncomfortable but also really cool," Avril Lavigne said.
"Because he wants to create a superhero film that will be a historical classic," Jennifer Connelly suddenly appeared. "I've read the Dark Knight script.
"I can say this is the deepest and most complex script Gilbert has worked on in his career."
"Deeper than Saving Private Ryan, Chicago, or The Last of Us?" Scarlett asked.
"Yes, at least that's my opinion," Jennifer Connelly said. "This is a superhero movie made with a foundation in realism.
"When a superhuman appears and the law cannot regulate or control them, who do you think can govern the superhero?"
"Perhaps the superhero themselves?" Scarlett suggested.
She had also acted in a superhero movie—not The Dark Knight, but in a neighboring Marvel production. Compared to The Dark Knight, Marvel superhero films are much simpler.
At the very least, the villains are nowhere near as twisted as the Joker.
"Precisely. It's the moral code of the superhero themselves.
"When the law can't control them, the only thing that governs a superhero is their own ethics and standards. This is actually very dangerous—more dangerous than the criminals themselves," Jennifer Connelly explained.
Scarlett's eyes lit up. Although Gilbert often claimed to be a mainstream, commercial director, the reality proved that even in a $200 million commercial blockbuster, Gilbert always found ways to insert elements that make audiences think.
This is the difference between a top-tier commercial director and a world-class elite filmmaker, which is why Michael Bay can never become the next Gilbert.
He simply doesn't have that ability, does he?
..
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