Joker is unrelentingly uncomfortable

Warner Bros. Pictures

Joker is the new film by Todd Phillips, previously known for The Hangover, Old School, and War Dogs. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz and Frances Conroy, Joker has managed to stoke controversy across the internet well ahead of its wide release.

The film centers on Arthur Fleck, a professional clown and aspiring comedian and who also happens to be the man who will become the world’s most recognizable psychopath, The Joker. Taking place in 1981, the tone is set with an old Warner Brothers logo at the start of the film, everything following likewise, you could almost believe this movie was plucked right out of the past with its grime and color palette so in line with the films that Phillips is paying homage to here. The cast and crew have very openly said that The King of Comedy and Taxi Driver were heavy influences to the film and it shows well outside of the visuals.

Where Taxi Driver followed Travis Bickle’s unraveling path into madness, Joker shows a man who at the start is far more damaged and broken than Bickle, and instead of a slow unwinding seems to be free falling into his insanity. While some joked that the name Arthur Fleck may have been a dig at the latest Batman, Affleck, it’s really just one more insult the character takes in the film. Arthur Fleck, A Fleck. Something so small and meaningless it is passed by without notice. Joker leans heavily on the idea that society has disenfranchised this man and pushed him into a corner. Some have latched on to the idea that this is some sort of rallying cry or endorsement of actions taken in the film but that’s not really what’s going on here. The political elements to the plot are not encouraging but rather shining a light on what can happen when masses of angry people decide to align themselves with a deranged individual and the horrors that can follow.

It must be said that Phoenix turns in a truly amazing performance. The contortions of his body, his face, every word that he speaks paints a haunting picture that will stain itself onto your brain. An Oscar nomination is all but a guarantee and unless someone’s got a world changing performance hidden somewhere in the next few months I feel like he’s taking that statue home. You can really tell he threw himself completely into the role and has earned a place among the all time haunting performances set on film. Where Nicholson gave us a mobster and Ledger’s performance brought us an anarchist, this performance brings us madness, raw and terrifyingly close to reality in an age where mental illness is an all too common ailment.

While Phoenix gets the bulk of the load here, the supporting cast all turn in great performances as well. Stocked with a group of character actors whose faces you’ve surely seen dozens of times, it’s clear that they wanted characters to leave a distinct impression even with their limited screen time and lines. Conroy and Beetz come across a bit two-dimensional but they serve their purpose in the story well. De Niro does a serviceable job as well but like everyone else he serves more as set dressing to let Phoenix just act the hell out of this.

Director Todd Phillips also shows his best work here as his films have generally veered more comedic, with the recent War Dogs being a much darker film. His films have always had a much dirtier gritty feel than most comedies and that grit has been cranked up here. The best term I could use would be beautifully hideous. The feel of a dirty eighties era Gotham, basically New York, is so real you can practically smell it. The angles and editing in the film all working along with the performances to one goal, our discomfort. The way the camera lingers on Fleck’s face for painfully long periods matches the way Fleck himself doesn’t understand socialization, staring too hard and too long at people as we are forced to stare equally as hard and long at his madness and its effect on those around him. There are times when the camera is so close to Fleck’s face and they just leave us there floating in his gaze, you can feel his stare through the screen filling you with unease.

The film is unrelentingly uncomfortable, but that’s the point! I do worry that there are some out there who will miss the true message of this film, there’s no hero here, there’s not even a villain really. What this is is a dark and sad look into mental health and a system that ignores the sick and the poor. I was sad to hear people in my screening laughing and clapping at moments that were incredibly violent and dark. I spent most of the film head in hands unable to look away from a portrait so bleak and dour that I felt as if my soul was being darkened just for having seen it. I dare you not to see a little of Fleck next time you pass that muttering homeless man on the corner. While we don’t expect these people to become ‘Jokers,’ it is a reminder there are literally hundreds of forgotten people living in the prison of their own mental illness.

There have been complaints that this film doesn’t take place as part of the DC movie universe because to some that means it doesn’t ‘count’. Let me say for the comic purists just imagine the title ‘Elseworlds’ above the marquee (a ‘what if’ style line from DC) and be glad there is no reason for your children to see this film. I’m sure there are going to be some kids who see Joker because their parents didn’t do their research but let me state this film is not for kids! I think this film isn’t for immature adults either. In truth you could easily remove all mentions of DC characters and locations and just have called this movie ‘Fleck’ as I found the moments more tied to the comics to be the weakest of the film. There is one moment near the end I found to be eye-rolling it was so on the nose in its rush to tie things up.

So if the comic related elements are superfluous why have them at all? Why not just make a modern Taxi Driver? Well the simplest answer is we would likely not be talking about a film in wide release. With today’s market being what it is, the film stripped of its comic property would be on three-hundred screens or straight to a streaming service. Instead it will be seen by millions.

The hardest job is trying to think of what the film did wrong. When the goal is to make your skin crawl and basically assault the viewer, you could say the film is nearly perfect in achieving that goal. But aside from the fan service I mentioned there was something else that sat uneasy with me as the credits rolled and I think this will be the big debate coming out of the film.

For the most part, and I’m talking ninety-seven percent of the film, we see Arthur’s actions as they are, works of a sick mind. But, there are two moments that do play as basically celebratory of his actions. These are likely what sparked some of the outrage of the film. I felt sick seeing these moments and at first glance they seem to be tone deaf, and then I thought about the way they’re presented, and the music that accompanied them. I came to the conclusion these moments were put there to once again make us uncomfortable. Because while I felt no cheer or satisfaction in those moments I could tell some did, and then were immediately reminded what it was they celebrated, holding a mirror up to the audience as if to say ‘whats wrong with you?’

There will certainly be people who miss the point, those who will dress as this Joker for Halloween and think the movie was ‘cool’. But in art there will always be people who don’t understand and it’s not the artist’s job to hand hold. For anyone paying attention, the filmmakers did everything to take the glory out of any violence. While not a gore fest when a violent act happens, it’s shown for the terror that it is and the film lingers on these acts as a reminder that something awful had just happened.

So Joker is a film that is incredibly well shot, written, acted, the music is perfectly chosen. But the question is should people watch this movie? I can’t really say yes or no, I can’t say this was an enjoyable film. It was riveting. Your eyes will be locked to the screen. You will appreciate the craftsmanship that went into it, the dedication to showing such a raw visceral look into mental illness. Joker is a film that will stay in your thoughts long after you leave the theatre. If that kind of experience is something that appeals to you then yes this film will be a journey you should take. If you like nice popcorn fare with wrapped up happy endings then stay far, far away as none of that is present in Joker. This dark and disturbing character piece is sure to be picked apart and interpreted in a number of different ways by a number of different groups. Art is meant to be provocative and start a conversation and that certainly is the case here.

Joker has a run time of 2 hours 2 minutes and is rated R for strong bloody violence, disturbing behavior, language and brief sexual images.