Homer's Question

I finally was able to go watch the newest Batman movie today, The Dark Night, written and directed by Christopher Nolan. The movie is noteworthy for several reasons, as it has received rave reviews, has earned over $300 million domestically and $400 million internationally, and an outstanding acting performance by the actor Heath Ledger who died while the movie was in post-production. It is this film and Ledger's performance that lead me to wonder about Ledger's legacy. His performance in his last complete film was fantastic, in my opinion it should warrant a great deal of Oscar consideration. However, will Ledger's death cause him to be remembered as possibly greater than he was? Or, perhaps by dying during what could be called "his prime", could Ledger's greatness be immortalized as there is no way for him to lower his acting reputation with a string of bad movies.



I believe that the second is as close to a guarantee as you're going to get, the first is more of a possibility. This immortalizing is hard to prevent since there will be no more performances from Heath Ledger. There will be no critics wincing at the sight of his acting in yet another bad movie. All we are left with are memories of his memorable performances in movies such as Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Night. And when it comes down to it, would we want it any other way? Sure, the natural response is yes. Heath Ledger alive and torturing our eyes is much better than having him die a legend. But is it? This is an argument that has existed much longer than we, or anyone we know can remember. Hell, Homer wrote about it in the Illiad.



Achilles is faced with a choice, he can either go to Troy and die young, but be immortalized as a hero, or he can stay home and live a long, uneventful life. As you probably know, Achilles chooses to go to Troy, kills Trojans, takes an arrow in the heel, dies, and then is remembered for thousands of years (whether there was actually a man named Achilles or just a character is open to interpretation, but the outcome is essentially the same). This story can lead us to a rather deep question, of whether it is better to die a hero, or live out a life in obscurity. Now you might say that one doesn't have to die young to be great, and that is true. One can achieve greatness without dying right afterwards, but dying both makes this greatness easier to achieve and also enhances it. Let us examine the music industry for some examples.

The Rolling Stones are a great example of a group that has achieved greatness without having to bite the dust to do it. While Keith Richards may look like he has died, all sources seem to indicate that he is indeed still alive. And I offer my congratulations to them. They didn't have to take the Homer route to fame. The same doesn't go for Elvis and The Beatles, an artist and a group that are both considered to be among the best of all time, if not the best. Would Elvis have the same legacy had he not abused drugs and died in his forties? Would The Beatles have the same mystique had John Lennon not been gunned down? It is very hard to say. Perhaps they would have taken the route of The Rolling Stones and would still be making great music today. A good supporter for this is former Beatle Paul McCartney who is still cranking out music. But let us imagine if their careers had taken a different path.

In the 70's RCA Victor had a hard time getting Elvis into the studio, what if that had continued? Elvis doesn't die in the 1970's, but instead gets dropped from his label. He gets signed to a different label, but by this time has lost interest in music. He releases albums, but they are highly blasted by critics, and he eventually falls into obscurity. Fans long for the days of The King. Meanwhile The Beatles, who had previously broken up, get back together for a grand reunion tour. It makes millions of dollars around the globe, and The Beatles get back together to record music again. The group splinters once again, but this time Paul McCartney carries on The Beatles with a new lineup. They release several CD's, but never at the same level as they did while in the 70's.

Now obviously this is just speculation. There are any number of things that could have happened, and it isn't hard to imagine that artists as talented as Elvis and The Beatles could have created many more legendary CD's. The past can't be changed though, and as a result Elvis and select members of The Beatles will remain forever immortalized in greatness. The same goes for many others in the music industry, 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. have both been considered the greatest of all time, The Notorious B.I.G. only ever recorded two albums yet his greatness is almost unquestioned.

But maybe musicians and Hollywood stars are not the only ones who face these questions of greatness. Perhaps all of us are faced with the choice. Put your life on the line for greatness, or live it out in obscurity? The question is yours to answer.