Graphic by Trinity Kenrick ’21
BY GABRIELLE BARBER ’23
“Joker,” released on Oct. 4, captures the Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) and his journey to unsettling laughter in the midst of darkness. The movie’s plot, while seemingly basic on the surface, leaves audiences with more questions than answers. The film transitions between reality and the Joker’s twisted imagination without warning, which I found exciting. These diversions from reality were made clear through unexpected reactions from certain characters, leading the viewer to realize that the Joker is not an entirely reliable narrator of his own story. Without these tricks on the viewer, the movie’s plot would have definitely fallen flat.
Phoenix plays a convincing Joker — whose real name is Arthur Fleck — with a laugh that does not disappoint. The actor has thankfully taken the character in a different direction than Jared Leto’s 2016 interpretation in “Suicide Squad.” Rather than attempting to take on a one-member mafia persona like Leto’s Joker, Phoenix builds the character to be an emaciated underdog. Ultimately, I found the character to be compelling, yet haunting. The darkness of both the setting and the theme contributed to a general uneasiness.
As advertised, the Joker brings brutal violence to the screen. Being squeamish, I had to look away once or twice. That being said, the film does not use violence haphazardly. While the Joker does not tend to plan out his crimes far in advance, he does not pull out a gun every other scene, which I felt emphasized the crimes he did commit. Overall, I found the violence to be disturbing, but not in excess of what I expected from the film.
Before I watched the movie, I read an article by Michael Cavna in the Washington Post, which questioned whether the movie would create inspiration for those looking to turn to violence, or whether the movie would “hold a mirror to society.” The question is certainly warranted, with the movie including a stabbing, a shooting at point-blank and a triple homicide in cold blood. I think the movie could be interpreted either as a glorification of gun violence and those who commit it or as social commentary illuminating the terror of gun violence to those who may feel removed from it.
Overall, I would not see “Joker” again. Phoenix’s acting was compelling, and the plot was believable, but I did not enjoy how I felt while watching the movie. I think the word to describe the film is “uncomfortable.” The violence and the laughter accompanying it were startling. The award-winning movie is most definitely worth watching, but for me, I could only bear to see it once.