By: Kanoa Ikeda-Flynn
Joaquin Phoenix’s adaptation on one of comic book’s most notorious villains introduced an origin story as bold and intense as the clown himself. Following Jack Nicholson’s “Batman” (1989) and Heath Ledger’s “The Dark Knight” (2008), the psychological thriller introduced a darker tone of what we are used to seeing in comic to movie adaptations.
While we often follow the city of Gotham behind the mask of the caped crusader, Todd Philips depiction followed the true colors of a dystopian society that many found controversial to current events. Public concerns of violence has caused for a tightened police presence throughout “Joker” showings in the U.S.
Phoenix tackled a character not beginning as the alias of Joker, but that of Arthur Fleck, the man whose story we were able to witness as he slowly spiraled into his decent to madness. The performance not only stayed true to the final emergence of Joker, but it introduced a unique and striking display of mental illness that even warranted some sympathy for such a character. The story itself provided an interesting plot line that had never been displayed unless you are a hardcore DC comic fan. Upon leaving the theater, I was intrigued enough in the lore to spend hours reading up on canon material in the DC universe.
The general quality of the film exceeded my expectations. From the writing to the cinematography, symbolism was heavily layered and fit in perfectly into a new perspective. This gave me a refreshing take on superhero and in this case, supervillain movies. Criticism that many do find with “Joker,” stems from the realism. Some found it unwise to release in a culture where gun violence is so predominant. Regardless, I find the connections to today as an important topic that was rightfully displayed to the masses.
We all have familiarized ourselves with the beginnings of the many superheroes throughout movies, television, and comics alike. For me, “Joker” easily takes a top three spot for movies in 2019, following other front runners such as “John Wick III,” and “Avengers: Endgame.” The amount of detail and time put into a sensitive plot-line made it a must see. “Joker”was both a sense of familiarity and excitement to how the clown delivered the punchline.
ikedkano@my.dom.edu
