Photo: TDK Wallpaper by Luke M. Schierholz is licensed under CC BY 2.0 / Cropped from original
By Alice McIntyre
Incel panic swept through the media in the days before the release of Joker. Some argued that the film, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix, would inspire real-world harm. The film’s depiction of the descent of a mentally ill clown-for-hire into violence recalled for many the 2012 shooting in Aurora, Colorado, which occurred during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises. Others have pointed to the misogynist killing spree committed by Elliot Rodger in 2014, which killed six people.
At the time of writing, no violence has occurred as a result of the film. The reader might then be prompted to ask if the movie is any good. My answer? Absolutely.
Joker’s cinematography is excellent, giving the viewer a subtle sense of being “boxed in” early in the film. Lighting changes make quiet but noticeable distinctions between moments of delusional fantasy and the grim psych-thriller realism of the film overall. Location and set design combined with camera choices immerse the viewer in the filth of 1970s Gotham, one of Joker’s core motifs.
Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Arthur Fleck (the man who becomes the Joker) is deeply uncomfortable yet engrossing. Described as a “virtuoso of unleashed id” by Peter Travers in Rolling Stone, Phoenix commands the audience’s attention. His laughter throughout the film makes the viewer uneasy, conveying a dissonance between the external self and the reality felt within. In one of the final scenes, Phoenix’s character delivers a scathing condemnation of a society which doesn’t care for those it invisibilizes, inciting a compelling blend of empathy and fear.
The film’s portrayal of the “Kill the Rich” movement inspired by Fleck’s murder of three businessmen on the subway unfortunately seems to be a not-so-subtle negative commentary on contempotary anti-fascist protests. Protesters, donning clown masks and carrying signs such as “Wayne = Fascist” (referring to the father of Batman, Thomas Wayne), express their anger at society through property destruction and confrontations with police. The image of a masked mob smashing windows is very much aligned with the dominant caricature of individuals who aspire to take direct action against racist and fascist groups, known colloquially as “antifa.” Removed from the implicit angle of the film’s presentation, however, the “Kill the Rich” masked protesters point towards a clear reality of disaffected and impoverished people being driven to disorganized, spontaneous violence out of desperation.
Joker is above all else a tale of social alienation, the negative effects of austerity policies, and how traumatized people can be driven to the edge when deprived of support systems. The story of Arthur Fleck’s descent into the role of a villain stands in contrast to Taxi Driver (cited by Todd Phillips as an inspiration) in that whereas Travis Bickle wished to “stand up against the filth” of New York, Joker depicts the filthy and forgotten desperately clawing against their environment. Minor issues aside, the film is a compelling and immersive experience I would highly suggest.
Verdict: 8.5/10
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