Joker: A Grim, Chilling Depiction of the Dark Depths of Our Society... Phoenix Soars

Joaquin Phoenix does not disappoint in the latest portrayal of the Joker. Photo Credit: Rotten Tomatoes (Joker)

As a lover of film as an art form and as a person who has written scripts in their free time, I constantly ask myself, 'why is this film or any film important?' 'Why should it be made? What purpose does it serve?' Some films are simply entertaining, or humorous. They take the edge off after a long day, they allow people to relax and turn their brain off. They excite, they dishearten, they relate to our lives, they allow us to dream. Whatever purpose it serves for us, I decided long ago that film matters. Maybe not to everyone, but to me and to most, it holds immense value in our lives whether we realize it or not. Joker, co-written and directed by Todd Phillips (Hangover Trilogy, Old School, Due Date), reminds us how valuable film can be when it's perfected.

I just finished watching Joker for the first time and could not wait to get home and start writing about it. To say this movie was phenomenal and end the conversation there, would be a crime in itself. There are few movies that I might deem flawless, but Joker is as close to flawless as I've seen in a long time. I have to admit that when I first saw the trailers and advertisements for this film I was skeptical. 'Another Joker film?' 'Great, this will further trounce on Heath Ledger's performance years ago, like Jared Leto's appearances as Joker did' (I'll get to Joaquin Phoenix later but his depiction was outstandingly brilliant). 'The director is best known for comedies? Really?' 'Why must they recycle old ideas?' Then critic scores were impressively high and I became confused. Was it possible they just screwed up the trailers? Luckily, a close friend of mine who I trust's opinion, went on opening night. He told me straight away, you have to see this film, so I became intrigued. I tell you this because maybe you're feeling the same way about Joker, maybe you're questioning whether it's worth your time or money... it is, and without revealing any spoilers, here's why.

Arkham makes an appearance in a gritty, visually engrossing Gotham. Photo Credit: Den of Geek (Joker)

Phillips' bleak psychologically thrilling "character study" was not so much about the infamous Batman arch-nemesis as it was about society as a whole. In the film, Gotham represents a city on the brink of chaos (as it usually does), and growing up in New York (an allegorical comparison for the fictional dystopia), I cannot argue the real world is so far off from this hyperbole. We have problems in our civilization, and Joker doesn't shy away from any of them. Instead, it sheds light on our deepest, darkest fractures that many prefer to overlook and turn their backs on; treatment of mental health, the disparity between rich and poor, loneliness and depression, bullying, single-parent households, political discord, lack of economic stability, domestic violence, social disconnection, and the general effect that acting decently towards one another can have on the world as a whole. The less than subtle irony of the whole feature (which is symbolically displayed in the first scene as lead-character Arthur Fleck attempts to physically force a smile as he sobs lightly, pictured above) is that even if we may feign smiles at one another in our daily lives, true happiness is hard to come by for many, and there's no scientific cure to fix this sad truth. In other words, even a man working as a clown who's job is to make people smile for a living, may have trouble smiling himself. This is drilled home by Fleck's condition, uncontrollable laughter brought on by nervousness, anxiety, and fear, which people commonly mistake for rudeness and jubilation throughout. As we know but often forget, looks can be deceiving, and Joker silently harps on a few old family values you may have heard growing up. Don't judge a book by its cover, and, treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.

(No overt spoilers but a few overall thematic spoilers in this paragraph, skip safely to the next one if you'd like to go into the film 100% fresh) Fixing any social issue that is rooted at its core is never an easy accomplishment, but if we don't attempt to be better as people sharing one planet, how else do we expect to survive as a species? I've heard the critics of this film loud and clear, and I can't say I'm surprised. They say this film is dangerous because it draws comparisons to violence and mental health. They say it glorifies vengeance and unlawful acts. They say it promotes revolution and lawlessness. I'd like to first state that anyone who knows me knows I almost always firmly back police and law enforcement officials. I hold them in high regard and I am aware of how fortunate we are to have people willing to risk their lives for us everyday by wearing the badge and standing up against injustice. I also know that when films go too far with their they message, they can cause civil unrest. I was critical of the film, Get Out, because I felt it overtly caused more racial divide in a heated time period and made no attempts to show existing unity. I like when films give you both sides of a topic, allowing the viewer to form their own opinion. By comparison, Blackkklansman did a much better job of this. I understand Joker could be seen in the same light as Get Out (except concerning mental illness rather than race), however I personally did not feel this film was labeling all people with mental disorders as evil. Fleck becomes a villainous person, no doubt about it, but I thought most of his anger was linked closely to the abuse and cruelty he suffered throughout his life (as shown in the film). His disorder helped society frame him as an outcast, but I didn't feel it caused his behavior. He wanted the same things most people want; love, friendship, purpose, success, recognition. I didn't think his goals and feelings were "crazy," even if his actions became misguided. There's an old adage linked to Joker's character in some of the original comics, "all it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy." By this definition, every man or woman in society could lose their mind to some extent if they are driven to it. I think the film does offer some sympathy to anyone having trouble with depression or mental illness, because if one bad day can do damage, how about an entire life of pain and torture like Fleck suffered. The final act of the movie was heavy, but necessary to hammer these themes home. Instead of pretending that kids don't grow up in terrible situations, or that horrific tragedies do not occur, or that some people don't have more difficult lives than others, we should recognize all these societal issues and counteract them by interacting with our fellow man (or woman) with kindness. Cruelty will always exist, but one message always seems clear to me... hatred and violence are acquired characteristics, we aren't born with them. If we confront them, as I believe this film does, we can work to combat them. Knowledge (and awareness) is power.

There were some clear links to current events in Joker as well. We would be foolish to think Phillips made a film this powerful without any influence from our social climate at all. In the midst of Fleck's journey, the lower class of Gotham is revolting with an anti-fascist message behind the face of a vigilante. I won't tell you how to interpret this. Many will relate fascism to our current president, Donald Trump, while others will relate fascism to the Clintons and other Democratic leaders who have recently lobbied for or controlled power. Whichever side of the spectrum you may find yourself on, most of our country can relate to being "the little guy," overlooked and disregarded by the ruling class and the political elite. Phillips embraced that mentality in the poverty-stricken neighborhood he built around Fleck, and it worked marvelously towards the plot. The other major link was to the recent mass shootings by those that have been deemed mentally unstable. I am of the belief that these shootings will continue if we do not confront them as a society (as I said above). This film may be dark and blunt at times, but it chooses not to ignore these tragedies, or what might cause them. By speaking out, Phillips alerts us that our actions towards others can have unintended consequences. I believe recovery starts with how we treat people, meaning bullying must stop in our country, especially towards those that are different. Fleck is both physically and mentally bullied by strangers and people he trusts. It takes A LOT of unwarranted cruelty for this man to finally reach a breaking point, and the film shouldn't be criticized for addressing this. It's never an easy discussion, but I thought Joker proved courageous in its efforts.

Phoenix as Arthur Fleck. Photo Credit: Baaz (Joker)

I wanted to discuss Mr. Joaquin Phoenix for a moment, who's name fit the billing better than any adjective I could muster. A career many might have deemed over, an actor written off and forgotten, a performance that was edgy, gripping, sensational. The whole film is through the perspective of Fleck's life, and I believe he's in every minute of the movie from start to finish. During that period, you can feel every emotion Phoenix's character emits pulsating through the theater. He is clearly invested in his role, because he lives it on screen. Phoenix also lost an unhealthy looking amount of weight reminiscent of Christian Bale's bodily sacrifice in The Machinist, which must obviously take dedication. I have to admit that I've never been a huge fan of his, but he definitely proved to me that he can shine very bright as the right character. In Greek mythology the phoenix rises from the ashes, and Joaquin did just that in his depiction of Arthur Fleck (the Joker), a portrayal worthy of an Oscar in February.

I talked all about the themes behind this movie, but let me briefly state that the quality was top-shelf. No film is near flawless (as I stated above) without the proper cinematography, set design, direction, scriptwriting, camera work, wardrobe, music soundtrack, all-around acting from large to small parts (Robert De Niro and Frances Conroy stood out in their supporting roles), editing, special effects, and depth. Joker excelled at every level, and thinking back on it I don't have a single complaint about what Phillips' team might have improved on. There were even a few Batman cameos for the caped crusader fans out there, none of which seemed forced or out of place. When I was younger I was generally an easy critic of movies, but as I got older and started to work in the business either on sets or with personal projects, I became harshly critical as a viewer. It's like the theory behind why it's bad to learn how a magician performs his tricks, knowing ruins the excitement of being fooled. Films have trouble catching me off-guard now that I've seen too much, but Joker successfully had me awestruck from fade in to fade out.

9.7/10... and a contender for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay along with Best Actor.