Joker premiered a few short weeks ago at the Venice Film Festival, even winning the top prize yet there’s been controversy surrounding the film.
Following the screening, plenty of online outrage sparked a plethora of online debates. The film’s intensity has been captivating for everyone to say the least.
One side argues the supposed potential of inspired copycat acts of real-life violence, while the counter-backlash engages in defense of the film claiming that movies aren’t solely responsible.
Undoubtedly perhaps utilizing the outrage to their favor is the Joker’s cleverest trick, after all, he’s always perfected the ability to provoke and incite chaos.
Now that the movie is officially out it has to be said with many, many Batman films it’s a wonder that we haven’t seen an arch-nemesis origin standalone movie before especially with a versatile super villain like the iconic Joker.
It can be portrayed differently, it can be comical or gritty.
Jack Nicholson’s unhinged jeer was memorable. Heath Ledger’s version was hauntingly menacing. I still don’t know what Jared Leto’s rendition was supposed to be (seemed like a caricature of what Joker should be).
Joaquin Phoenix’s interpretation embodies the dark side of Gotham’s notorious villain thanks to Todd Phillip’s directorial. Viewers get a look into who Joker was before by introducing us into Arthur Fleck’s world… Even before he meets the dark knight vigilante, Bruce Wayne.
The film begins with Fleck painting his signature clown face on as tears well up in his eyes showing misery. Earning his livelihood as a clown-for-hire, Fleck lives in a rundown apartment with his disabled mother Penny (Frances Conroy).
The Gotham City we see on screen is not one that we’re used to. The city’s overrun by garbage due to a worker strike and super rats are running rampant meanwhile the crème de la crème of Gotham are oblivious to those fighting to make ends meet.
Struggling psychologically with brutal nihilism, a malnourished Fleck is constantly feeling the agony of alienation and feeling invisible.
His uncontrollable laughter causes others to feel uncomfortable being around him sadly we learn that it’s a result of a medical condition possibly irreparable damaging childhood abuse.
Carrying the burden of being ridiculed, by almost everyone, weighs him down.
Often getting picked on by coworkers, young bullies, and obnoxious drunk “well-educated nice guys” Fleck hits his point of no return as the heaviness of socioeconomic inequality, political corruption, and overall the decay of civility is happening all around.
Arthur Fleck first suffers, then inflicts pain with a piercing ferocity and a painted depraved smile on his face.
His non-verbal transformation is complete when he dances as Joker (as we saw in the trailer) to the cello-heavy masterful score by Hildur Guðnadóttir, his graceful dance personifies the anarchy he’s finally accepted into his life.
Although you feel Fleck’s torment, he’s no anti-hero, he’s still the villain. I’m sure there’ll be discourses and countless reviews of the film being portrayed as an anti-hero nevertheless the Joker’s never been motivated to serve the greater good.
He doesn’t care about the consequences, he has no remorse or regret about his actions, what the Joker likes is to induce turmoil into madness.
The film is enthralling and misjudged, Phoenix is hypnotic to watch.
He’s not quite as broken as he is in his film The Master yet his ominous version is right up there with Heath Ledger’s iconic performance.
Either way you look at it, it’s the Joker who gets the last sinister laugh.
