2019 has definitely been a great year for the movie industry. From great box office hits like Avengers: Endgameand Toy Story, to highly recommendable original stories, such as Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, there’s no doubt we’ve had a hell of a cinematographic ride. However, we must say that, without a doubt, the one film that will make movie history this year is Todd Phillips’ exploration of one of the most iconic comic book characters of all time, the Joker.
Not only is the character appealing because of his role in the Batman universe, cinematically-speaking he’s been one of the most memorable fictional characters of all time, with great legends embracing his maniac persona. And now, to that iconic list of amazing performers that includes the great Jack Nicholsonand Heath Ledger(not you, Jared Leto), we must add the newest star: Joaquin Phoenix.
It’s no news that Phoenix is one of Hollywood’s greatest performers, with such an outstanding ability to embody his characters and deliver deep and complex stories, and the emblematic Joker just seemed like a natural role to add to his filmography. I swear it’s not an exaggeration, but he really carries the entire movie, and proof of that is the lack of other A-listers (well, except for Robert De Niro) because they’re really not needed.
The story is simple: Arthur Fleck is a troubled, middle-aged man with serious mental disorders, whose life couldn't be worse. His mother, the only real social connection he has, has always taught him to put a smile on his face no matter what. She even calls him happy, and it’s under that premise that he decides he wants to become a comedian to make people smile and laugh… but nobody does.
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At the same time, the world, or better said, Gotham City, is going through some difficult times. People are tired of injustice, and the streets have become the stage where they air out their anger and frustrations. Naturally, someone like Arthur Fleck, who could be considered a textbook outsider and a weirdo, is the perfect target to tease and bully, as we see in the first minutes of the film. To that, we must add, as I mentioned before, his preexisting mental issues which, with just a spark, get kindled and turn him into the dangerous and violent villain we know.
Keeping this spoiler-free, his entire world then gets messed up, with things getting out of control and his actions bringing the entire city to the brink of anarchy. As I said before, it's quite a simple plot you can guess from the trailer, even if you’re not familiar with the character (actually, though there are some small appearances by the Dark Knight and his origin story, the movie isn’t based on any of the comic books). However, despite the simple plot, what makes the movie a true delight is Joaquin Phoenix’s performance and how he successfully manages to capture the psychological journey of this troubled man as he descends into madness.
Now, the movie has been described as an apology for violence and has even sparked fears that it will encourage mass shootings, as it happened in 2012 with The Dark Knight. Joaquin Phoenix even walked out of an interview, when he was asked if he was worried that the movie could encourage people like Arthur Fleck to commit violent acts like the ones depicted in the movie.
The thing here is that I believe the script and the movie are so well done, that it’s clear that Arthur is no hero. It’s not making an apology for violence. On the contrary, the movie shows how easy it is to provoke it. You might feel a bit of empathy for the character at first, but it all goes away after a while, to the point that it makes you feel uncomfortable and even terrified.
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As Todd Phillips’ has explained, he’s not even portraying a particular country or a particular situation, just how violent the world is in general, and how people react to that violence (in most cases, with even more violence). As the movie progresses, so does your anxiety and the more we get to know and see Arthur becoming the Joker, the less empathy and more unease you feel toward the character.
At the end of the day, the movie is a cathartic experience, in the way that it makes you feel uncomfortable and think about how easy it is to spark violence. But beyond that, it also opens an important debate on mental health and how much it is overseen by governments and public institutions. And then, there's also the relationship between ignored patients or potential patients, and criminal behavior.
All in all, it’s a great movie that goes beyond the classic superhero/comic book formula we’ve seen in the past decades. It’s deep, heavy, and quite a masterpiece in narrative terms. A must-see in all ways.
