Hollywood Reporter – Michael Jai White Explains Gambol’s Bizarre Death Scene in ‘The Dark Knight’
“It was the kind of thing where they had deeper intentions for The Dark Knight and Gambol (Michael Jai White); it was a character who was written for future use, I think,” he says. “There were other plans to do stuff with that character and some things that were cut out. I think it’s because of unfortunately losing Heath Ledger.”
Calling it a matter of “tying up loose ends,” White says he got why Nolan made the choice in postproduction.
So, how exactly did Gambol die? That has been a topic of debate among fans on Reddit for nearly a decade. Was the moment so horrid the ratings board made Nolan cut it? No. The answer is simple, yet complicated.
In the film, Gambol puts a bounty on The Joker ($1 million alive, $500,000 dead) for insulting the gangs of Gotham by stealing their money and infiltrating a meeting. Later, believing The Joker has been killed, the body delivered by another street gang, Gambol readies to pay. It is at that moment The Joker springs to life, killing two of Gambol’s men before sticking a knife in Gambol’s mouth. He proceeds to tell the gangster that he got his Glasgow smile (cheeks slit from the lips) from his deranged, drunk father. The music hits a bang, a gang member winces at what he witnesses, and Gambol falls to the ground. ”
By: Ryan Parker
