October 3, 2019 – Joker.
This is going to be different from usual. I will do my best not to spoil anything. Maybe sprinkle of spoiler perhaps, but nothing big. But I have a lot to say.
First off, to get the easy part done with, it was a well crafted film. It was cinematic and intense and disturbing and dramatic. As a film, I think it did its job and will be successful.
However, that’s not the point.
The moment the idea of a Joker origin film (canon to the rest of the DCF’s or not, which this wasn’t of course) was brought up, I was immediately against it. The idea of trying to explain The Joker is never a good idea. It’s unnecessary.
Further down the line of learning more about the movie, things seemed to also suggest that this would be the kind of story where the audience sees him and feels sympathy for him and then we should later not feel that when he makes the switch.
It’s at that point where I was worried about the story itself being told and also, what story would be told and how others would see it.
I watch a podcast that talks about DC comics movies and shows, and one of the hosts brought up many points that I agreed with and had me thinking a lot. She also wrote an article about her thoughts (if anyone wants me to send it to them, dm me). The main hosts saw the movie yesterday and they posted their reactions and they said it was disturbing but it was a great film.
For me, I expected that. I knew that as a film, it would probably be very good. But, like I said before, that’s not the point.
Two things. (This includes the light spoilery stuff I mentioned up top)
First. As characterization goes, The Joker should never be humanized. He is never someone the audience should feel sorry for. There is no exception to this really. He is a man, but his character has (more or less) always been that he is the personification of random, chaotic crime. That’s what makes him such a challenging adversary for Batman etc. he’s somewhat unpredictable and can’t be understood.
Before I get to how he was portrayed in the movie, here is some related context. In the show Gotham, they introduced a joker character. It’s more complicated that just that, but that’s not important. In the end, he did what he did for a purpose, but it was basically whatever he wanted. His followers followed him because he represented chaos. That is why makes him dangerous. Inspiring chaos for chaos’ sake.
In the film, his “followers” followed him for a more specific and not really Joker related reason. And he was portrayed in a very specific way which I think is dangerous.
He was portrayed as a hero to the marginalized. He was portrayed as someone who was invisible and who found a way to be seen. Someone who was overlooked in society and eventually found a way around his hinderances.
This is not why the Joker is and not how he should ever be portrayed.
He is not an underdog that deserves praise. He is not someone the downtrodden should look up to. He is not a hero to some or an anti-hero to anyone. He is chaos. Now, yes, his followers in the film were inspired by him to be chaotic, like in Gotham, but, the followers in the movie did it because he made them feel represented and seen as undervalued citizens. He supported the poor and lower middle class and middle class. From his first action on his way to becoming The Joker, some see him as a hero to Gotham.
And second, but related to that last paragraph (so forgive me if I repeat things) This is an inaccurate and poor representation of the character. But more than that, the same way he inspired the followers in the movie, this film may inspire the same types of actions in some people who watch this film. Throughout the story I saw many aspects of him that were relatable to the average person and I knew that they would later play a part in inspiring followers in the film, but I also was nervous that it could inspire some members of the audience around the country. That is terrifying.
And I know that some articles or people have been saying stuff like that it won’t inspire violence because of he violence in the film, look at all the other violent action movies!
And that makes sense, but that’s not why this movie would inspire it. It doesn’t inspire through violence, it inspires through making this character a hero for the marginalized, the underdogs.
A few days ago there was an article mentioning that the army heard that there had been whispers of a mass shooting tomorrow (4th) somewhere in the US related to this movie. I hope that it ends up not being true. And if something like this happens tomorrow, maybe the person (people) carrying it out won’t have seen the movie and it’s not related to what the film shows, but perhaps after seeing it the party becomes even more inspired. I don’t know. But there are so many people in this country who probably have similar feelings to the followers of Joker in the film and could be inspired to do who knows what. The feelings I saw portrayed were very real, very relevant feelings. I just hope tonight, tomorrow, and this opening weekend go off without something terrible happening.
That’s basically what I have to say. I know this is vastly different from what I normally write up after a movie, but I needed to say it all.
So, if you want to see it, see it. Maybe wait till opening weekend is done or just be careful if seeing it this weekend.
I will say that this is the first time I’ve been a bit nervous about watching a movie in a theater. At one point close to the end of the film the projector went out and I honestly just held my phone just in case I needed to use it. It was just an error, but still.
Oh, also, no mid or end-credit scenes.
The Phandom Bender 