Image from: Variety
For what it seems like the first time, the man with the maniacal laugh gets his chance in the spotlight. Instead of going head to head with the Dark Knight, like so many films have done before, the new Joker film, the clown is given the titular role. Joaquin Phoenix, in all his crazy glory, seems to have brought out all the stops as he is the newest actor to fill the shoes of one of the most iconic villains in comic book history. He is almost hypnotic in the role, as we see him dancing down a flight of stairs, eerily laughing at the strangest of times, and being able to contort his body in a way that seems not humanly possible.
As a self-proclaimed comic book nerd and overall film enthusiast, I was extremely excited to watch the film, as it took on a different approach from how the character of the Joker seemed to be portrayed in the past. In this movie, we got to see the origins of the clown, as a man named Arthur Fleck, who is a loner living in Gotham City with severe mental illness. He is a clown for hire, struggling to make it as a stand-up comedian. Living in a heavily run-down apartment with his mother, Arthur spends his days obsessing over TV show host Murray Franklin (played by Robert DeNiro) and yearning for a life he cannot have. His clinical depression and laughter condition serves a heavy role in the movie, especially as Arthur makes his transition.
There were several elements of the movie that stuck out to me, and they are the following:
1. Joaquin Phoenix is able to hauntingly humanize the character
Image from: Paste Magazine
What took me by surprise so much with the movie is the human element of the Joker that shines through at the start of the film. Director Todd Phillips stated that he really wanted to make a film in which you root for the main character until you can’t root for them anymore. We are introduced to Arthur Fleck as being an outsider in society, struggling with his own mind. Joaquin Phoenix lost a whopping 52 pounds for the role, showing us the gaunt, tormented guy that Arthur is. He is beaten and pushed around by so many in Gotham, that the audience develops sympathy for him. Even as Arthur begins to descend into madness, we can get an understanding of what factors in his environment pushed him to be that way.
2. Gotham City is run-down and crumbling
Image from: Gotham City Central
Joker takes place in 1981 Gotham City, which is portrayed as a dark, decrepit place riddled with crime and extreme poverty. There is a great gap between the rich and the poor, making it common for people to protest, there being a type of power struggle. Trash is seen covering sidewalks, and there are what is known as “super rats” always seen in the background (which I actually found to be quite hilarious). By seeing the state of this environment, we get an idea of what eventually led both the Joker and Bruce Wayne (who does have a small but significant part in the movie) down their own individual paths.
3. The film shines a light on a failing mental health system that is failing people even today.
Image from: Den of Geek
Many movies often have a particular message or motive that audiences are meant to take away. What really felt to me as a prevalent idea in the movie was the concept of a failing healthcare system, which is constantly unable to help those who are suffering from a variety of different illnesses. At the beginning of the film, Arthur is shown going to frequent therapy sessions and being on several different medications to help with his psychosis. However, he soon gets the news that the social services and healthcare programs in Gotham are undergoing severe budget cuts, which causes them to have to shut down. With this part of his life not being there anymore, Arthur has no one to talk to and stops taking his medicine. He grows more and more like an unreliable narrator, and the audience is continually unable to understand what is real and what Arthur is seeing through his own eyes, making the plot really unfold as the film goes on and he becomes Joker.
If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I highly recommend going to see it, as it is a chaotically beautiful rollercoaster of a film from beginning to end. And even if you’re not interested in comic-book based movies, go see it anyway because Joaquin Phoenix’s acting is absolutely incredible.