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Rating: 3 out of 5
One of the most iconic supervillains in comic book history is the CRAZY and INSANE the Joker. The archenemy of Batman, the Joker, has been listed among the greatest comic book villains and fictional characters ever created. With a bone-chilling laugh, ghost-white skin, green hair, and bright red lips, the Joker is one of the villains that will send chills down your spine even though he has zero superpowers. This fearsome villain’s main characteristic is insanity, while also lacking empathy, a conscience, and concern over right and wrong.
There have been many to play this great villain. There seems to be a debate on who is the best Joker of all time. Do you like Jared Leto’s performance in Suicide Squad? I can tell you that it was terrible for the Clown Prince of Crime. How about the OG of Jokers played by Cesar Romero from the old-school Adam West Batman series? Dude was zany and crazy with her performances that looked straight out of a comic book. Let’s not forget Mark Hamill’s turn from Batman: The Animated Series and more. Hamill is iconic with his Joker laugh, and the show was fantastic when I was a kid. I don’t know about you, but Jack Nicholson from the 1989 Batman film stands time as he was funny, crazy, and a joy to watch. He was number one for the longest time until Heath Ledger from The Dark Knight did the role. Ledger will forever be the top performance of Joker. When you think of Joker, you will think of Ledger. He took this criminal mastermind to a whole new freakin level. It will be a long time or never until someone matches him. Ledger owned the Dark Knight and made Batman a secondary character.
Taking place in the grim world of Gotham City in 1981, people need a reason to smile and laugh. Arthur Fleck (Phoenix) is a mentally ill, struggling, wannabe stand-up comic who suffers from an illness that causes him to laugh uncontrollably when he is nervous. This laughter causes him to end up in terrible situations where he is sometimes assaulted or berated. Arthur sees a therapist and, when talking about his life, states that it is a joke to other people. His mental illness has almost all of society look down upon him when the only thing he wants in the world is to be accepted by others. When Arthur’s medication is cut due to budget cuts, his world starts spiraling out of control. Only when he is attacked and when defending himself, kills three people that he beings his transformation into the Clown Prince of Crime and becomes truly free from society. Is the world ready for this new version of Arthur or, as he likes to be called, Joker?
I want to praise Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Arthur Fleck, who ultimately becomes Joker. Many will compare his performance to Ledger’s, and there is really nothing to talk about. Ledger is the greatest Joker of all time, and nothing at this time will top him. Yet, there is nothing wrong with being the second-best, and Phoenix does a marvelous performance. Phoenix made Arthur a sympathetic person at first. He was just doing his job and then gets assaulted. We see that his mother believes that he is the son of Thomas Wayne, only to find out that he was abused. We see that his stand-up career is awful and made fun of, and he is looking for love. Slowly as time goes on, Phoenix shows Arthur’s grasp on reality breaking. When you get a man who dances in tighty whities, you deserve an Academy Award.
I am split on whether this is a good or bad movie. The obvious conclusion is that it’s meh. I found it entertaining at some parts and then boring at other times. My friend said it was a very violent film, but after watching it, it’s not that violent at all. I have seen some violent movies, and this one is literally in the middle. That is probably because I have been desensitized by watching things. I will say this film excels with the character’s mental illness and his descent into insanity and nihilism, which inspires a violent counter-cultural revolution against the wealthy in Gotham City.
I would say that the main thing that is realized with Arthur is his freedom from the pain that he has endured. The freedom of being laughed at but also the freedom of telling the truth. At the start, Arthur was this quiet man who loved his mother and tried to be nice. Dude sat on a bus and made a child laugh only to get yelled at. Yet, the major point of the film that people might skip over is when budget cuts shut down the social service program, leaving Arthur without his medication. When this happened, the film showed Arthur becoming delusional about his life and world but also free. When he killed the three dudes in self-defense, he was called a clown. When he finds out the truth about his background and the abuse of his mom, Arthur completely jumps from reality to someone who sees himself as free. He dreams of being in love, and then he kills people who berated and harmed him. The scene when he killed that one dude and let the other one go was chilling. When he was on TV and did the dance, you see that his nervous laughter, which was a condition, was completely gone. The ending was chilling as the dude was locked up and then walked down the hallway with bloody footprints.
I will give it up to the film’s director Todd Phillips. Phillips took on a different take and atmosphere with Joker. He actually made me sympathize with a character that is portrayed as evil. Phillips showed the world around Arthur is a dark and not so friendly place. That the people around are tired of the rich mistreating the people of the poor. Showing that a revolution was at hand. The scene that told it all was when Joker was free from being arrested and dancing on top of the cop car. Now, I will say that it tried to have the Nolan feel, which somewhat made me think it was a copycat. The realism of this could happen as a man could lose his mind and how mental health is a concern.
Honestly, Joker is an okay film the more I think about it. The story is a new take on an origin story that falls flat. Joaquin Phoenix did a fantastic job and should be commended for his performance because he brought a new element to this character. Watch this film and get a new take on the Batman villain.
