Which is kind of a shame, really. Humans are terrible at separating the men from their body of work. This is why we are always conflicted when our favorite performers and actors turn out to be ass#$^%#s in real life, or why we buy up back catalogs of albums and swoon over musicians who largely went under-appreciated while they were alive.
Eulogies have no place in an annual award procedure. It makes it difficult for both the late, great performers who deserve it and the ones who didn't.
:frown:
*sigh* I can't say that I am surprised, however.
Actually, when I saw the
Dark Knight in the theaters, I remember leaving the theater having a much greater appreciation for Cesar Romero. Because I felt some of Ledger's best moments channeled some of the quirks and characteristics that Romero played. In a way, the contrast made me realize how critical they were to the formation of a Joker video persona -- things Romero had created and were worth emulating some 30 years later.
I mentioned this to the friend I saw the movie with, and he said the same thing: Ledger's performance made him appreciate the technical merits of Romero's acting all the more.