Makes The Dark Knight seem light-hearted

Rating: 8/10 (11 January 2020)

Joker is the latest iteration of the Clown Prince of Crime. After many different versions of the character, director Todd Phillips and star Joaquin Phoenix give their film a sense of identity by taking after Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. They do this by making this version darker, and more realistic to even greater extremes. Joaquin Phoenix gives such a stellar performance, he'd make Heath Ledger proud. Joker hits, and hits hard. It works as a riveting character study, as well as an unnervingly realistic depiction of mental illness.
To say Joker is controversial is an understatement. The film deals with real world issues like mental illness, poverty, class wars, child abuse, antisocial behaviors, and anarchy. Many people will probably be put off with how disturbing the subject matter is. Others will see the film as glorifying antisocial behavior. Some will see it as mere entertainment. One thing that almost everyone can agree upon is this: this is one dark movie. Some people are afraid this film might incite real life violence. This film is similar to Fight Club, in regard that it comprises of crazy people doing anarchist things for the audience's amusement. Some people have valid concerns, however, Joker, although fictional, is a film that represents reality. There have been rebellions, and riots before, as well as class wars, and incidents incited by mentally disturbed individuals. Though the exact events of Joker have never happened in real life, they easily could. This film like most films should be left to viewers discretion. Art represents reality, and reality isn't always pretty.
Some people may also be turned off by Joker's realism. The main character Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), whose alter ego is the Joker, is a man down on his luck suffering from a mental illness. This movie doesn't hold back by showing mental illness in all its ugliness. Crazy people have graced the screen before, but real life crazy is not glamorous in the slightest sense. You couldn't help but feel unnerved and disturbed by the sheer ugliness of this crazy crime-ridden, messed-up take on Gotham city. The world is so dark, apathetic, and brutal. The streets are littered with rats and other filth, government programs get shut down do to a lack of funding, and depressing scenery of busy toxic city life cram the screen. One can't blame Arthur for losing his mind.
Something the film excelled at was getting the audience to empathize or feel bad for Arthur, aka The Joker. His life and the world around him is so soul-crushingly harsh. When the film starts out, he is not that bad of a guy. He cares for his ailing mother, works unfulfilling jobs, and fights his mental illness. The society crumbling around him creates the Joker. It's very realistic to see Joker unintentionally and indirectly starting all this mayhem and anarchy. He is just the straw that broke the camel's back. Joaquin Phoenix plays the Joker extremely well. He is more of a mentally ill man wearing clown makeup than a larger-than-life supervillain. Joaquin plays the character in the shadow of Robert De Niro's Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver, except Joaquin's character is even more socially isolated and disturbed.
Joker is heavily influenced by Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy - two films that star Robert De Niro. Both of Scorsese's films deal with a mentally unhinged loner acting out against society in violent or antisocial ways. Joker tries to be a combination of the two films while molding itself into Batman lore. Joker successfully weaves its influences together without being derivative. If there are any criticisms, they are all minor - typical movie sins you find in most movies. To name a few, how does Arthur sneak a gun onto a Talk Show and how does he sneak into the Wayne theater so easily. Criticisms apart, along with two great Scorsese films, Joker stays with you with its compelling performances, disturbing subject matter, and shocking moments. Joker gets under your skin and lingers there.