JOKER: A Masterpiece
Every year there is a movie that divides opinions and receives backlash. This year Todd Phillip's Joker has managed to accomplish that. Phillips is best known for his male centered comedies like The Hangover trilogy and Old School. Phillips set out to make a low-budget gritty comic book movie in a time where a big- budget CGI superhero film has become its own genre. Phillips wrote the role for Joaquin Phoenix with himself set to direct and Bradley Cooper to produce along with Martin Scorsese's trusted producer. The film was greenlit at Warner Brothers and Phillips was set to make his film that completely strays away from the comics. It has been the biggest box office opening for a movie in October and a personal record for Phillips, Phoenix and Robert DeNiro. Todd Phillip's Joker is a psychological thriller that studies the character of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix). Phillip's film draws a lot of inspiration from Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. The film heavily reflects modern societal divides in a dark style. The film takes place in the famous Gotham around 1981. In Gotham crime is high and morals are low and shows the wealthy figures of Bruce Wayne and Murray Franklin who live above it.
Arthur Fleck lives a lonely, unhappy life in a rundown apartment with his mother Penny Fleck. He works as a clown with aspirations of being a stand-up comedian. He doesn't have talent for either career. He also posses a high pitched infectious laugh that he randomly breaks out into throughout the movie leaving viewers uncomfortable. There' are no silver linings in this origin story as it seems Arthur's life continues to get worse and take darker turns. There is a major plot twist that makes Arthur question his life and causes him to breakout in violence with no remorse. His violence allows him to feel a sense of power that he has never experienced before and it causes him to keep up this behavior.
He shifts from an outcast to an idol for Gotham's less advantaged groups who are feeling underrepresented and forgotten in a world run by the powerful and wealthy. He uses his new found power to confront men that he feels like took from him. Phoenix fully transforms into Joker through his painted face, laugh and habits. He plays a tortured man and makes audiences feel uncomfortable through his decisions. Arthur is out of touch with everyone around him. He perfectly portrays a sinister man and keeps the audience on their toes as he manages to get even worse as the plot moves along. Phoenix in all his Joker glory dancing on the stairs will forever go down as an iconic moment in film history. The beautiful cinematography and score help contribute to painting the life of Arthur Fleck and raising the stakes and fear through his new found power.
There is a lot of debate on how to feel about Arthur. He is a character we shouldn't feel sympathetic for. His behavior does bring to light how America deals with those who have mental illnesses and reside in impoverished areas. It is evident to see how this character is trapped in his social standing and feels unhappy and lost which leads to his questionable behavior and immediate wave of power through violence. These obscene acts make him feel seen. Joker makes us reflect on how we actually treat one another and the impacts of our words and actions. It shows the side of people that don't feel welcomed and the struggle of trying to fit in but feeling hopeless.
Joker is a thought-provoking masterpiece that should be seen and discussed by audiences. It shows the gritty dark side of America's social divide and treatment of those with mental illnesses. People have to face the tough questions of how their actions affect others and how long the country has gone with making these social gaps larger and the lack of action taken to fix them. This film is a work of art and makes us question society.