Hi everyone!
No classic review today. We’re spending the next week or so catching up on films we watched during Reign of Terror 2019, and one of the first reviews for the new week had to be “Joker”. I’ll be going a little long today, talking not just about the movie, but the way folks have been reacting to the movie. And it will be done without spoilers, or at least anything you can’t infer from the trailer. It’s more difficult than you think.
Only two recommendations for today’s movie, both of which are R-rated takes on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The first is, of course, “Deadpool”, which while not the first R-rated take on comic book heroes, was the first commercially successful one, and opened the door for more films to follow. The second is “Logan”, which was the first commercially successful film to step through that door opened by “Deadpool”.
We haven’t reviewed either film yet for the podcast, but if you want to make us, head over to patreon.com/onemoviepunch and sign up to become a sponsor. You’ll get to force one of us to review a film of your choice, with just a few exceptions. Speaking of Patreon, don’t miss your chance to hear our full interview with Colm O’Murchu, writer and director of “Tabernacle 101” (Episode #619), where we discuss the film, his production company International Film Base, and his microbudget film school Australian Film Base. It’ll be publicly available for a limited time.
Before the review, we’ll have a promo from our friends at the Ocho Duro Parlay Hour. Every week, the whole crew sit down and go over a bunch of topics, from sports to comics to television and movies. Huge shoutout to the ODPH crew for all their support during Reign of Terror 2019.
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Here we go!
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Today’s movie is “Joker”, the origin story of Gotham’s most famous psychopath, directed by Todd Phillips and written for the screen in collaboration with Scott Silver, based on characters by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson. In the early 1980s, a troubled man named Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) works in Gotham City as a clown, with dreams of being a stand-up comedian on the show of his hero Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro), while living with his mother Penny (Frances Conroy). However, with a global recession cutting services for the people and widening the gap between the rich and poor, Arthur finds what’s left of himself slowly, perhaps inevitably slipping away.
No spoilers.
Every superhero has an origin story. A reason for their powers. An event that confirms their convictions. A death that drives them to action. Everyone knows the origin stories for Superman and Batman and Wonder Woman, especially after multiple renditions in every medium possible. However, for the enemies these superheroes faced, there wasn’t always an origin story. Henchmen were a dime a dozen, and their bosses were often generic, or simply a gimmick, or in the case of Joker, specifically designed by Bob Kane, Bill Finger, and Jerry Robinson to be an archenemy to Batman, and a disturbingly violent one at that. Robinson never wanted the character to have an origin story, but that would not always be the case.
Bill Finger would later write an origin story, with ties to the Red Hood Gang and the infamous fall into the chemical vat, right before the character was tamed by the Comics Code into a laughing trickster, the basis for the Batman ’66 television rendition by Cesar Romero. The story would be developed further by Alan Moore in ‘The Killing Joke’, adding an attempt at stand-up comedy, but also re-inserting a mystery about the truth of the story in Joker’s mind. In some ways, Moore re-established Robinson’s wish for the character using Finger’s story and made mental illness an established part of Joker. Other authors would write different takes on the same origin story, or insinuate other origin stories, so that there could never really be a definitive origin story for the character. But that also means folks are free to create their own origin stories, and that’s just what Todd Phillips and Scott Silver have done.
I absolutely did not expect a historical drama. I still have a lot of hopes for the DC Extended Universe, despite its rocky start, and all signs are still pointing towards a connected universe. As we’ve seen with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this has generally been an opportunity to reboot characters for modern times. However, the upcoming Matt Reeves Batman project is supposedly set in the 1990s, which makes a Joker origin in the early 1980s not just chronologically appropriate, but thematically appropriate as well.
The 1980s were a very tumultuous time in the United States. Children who grew up during this time, especially suburban and rural children, grew up in a television wonderland, driven by pop culture and a nascent consumerism. However, adults living through that time were experiencing one of the greatest recessions to hit the country. Reagan was slashing government programs across the board, affecting programs that helped not just those struggling in poverty, but specifically those struggling with mental illness. Corporations were moving nearly all our manufacturing jobs overseas, driving many people out of work. We also have the rise of bully culture, driven in large part by the widening gap between the rich and poor.
Phillips does an amazing job actualizing a 1980s Gotham just right, with stylized costumes and props from the time period, but also visual reminders like news reports and the piled up trash in the streets. Setting the stage for Gotham correctly is key to any Batman story, as the city itself is a character, but it’s also the background on which to tell this particular story. Because Joker isn’t just a single character, but a manifestation of the social chaos created by the wealthy and powerful. The crumbling infrastructure, the changing tone of mainstream discourse, and the abandonment of the mentally ill are the perfect conditions for the rise of an amoral psychopath.
You can’t do a Joker film without a strong lead actor. After Leto’s categorically disastrous rendition of Joker in “Suicide Squad”, most folks thought that Joker was over, or could never be topped by anyone after Ledger. And I definitely agree, Leto’s Joker was bad, not just poorly performed, but also poorly developed and written for that particular film. However, nearly every other rendition of Joker has been excellent. Romero’s Joker is a perfect 60’s Joker, in line with the comics of the time. Nicholson’s Joker was incredible, building off Jack’s incredible roles. Hamill’s voice work for Joker in “Batman: The Animated Series” is perfect. Ledger’s performance is absolutely legendary. And the reason for this is that Joker, as a character, has also changed and evolved over time, because of the lack of a specific origin story. It’s why I hate the “Rank the Jokers” posts I’ve seen, because they are mostly all excellent takes on the character.
I’m so glad not to be let down by Joaquin Phoenix’s performance, especially for an origin story that plays into mental illness and downward spirals. Knowing the direction that Todd Phillips and Scott Silver wanted to take the role, Phoenix actually had to develop two characters - Arthur Fleck and Joker – along with the path from one to the other. Character growth and change is common in cinema, but rarely on this level. Phoenix’s rendition of Arthur Fleck is quite brilliant, a character you can either feel pity for or empathize with, depending on the situation. Growing up bullied, as many kids were, we all carry different chips on our shoulders, which this film taps into. Arthur’s painful optimism, especially given his horrific past, is hard enough, but watching everyone else bully him for it is even worse. His heart is in the right place socially, where all our hearts should be honestly, but it’s also perfect prey for Gotham’s predatory class.
The transformation that takes place over the course of the film is subtle and seemingly inevitable. With each event in Arthur’s life, he comes to realize all the lessons he was taught by his mother were either lies or worthless, if he wanted to survive. We cheer Fleck standing up to the bullies in his life, and with the masses decrying the corruption and injustice of the times, even as we’re horrified by the escalating means of retribution. We understand the troubles with his life, from his unique medical condition to his horrific past, and while we may not agree with his actions, we can definitely understand them. And that can definitely frighten some people.
And when it comes to the reviews this film is receiving, that’s the crux. If you can empathize at all with Arthur Fleck, whether that’s having been bullied, or having systems in society fail you, or anger at the wealthy predatory class taking advantage of anyone and everyone they can for their own gain, then you will find this film to be an intense and difficult experience, that sinks into the core of our place within our community, and the value of rules that benefit the few over the many. If you can’t empathize at all with Arthur Fleck, whether through the privilege of not being bullied or through the ignorance of actual social hardship, then you will probably silently wonder why people are attracted to this film.
“Joker” is an incredible film anchored by an incredible performance, which takes a poignant crack at one of the most elusive and intriguing origin stories in comic book history. Phillips and Silver set a well-dressed stage for Phoenix to give one of the absolute best performances this year, and for his career. Comic book fans, especially Joker fans, will definitely appreciate this film, but so will fans of “The King of Comedy”, “Taxi Driver”, or other 1980s films that dealt with inequality and pedestrian struggles.
Rotten Tomatoes: 69%
Metacritic: 59
One Movie Punch: 10/10
“Joker” (2019) is rated Rand is currently playing in theaters.
