‘The Dark Knight’ is the runaway success of the summer. Its release has been eagerly anticipated by everyone from your average moviegoer, to hardcore DC Comics’ fans. The film is a triumph in so many ways, not least the costume and make-up. Heath Ledger’s performance is quite rightly being tipped for a posthumous Oscar, but it is fair to say his mesmerizing portrayal of ‘The Joker’ owes much to the special effects make-up of Conor O’Sullivan.

To say this movie was hijacked by the performances of Christian Bale, or even Ledger, would be wrong. This movie IS Christopher Nolan. From conception to birth, Nolan’s involvement in every aspect of the film has been nothing short of painstaking. It was, ultimately, Nolan’s vision of ‘The Joker’ that influenced the work of O’Sullivan.

The pair met through a mutual friend, Kenny Myers, while working on The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise. After seeing his work with Cruise on the film, Nolan was keen to work with O’Sullivan and his team on ‘The Dark Knight’.

Working with Nolan on the concept of his ‘Joker’ was something that particularly excited O’Sullivan – working closely with a director on the aesthetics that will ultimately influence the overall look of the movie. “The initial process is the most exciting, realising the director’s vision. We presented three different idea’s of how we saw the character to director Chris, and took features from each of them to complete his vision.”

“It was important that we approached this with a degree of realism not normally associated with comic book franchises. Christopher was keen to base these characters firmly in reality, not in complete cartoon fantasy.” It is important to stress too, that The Joker’s beginning varies from that of the original DC Comics. Nolan’s Joker is a product of physical and mental abuse from his father along with schizophrenia - not the result of toxic acid (as the original suggests). For this reason, the aspect of realism was key.

Watching the movie, his perspective is abundantly clear. The subtlety of the make-up mirroring Nolan’s philosophy, “If you are going to fantasize, then keep it as close to the truth as possible”, explains O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan referenced East End gangsters, The Krays, and their infamous ‘Chelsea Smile’ for Ledger’s prosthetic facial scarring – applied using a three dimensional transfer system developed by Conor and his partner Rob. This technique amazingly halves the application time - a technique mastered while working with Tom Cruise, who would only allow twenty minutes for make-up. The prosthetics were made from silicon - the same material used for breast enhancements, limiting any damage to Ledger’s skin. Once the scars were applied, the make-up work began. This was heavily influenced by Ledger, who worked closely with O’Sullivan and Nolan, referencing Francis Bacon’s paintings for the sinister appearance of ‘The Joker’.

To quote Michael Caine: “Heath Ledger’s performance is the scariest since Hannibal Lector, and Conor O’Sullivan definitely enabled this.”


GB