Laura’s Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Joker grossed $335.5 million in the United States and Canada, with a worldwide total of $1.074 billion, making it the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time. Joaquin Phoenix won the Academy Award for Best Actor based on his performance in the film. Unlike most other comic book films, this movie deals with serious issues including mental health, civil unrest, and wealth inequality.
The Analysis:
Arthur Fleck, a clown and aspiring comedian, lives with his mother Penny in a tattered apartment in Gotham City. He sees a social worker and has obvious mental health issues, including a disorder that makes him laugh uncontrollably in sometimes inappropriate situations. After constant ridicule and attacks by coworkers and strangers, Arthur reaches a breaking point. When a group of drunk, preppy jerks attack him in the subway, Arthur fights back and ultimately ends up sparking a social revolution against the corrupt and wealthy residents of Gotham. By the end of the film, Arthur has transformed into the haunting and destructive character we know as The Joker.
Arguably the darkest take on a comic book based movie, Joker feels nothing like the flashy, action-packed superhero movies that we have become accustomed to in recent years. Rather than focusing on impressive fight scenes and elements of fantasy, this movie provides a harsh look at the struggles of an impoverished and mentally ill man. We watch Arthur decline in real time, with more action-packed punches coming towards the end of the movie as the weight of Arthur’s hardships finally takes its toll and his chaotic, violent actions start to snowball. By the time Arthur feels any sense of control or success, it is through a warped lens that makes his personal successes seem horrific to anyone in a position of sound mind.
Joker is not so much entertaining or enjoyable as it is thought-provoking. The movie is a heartbreaking and uncomfortable wake up call to the struggles of an individual rejected by society. Joker highlights the dark parts of society that many people try to ignore and the need for help and resources for the mentally ill. While some people complain that the movie glorifies the villain, the point is to illustrate how and why someone might be driven to become what we think of as a villainous character. I found it interesting that the movie was able to make a person who commits violent, horrible acts seem reasonable or justified at times. By seeing the Joker’s actions through his perspective, the audience is able to more fully understand the circumstances that shaped him into the “bad guy” that we are more familiar with in most Batman adaptations. At one point, Arthur laments, “Nobody’s civil anymore. Nobody thinks what it’s like to be the other guy.” To me, this line illustrates a main theme of the entire movie. What can seem like a trivial negative interaction to most people may be the breaking point for someone in Arthur’s position. If you take nothing else from the film, use Joker as a reminder to be kind to one another and try to see things through the perspective of the other person.
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