Joker reduces Batman foe, eliminates the origin mystery
In the graphic novel “The Killing Joke” by Alan Moore, the Joker tells Batman that “if [he’s] going to have a past, [he] prefer it be multiple choice.” From Cesar Romero to Jack Nicholson to Mark Hamill, there have been scores of actors to play the Clown Prince of Crime and most of us have a preference as to which is best.
Popular opinion, of course, seems to be Heath Ledger for his portrayal during The Dark Knight. I’ve always been partial to the animated version of the character from Batman: The Animated Series voiced by Mark Hamill.
Both of these Jokers share a common mystery, however. Batman and his allies have no idea who he is or where he came from. There is no sympathetic backstory—no vats of acid or failed comedy careers. He’s simply evil.
There has been plenty of retconning among movie villains over the years, perhaps starting all the way back in the 1980’s with Darth Vader. Originally, the black-masked Sith was just an evil enforcer for the Empire. It was only after he grew in popularity that George Lucas decided he needed to be more fleshed out.
When writing multiple movies, it makes sense to give the villain a larger arc. But not all the time. Some characters are better when one dimensional. For me, the Joker is one of those villains. The less you know about him, the more terrifying he is. Joker, which dedicates its entire running time to his origin, is well done but unnecessary. It’s easier to enjoy if you pretend it’s just one possible past.
Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) is a clown for hire, working for a company in Gotham City that provides clowns for various businesses and hospitals. He is a strange man, one with multiple mental illnesses and a neurological condition that forces him to laugh at odd times, no matter what he might be feeling. Most of the time he is ignored, spending his days caring for his sick mother in a decrepit apartment somewhere in Gotham City.
When he isn’t ignored, however, he is mocked or beaten, usually due to his uncontrollable laugh or his unconventional occupation. Like many who suffer from mental illness, Arthur is a victim of society at large. He has dreams, though. He wants to be a stand-up comedian, like Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro), a late night talk show host in the style of Ed Sullivan.
But the city is shutting down social services for people like Arthur, due to budget cuts. He no longer has access to his medication. The city itself is getting more and more dangerous. A violent encounter on the subway leads to a cascade of events, setting Arthur on his way to a new identity.
Joker owes a great deal to other, better, movies. It’s feels like a combination of Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, but perhaps a bit more on the nose. Were it not for the performance of Joaquin Phoenix, the film would be mediocre at best. Phoenix gives himself to the role fully, however, as he is wont to do. Director Todd Phillips, known for the Hangover trilogy, is competent.
Of the films of his that I’ve seen, Joker is his best looking. It’s a very intimate film, particularly for a comic book movie. There aren’t any other films in the genre that are as intensely character driven as this one. There’s not much action to speak of, beyond the odd gruesome and shocking murder.
Thematically, the film is suggesting that everyone has a breaking point (thanks again, to Alan Moore and “The Killing Joke”). The problem is that it also seems to argue that any action beyond that breaking point is justified. Joker attempts to find reason in insanity, but with this particular character, there shouldn’t be any reason to be found.
Joker works for a good portion of its running time. However, it lost me in the end by giving Arthur a platform to explain himself. It’s the kind of speech that will pop up on the profiles of every teenage edgelord on the internet.
For the film to be true to the character, Arthur would need no justification. There would be no reason to his actions. The character of the Joker is chaos personified. Arthur Fleck is far too human to be the monster he becomes.