Folks, on rewatch, it’s apparent that this is a genuinely terrific film. I did not expect to enjoy revisiting Phoenix’s tortured portrayal of this character very much but I found it even more textured and revealing than I did during my first viewing. It’s not a classic conception of the character by any means but I would say this is even better than Ledger’s take. I almost want to say this is an art house masterpiece hiding out in  the open as a craven blockbuster. Upgraded from three and a half to four stars.