Of all the major villains to appear in
media throughout history, one of the most prominent and iconic figures if hands
down the maniacal clown that fights Batman. The Joker is one of the fascinating
and greatest antagonists in comic book history due to the character being in
such perfect contrast to the hero and for having many actors take a shot at
portraying the character. However, the newest film to feature this iconic film
isn’t a Batman story as it just an origin tale about how the man who laughs
came to be. With a concept like this, many would expect this film to be a
pandering blockbuster that is made to make money to capitalize on the
popularity of the Joker. In this case though, Joker is anything but that, as it is a film that is a dark and
unconventional take on a comic book character. It results in a film that is every bit ambitious and
thought provoking as some of the truly fantastic films based around comic
books, making Joker a phenomenal
experience from beginning to end.
Joker focuses on
Arthur Fleck, a struggling comedian who has a rare condition that makes him
laugh uncontrollably. After trying to strive and survive in this dark cruel
world he lives in, he finds new life in becoming this mysterious clown figure
and thus leads into his descent into madness. One of the elements that made
fans skeptical about this Joker film
is the fact that the Joker himself often tends to be appreciated more when
there’s a mystery to him and not knowing his origins adds to how terrifying of
a villain he can be. Some may also predict it would go a safe and typical route
of how the Joker became who he really is. On the contrary, this film doesn’t
really have a few of the typical origin story clichés besides from maybe one or
two things and have enough of a creative twist on the Batman lore to be its own
thing. Not to mention, rather than going a typical comics origin route, the
film takes a different route by being a Scorsese styled drama that dives into
the reasoning behind why individuals can be so terrible. Many fear this film
would potentially be a glorification of violence and idolize truly evil
figures, however the film is more of critique on that mentality and violence.
The violent sequences are not only used sparingly but aren’t seen as cool
action set pieces and instead are disturbing acts that makes you uncomfortable.
However, that’s why this movie works so well as hard to watch the film may be
for some at times. While, it’s not over the top and a gore fest by any means,
you’re disturbed by how a man can become so vile he can be, even if the film
gives you an good idea on where’s he is coming from. Its message is about the
way society can treat an individual and the outcome it could have for the worse,
leading into a film that more so questions people understanding others even at
their most unforgivable moments. It is not without its faults with a few
moments that could be seen as pretentious and some small plot conveniences, but
the deep dive sociological and psychological trauma one could have makes those
nitpicks more or less insignificant. It is an intriguing work that asks the
tough questions and goes through with in this beautiful character study.
The biggest thing many fans are hopeful
for when it comes to Joker is the
actor portraying the clown prince this time around. Many actors have done the
character justice with their performance from Mark Hamill to Heath Ledger, and
you might as well add Joaquin Phoenix to the list. Phoenix portrayal of the Joker
works not just because he’s a talent actor but also because of the film’s style
and message about mental awareness. Every moment on screen we see his already
awkward demeanor turn into an immoral human being gradually and Phoenix
performs this character subtly with so many nuances that give this character so
much depth. As mentioned earlier, many feared Joker would turn into an empathetic glorification of psychopath,
but Phoenix even during his sympathetic moments is just as disturbing and
unsettling as one would imagine a real person like this. He moves, talks and
over-all acts very disconcerting, to which all of this is heighten even for by one
of the most unforgettable laughs to ever come out of the character. There aren’t a whole lot of other characters
featured in the film and most of them are also downright despicable in a sense,
however, this was the film’s intention. Joker
doesn’t waste its time on superfluous side plots and sticks the focus on the
clown himself. The minor characters that also are terrible people are meant to
shown that even despite their role in society, they could be just as equally to
blame for Fleck’s mental wellbeing. Phoenix absolutely carries this movie
perfectly and will go down as an amazing fresh new take on arguably one of the
greatest villains of all time.
Compared to so many other comic books
films, Joker has none reliance on big
budget special effects to create for an engaging film. The film is on a much
smaller scale film but it ends up giving the filmmakers more creative freedom
to be an artistic take on the character. The cinematography is dark and
depressing but it is on purpose and still beautiful to look at how every shot
is articulated. To elevate it even further is some excellent use of music. Some
of the most memorable moments of the film are the ones that have ironic use of
cheerful and upbeat songs that adds to the Joker’s worldview of horrible acts
being rather comedic. When it doesn’t have that, it has a haunting score by Hildur
Ingveldardóttir Guðnadóttir who’s use of the slow cello makes adds to Fleck’s
dark descend being incredibly unsettling to watch. The film has no real action
scenes and as mentioned earlier used its kills sparingly, but rather than
feeling like a fake CGI world, it feels like a grim dark reality that still is
an incredibly engaging. Director Todd
Phillips really branch out and made a film that’s unlike anything he has ever
done but it shows how much he has learned over the years about filmmaking. For
his first true drama, he knocked it out
of the park when it came to its over-all presentation.
Joker is a fine example on
how to properly recreate the comic book movie formula. It is a full-fledged
drama that pulls no punches when it comes to depicting the clown prince of
darkness, even if it is the kind of film that’s not meant for the average movie
goer. Despite a few small story points that don’t work Joker still ends up being a gripping film thanks to so many
elements that go above and beyond. Thanks to some deep themes, excellent
production values and a phenomenal score to add to Joaquin Phoenix’s profound
performance, Joker will stand the
test the time as a near perfect version of one of DC’s best characters.
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