Heath Ledger

I'm not one to wax poetic about the death of a celebrity. I don't know them, I've met only a few, and the most I can ever say is that their faces or personae have represented something in myself or my life that I found important. And of all the celebrities in Hollywood, I think its safe to say that Heath Ledger fell pretty low on my list of favorites.

But, I have to say that I actually gasped when I read of his death this afternoon. If ever there was a young man who had everything to live for, Heath Ledger was it. The circumstances of his death are unclear, and I'm sure we'll be treated to all of the details and the endless speculation about the meaning of those details for weeks to come. Still, it is shocking to hear when a familiar face has died.

I've enjoyed Mr. Ledger's performance in several films, but of course the one that had the most resonance for me was his performance in Brokeback Mountain. The film held some importance for the gay community during the winter of 2006, but in the final analysis it was nothing more but a formulaic telling of Hollywood's version of a gay love story. One dies and the other lives a life of quiet desperation. Still, as the quiet and desperate one, Ledger really fleshed out the character, bringing an ugly stereotype to life. As opposed to a number of young artists in Hollywood who seem to be throwing away their talent and their lives with both hands, Ledger really had intelligence, depth, and promise.

Death of Heath Ledger is truly a loss to American cinema.