Phoenix Delivers An Oscar Winning Performance

Rating: 9/10 (8 October 2019)

Was completely mesmerized by Phoenix's performance in this film. Absolutely astounding, he had me eating out of the palm of his hand. He boldly emoted every nuance of the central character, using a very Method technique. Physically, he obviously lost a great deal of weight. His face is all sharp angles and eyes, perfect for his many close ups. His body looks lithe, nearly skeletal, which is showcased in scenes of him bent, writhing, and dancing. The costuming makes great use of Phoenix's height and weight, clothing him in tight, tall lines and going from ragged, dreary everyday thrift shop clothing to the eventual final appearance in the Joker's familiar suited attire, in it's garish colors of blood and dirt.
Phoenix speaks perhaps 15 minutes of full dialogue in this performance, but he uses his face, his entire body, to communicate to the audience every moment of his character's state of mind. The audience is captivated as he shows us, not tells us, exactly what Arthur is experiencing. His is a bleak tale of madness and woe. Arthur's alter-ego, the Joker, embodies his incarnation as 'The Lord of Chaos', spinning deeper and deeper into insanity and anarchy with the audience held captive. Until we, like Arthur, aren't sure what is real and what is fantasy anymore.
I'm totally perplexed as to media reviews that are concerned that the public may be somehow compelled to violence as a result of this film. No sane person will be compelled to rise in anarchy against the rich or against the government because they see Joker. Joker states in the film by reason of explanation, that he does what he does out of DESPAIR against humanity's capabilities to be mean to one another. He just wants everyone to get along. "Why can't you just be...NICE?!" The story of this film, as I saw it, was the story of how one person succumbs to insanity finally, after a life of horrific abuse and abject poverty. Yes, I felt bad for the character. Do I condone the violence that the Joker perpetuates in the film because of his circumstances? No, I didn't. No reasonably sane person will either. All it will take is one nutjob stating he committed some terrible act, for this film to be wrongfully attributed to causing mayhem and be dismissed entirely wrongfully from the Oscar picks it deserves: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Sound, Best Cinematography.