Joker

The mythos of Batman and Bruce Wayne is one of the most over-mined fields in all of cinema and television. There’s been multiple film series based around Batman, a plethora of animated television and films tackling different versions of the character, a TV series based around a pre-Batman Gotham and Jim Gordon, and finally, an Epix series focused around his infamous butler Alfred. Safe to say, in a calendar year, there’s some new media coming out for the character and his hall of villainy. As a result of this tiring trend, the first announcement of a Joker origin story was something that didn’t really sit great with me. What I believed to be the brilliance of the Joker is that he had no history, he’s a man built upon the idea that just one bad day can turn a man into a monster. But after seeing Todd Phillips and Joaquin Phoenix’s new iteration of the character, there’s a way for this monster to have a history and story for how he came to become his persona.

Sometimes film-making means breaking new ground and creating something that other creators are, dare I say, scared to make. Joker is an uncomfortable movie from start to finish. Gotham, as Thomas Wayne says, “has lost its way.” The divide between the rich and the poor is growing more and more evident, and it feels like it’s one wrong move away from reaching a boiling point. Arthur Fleck, the main character of this story, is a broken man who has been beaten down by society, but still tries to see the positives in life. Unfortunately for him, Gotham isn’t built for a man of his kind, and as he tries to progress through his life as an entertainer (really a clown for hire), things go south quickly. Arthur has mental issues, taking multiple medications to quell his issues, and deals with an uncontrollable laugh. The Arthur met at the film’s onset isn’t someone you’d think could fall so far as to become the clown prince of crime, showing just how far he can possibly fall.

From the perspective of a casual viewer and someone viewing this as a singular entity, this movie could have gone by the name of Arthur, as it’s more about the man Arthur than the facade known as the Joker. That’s part of the fascination that comes with a movie of this kind. It could have been a tried and true origin story, having a nameless man be pushed into a vat of chemicals and coming out maniacal, haunting the city of Gotham, but this is really a man who has been traumatized by his past and his present, and a product of the world around him. If it had spent more time on the character of the Joker rather than Arthur, I don’t think it’d have received the amount of praise it did, because as others have said in the past, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” His fall from grace is, while yes very uncomfortable at times, it’s extremely gripping and makes you not want to look away from the screen even in its worst moments.

I really want to give credit to the filmmakers, as there’s plenty of moments in this film where you as a viewer you should know what’s coming and it shouldn’t be a surprise, but with the way the story is told, you’re still left shocked by every major status quo change in the film, even if it’s rather obvious after the fact. This is a film that while most of its heavy-hitting moments will only come on the first viewing it begs the viewer to come back for more, as there’s so much depth to this story that’s begging to be explored.

Tackling themes such as mental illness, a society that doesn’t care for the downtrodden, and overall humanity, Joker doesn’t try to feel like a perfect mirroring of the world today. It does, however, happen to provide a cautious warning for people that kicking those who are already down could result in consequences beyond their own instincts. Gotham may be a fictional haven for corruption and violence, it in some ways feels like a condensed version of the world we live in. It’s a chilling thought, but it gets its point across excellent.

Stepping to the other side of the thematic line, I found a specific quote from Arthur in the film to leave a very strong impact: “The worst part about mental illness is that people expect you to walk around as if you don’t have it.” After speaking with my girlfriend, she stated that Phoenix’s representation hit home as she works in the medical field, and his representation of mental illness is extremely accurate, and for that, I give all praise for choosing to treat it with care, rather than amping it up for the sake of the story. In the past I may have been blind to people who make light of any mental illness, I believe this is something we could all improve upon. It’s a difficult thing to understand, but if people spent just a small amount of time on understanding their fellow man more, perhaps everyone would be better because of it.

Joker is a beautiful film from top to bottom, and not at all what I expected it to be. I knew this was going to be a story of one man’s fall from grace, but I didn’t expect such a big departure from what the comics have set in place for the Joker. A man of many origins, this is one that feels plausible and believable, making it even more convincing and interesting as a narrative. Joaquin Phoenix is incredible in his starring and really dominating role as Fleck. The world is built carefully to support this character and his story arch. While I left the theatre longing for more stories with all the open plot-lines, it’s best to leave Arthur’s story where it lays. Tarnishing this excellent tale with a Batman focused story, or another Joker story would, in my opinion, damage the impact this film has. Where Heath Ledger’s Joker was a mastermind of crime and excellent villain, Phoenix’s Fleck is on the opposite side of the spectrum in his insanity, and for that, he’s an incredible Joker in his own right.

Sorry I was late on this! I was sick last weekend and didn’t get a chance to see the film. For those who take a moment to read these every week, I appreciate your willingness to come back again and again. And for those just passing through, thanks for taking a moment out of your day to check into my writing! I’ll be back next week! - John