A Grand Interpretation of a Character

Rating: 9/10 (13 November 2019)

When I first heard news about them making this film, I was immediately hooked and became excited to see what they will do with the character's story. Joker is easily one of the most popular and intriguing characters in entertainment. Yet he is not a character that can be so easily defined, which can be seen in the comics. Joker has been in the world of comics since 1940 and he has captured our attention. His story has been told time and time again having no one specific origin story, which makes it a challenge for filmmakers to tell the origin story of such an infamous character. In the case of this film, it's best not to treat this story as a strict, clear cut origin story but rather it's one of multiple possible origins. As Joker once famously put it in Alan Moore's Batman: The Killing Joke, "If I'm going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!". Todd Phillip's Joker takes the story of the Clown Prince of Crime to new heights and gives a take on a classic character unlike anything we've seen before. It is something new and different, unlike any traditional comic book film made in the last decade.
As I mentioned a moment ago that this film is not like your traditional/standard comic book film. In this day and age where we are dominated by Marvel's blockbuster cinematic universe and DC's attempted efforts, it's easy to make the assumption that just about any film related to comics will be another traditional comic book film. That is simply not the case for Joker as it is something infinitely more. Joker is a much darker and grittier take on his story, but in the form of a deep character study. This type of story allows audience members to become deeply involved and invested in the character's psyche and you as the audience member must take in as much information as possible in order understand the character and story. The film exceeds in that area greatly by taking us into a dark and cruel universe and see a man who has lost his way and more importantly- how the character is this way. Beyond the great character study aspect of the film, there are other several elements that make this film complete. Those other elements are consistent of the acting /performances, direction, writing, cinematography, music and production design.
Perhaps the biggest and most outstanding part about this film is Joaquin Phoenix's brilliantly terrifying performance as Joker. Phoenix brought such a neat and in depth look that allowed him to fully embody this character. Compared to previous versions of Joker, Phoenix's portrayal felt very personal and I believe that is largely due to this film's deep focus into the psyche of the character. Phoenix created two insightful perspectives, one for each persona of the character. One persona being Arthur Fleck(the man beaten down by society- before the madness began) and the other persona being Joker(the true, real Arthur Fleck- the end result of society's beating). One question I know people might be thinking of or have already thought of... was Joaquin Phoenix's performance better than the late Heath Ledger's? To be honest, I still hold Ledger's performance as the top one of all the other actors who have taken the opportunity to play this character. As for Phoenix's placement among the other actors, I would admit that Phoenix came pretty close but Heath Ledger's Joker still remains the best of them all.
The directing and writing of this film go hand in hand, especially since there was some concerns of Todd Phillips taking the helm. For the most part Todd Phillips is known for comedies such as the Hangover Trilogy, War Dogs and Due Date. so when Phillips decided to make the transition from comedies to dramas, he managed to make the transition very well. Phillips handles the material greatly, exposing what talents he has for turning a comic book character's story into a dark and gritty examination of a damaged individual's mind. In part of the Phillip's direction, the writing aspect is something to take notice of. Rather than do a direct/traditional comic book adaptation, Todd Phillips and Scott Silver take a well known character with many different origin stories and create a completely original feeling story. Beyond being inspired by the comics, writers took the opportunity to put in some real life influences into the world in which the story takes place in. Mental illness, problematic social interaction, violence in society and more- all culminate together to make this film feel real. This type of realistic feel/quality has definitely made some people feel unnerved or even scared, which I don't blame anyone for feeling that way. Some have went on to complain that it will inspire violence, but I believe myself and many others find the film to do the exact opposite. I find the real intention of the film is for audiences to think how much society itself plays a major role in how we can create social monsters as well as understand society's intricate problems in order for us to fix them. It serves as a cautionary tale for all of us to take note of.
Another important aspect that made this film so outstanding was it's beautiful cinematography. There were some truly gorgeous and brilliantly chilling shots captured by cinematographer Lawrence Sher. A nice consistency in the overall dark and grungy tone seen from the first shot to the very last one- nicely composed shots, flowing movements, and great shot variety throughout. They also put in a lot of detail towards the production design which includes but not limited to set production(value), lighting, costumes, makeup, props and more. The last big point I want to focus on pertains to the music/score. This aspect to me payed a large tribute in what made the film feel so unnerving and tense at times. Hildur Guðnadóttir created a series of musical pieces that evoke the vast and darkened emotions, which reflects both the character and the world. Every time I hear "Defeated Clown", I feel both amazed and terrified by its beautiful somber melody.
Overall I found Todd Phillips's Joker to be another film that pushed boundaries and shifted things around for comic book related films. A really well-made and well-told film that will certainly not be forgotten anytime soon. A film that we all know deep down is fictional, but it does have a great many real world influences and lessons for us to learn.
Overall Star Rating: 9.1/10