Joaquin Phoenix Delivers as the Joker

When it was announced that The Hangover director Todd Philips would be writing, directing, and producing a standalone Joker film, comic book lovers and the internet at large were skeptical of how it would turn out. Up to that point, Phillips’ portfolio mostly comprised of documentaries and comedies such as Borat (2006) and Old School (2003), so fans were rightly concerned that he couldn’t bring the seriousness and grit that was deserving of such an iconic character. Not to mention, fans still felt burned by the previous interpretation of the character on the big screen, played by Jared Leto in 2016’s Suicide Squad, which was regarded to be a gigantic step back from Heath Ledger’s bone-chilling performance in The Dark Knight (2008). However, in July of 2018, when it was revealed that multiple Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix would be playing the Clown Prince of Crime, the tone surrounding the movie seemed to shift. The general conversation about the then-untitled Joker film was more optimistic, and open to seeing what a renowned actor like Phoenix could bring to the role. Hype for the film grew exponentially once Phillips himself released a screentest of Phoenix as the titular clown - sporting a bright maroon suit and very distinct red and blue makeup. Over the course of a year-long marketing campaign, Todd Phillips’ aesthetic for the film became clearer, and the internet was confident that, even if the movie wasn’t that good, Joaquin Phoenix would deliver something truly special. Of course, the real question on everyone’s mind is, did the film live up to the reputation of the Joker?

Absolutely. Despite weeks of negative news coverage and controversy about its darker themes, Joker has managed to become the highest grossing October debut in film history, earning over 193 million, domestic, as of October 13th, a mere 10 days after release. In my humble opinion, Joker is my favorite film released this year so far. Like most people, I was a little hesitant to watch yet another interpretation of Batman’s arch-enemy, especially after Jared Leto’s performance, which, as a huge fan of the Joker and Batman alike, left a bad taste in my mouth. That being said, this film is absolutely amazing. Firstly, Todd Phillips did a terrific job shaping a gritty, filthy, pre-batman, Gotham. Every shot has its own personality and grime to it that makes it feel like you’re on the same level as Arthur (the main character of the film, prior to becoming “The Joker”). Furthermore, Joaquin Phoenix nailed it as the title character; from the very first scene, you get the immediate feeling that what you are watching is the product of someone who not only cares and respects who the Joker is, but is fully capable of immersing himself in the role and bringing something to the character that we’ve never seen before. Not only that, but you do feel a sort of sympathy for the guy as he’s being beaten down, sometimes quite literally, and forgotten by society. You want his life to turn around but it just never does, and, worst of all, you know what kind of monster he’ll become, but you still feel for him because he’s doing the best he can with what he has. That’s not to say that the film ‘glorifies’ violence or mental illness, because it’s quite clear halfway through the movie that Arthur isn’t a good guy. However, there is a level of uncertainty that one feels while watching Arthur as he descends into madness which can be a bit...uncomfortable for some. It’s not an easy feeling to come to terms with, sympathizing with a villain, but it seems as though that internal moral dilemma was by design. In Phoenix’s own words:

“You’re meant to feel whatever you feel. I had such mixed feelings as I went through the script and, really, I struggled the first time I went through the script and then I started looking at it through the lens of trauma, and I recognized from previous work that I’d done, previous research, that he was exhibiting signs of PTSD...In terms of how the audience reacts, everybody, including my family, has a different reaction to the character and the movie; what it means and should they sympathize or not and that’s what I like about the movie. It’s not telling you precisely what you should feel and when, and I think that’s rare in movies. It’s one of the things that I like most about it and I think probably why I, ultimately, said yes to the movie is that I wasn’t sure what I felt about him.”

Thematically, the movie harkens back to some of the Joker’s tropes without losing the air of realism that it possesses, and that’s honestly the best thing that I can say about the film without giving too much away; even in a world without toxic chemicals and caped heroes, the movie still manages to capture the chaotic, broken essence of the Joker in a very real way, all while bringing attention to relevant social issues like mental illness. By the end, you’re watching a totally different person than the one you were introduced to. Arthur Fleck, the socially awkward clown-for-hire with dreams of becoming a stand-up comedian is dead, and in his place stands a confident, eccentric caricature that embraces his abnormalities and brings Gotham to its knees. It’s important to mention, too, that the film has no shortage of humor: despite its insidious subject matter, there are pockets of dark humor scattered throughout the film which fit seamlessly into Arthur’s (and the Joker’s) identity and the world around him, which always happens to be on a different wavelength.

No movie is without its flaws, though. Personally, I enjoyed the length and structure of the film in general, but I’ve heard others argue that the introduction to Arthur Fleck and his personal life go on for a bit too long, or that Arthur isn’t the Joker for very long. To that, I say this: It’s true, the first act of the film tends to drag on a bit, but I’m comfortable watching a slow burn if it leads to Gotham city being lit ablaze. As far as how long Phoenix plays the Joker, I would’ve loved to have seen more of him, but I do understand that this is a Joker origin story foretelling how Arthur Fleck becomes the Joker. As such, I wouldn’t expect it to be all about the Joker, but more of the man behind the clown, and the unfortunate series of events that transform him into the despicable, playful character that we’ve come to know. My only real gripe with the film is that it doesn’t have as many stand-out dialogue moments as does Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight; there aren’t any powerful monologues or anything of the sort, which I would’ve liked to have seen. That said, as a Joker fan there are more than a few moments that strike me as memorable and true to the nature of the Joker character, most of which happen near the end of the film.

All in all, Joker is a well-put-together character piece about a man’s slippery descent into madness. While the dialogue may be a bit lacking or on the nose at times, it’s outshined by Phoenix’s brilliant acting and the striking cinematography throughout the film. If you’re a casual movie-goer who can handle darker themes, you should do yourself a favor and watch this movie, and if you’re already a fan of the Joker and DC Comics, I cannot recommend Joker enough.