The Joker (movie): popcorn and proletarians, from two corny contrarians
The Joker review: of popcorn and proletarians, from two corny contrarians
Johann Balasuriya: I do not understand why people say this is a violent movie that promotes gun violence. I mean, I have watched Arnold Schwarzenegger comedies with more violence than The Joker. Although, it goes without saying, the Joker is less tragic than “Hercules goes Bananas” (A.K.A. Hercules in New York) or some other DC movies.
The Joker is the story of Arthur Fleck, an average Joe, chilling in his life, doing the best he can to bring joy and happiness to the world. He's also dealing with a condition that makes him suddenly break out in unaccountable and uncontrollable laughter. Surrounded by mentally ill people, bullies, and manipulators, he does what he can to take care of his Mother, in a world where there is great wealth inequality.
C Lue: The insidious slope canters, under his unearned trust, and faith in the everyone who Society says we should reasonably rely upon.
Johann: He takes wonderful care of his ailing Mother while honouring her wishes and having unhealthy fantasies about a neighbour lady, while making inroads into the career of his dreams and due to his condition failing miserably.
The humanity of The Joker, is the way we're challenged to ask ourselves: where is our empathy? What is the difference we could make towards the real pain of those downtrodden in life? It's the eventual failure of the Joker's ability to care that switches him from desperate good guy to a darker-than-Dark Knight.
His ability to inspire others to give up on their humanity, too, is, I think, his most deranged and consequential power. The final execution lies not with the Joker- his existence is expressly delusional- but the choice, in the end, of the Joe chillin’ on the street.
The danger some fear in this movie is an inspiration to those in pain to take their own dark powers, by force. But the most earnest danger, my friends, is that we play any of the unkind roles. It's a thousand little cuts. The danger some fear is feeling powerless before an individual carelessly dealing death, dehumanizing all involved in an instant way that, in a decent society, would be unthinkable. It's like a four-color version of Taxi Driver. Scorcese might not call this cinema, but it's gangster af.
Johann: The film craftsmanship that supports the world built by Joaquin Phoenix's acting does not let us down. A technical run-down by those more expert than I will be illuminating, though the story wins me over to find no fault with the filmmaking.
C Lue: It's the superhero movie done as a horror movie, but the probable scale of the events, however outlandish a spectacle, is chilling. It’s bleak, but I think it illuminates, rather than glorifies, nihilism. It stands with a strength of its own, but I think it could be a marvelous cornerstone for deeper storytelling, in the midst of enthralling comics-inspired spectacle, if this was the Joker character, going forward. (But is that desirable for Phoenix?)
If superhero tradition were about restoring the status quo from fantastic threats, The Joker cinematically kicks open uncomfortable questions. Fittingly, I find many of the same real life problems in the original, earliest, unique Superman comics.
The Joker has a well-told, plausible formula for what makes the Joker character, but in detailing its theme, it's quietly pleading with your conscience to defuse the explosive human.
The Joker suggests, in garish fashion, an indicting line of causality, without really justifying anyone's wrongdoing. We have a morality play, a grown-up's fable, that asks us to honestly take vigilance of where our society of fractured communities and broken individuals is brewing its own indiscriminate punishment. If, in the end, you find fault with its plausibility, well...the Joker habitually fabricates a past of lies.
Johann: I’ve woven most of my commentary into a longer plot synopsis, but to stay spoiler-light, I’ll come back to that, down the road.
Two points:
First, I was highly amused that the Waynes had taken their son to watch “Zorro the Gay Blade” I mean of course this is the Jokers story so obviously, as to the Joker, all shots are cheap, they would take a semantic dig at Batman's origins 'being Gay .' But Zorro the Gay Blade is a comedy about the serious, Macho Zorro being injured (he took over from his Father as Zorro) and passing the mantle temporarly (with some reluctance) to his openly homosexual brother-- who wears outfits of more flamboyant colours than the drab black camouflage the old Zorros used to wear.
C. Lue: So it's a sly thematic nod to the' In' the Batman's story has now given us a star turn examining Joker.
Johann: Second: The comedian/ actor Marc Maron plays a character that is the assistant to the Talkshow host in the penultimate part of the movie. I thought that was very interesting for a few reasons. Marc Maron started his career off as a ventriloquist, but did not make it. Also if watched the three season web bio series titled “Maron,” you come to the realization that had Marc not had friends, occasional female companionship, and his career not taken off, he may have ended up similar to Arthur.
C Lue: Well, if anyone argues they saw a different film than I have, at this point, we know they probably did.
Johann Balasuriya: I do not understand why people say this is a violent movie that promotes gun violence. I mean, I have watched Arnold Schwarzenegger comedies with more violence than The Joker. Although, it goes without saying, the Joker is less tragic than “Hercules goes Bananas” (A.K.A. Hercules in New York) or some other DC movies.
The Joker is the story of Arthur Fleck, an average Joe, chilling in his life, doing the best he can to bring joy and happiness to the world. He's also dealing with a condition that makes him suddenly break out in unaccountable and uncontrollable laughter. Surrounded by mentally ill people, bullies, and manipulators, he does what he can to take care of his Mother, in a world where there is great wealth inequality.
C Lue: The insidious slope canters, under his unearned trust, and faith in the everyone who Society says we should reasonably rely upon.
Johann: He takes wonderful care of his ailing Mother while honouring her wishes and having unhealthy fantasies about a neighbour lady, while making inroads into the career of his dreams and due to his condition failing miserably.
Meanwhile, the system lets him down. Due to cut-backs, he has to confront the fact that the elites really don’t care about the wellness of the little man.C Lue: But his luck is, in a way, the worst imaginable, on his way to becoming a harbinger of ill fortune.
The humanity of The Joker, is the way we're challenged to ask ourselves: where is our empathy? What is the difference we could make towards the real pain of those downtrodden in life? It's the eventual failure of the Joker's ability to care that switches him from desperate good guy to a darker-than-Dark Knight.
His ability to inspire others to give up on their humanity, too, is, I think, his most deranged and consequential power. The final execution lies not with the Joker- his existence is expressly delusional- but the choice, in the end, of the Joe chillin’ on the street.
The danger some fear in this movie is an inspiration to those in pain to take their own dark powers, by force. But the most earnest danger, my friends, is that we play any of the unkind roles. It's a thousand little cuts. The danger some fear is feeling powerless before an individual carelessly dealing death, dehumanizing all involved in an instant way that, in a decent society, would be unthinkable. It's like a four-color version of Taxi Driver. Scorcese might not call this cinema, but it's gangster af.
Johann: The film craftsmanship that supports the world built by Joaquin Phoenix's acting does not let us down. A technical run-down by those more expert than I will be illuminating, though the story wins me over to find no fault with the filmmaking.
C Lue: It's the superhero movie done as a horror movie, but the probable scale of the events, however outlandish a spectacle, is chilling. It’s bleak, but I think it illuminates, rather than glorifies, nihilism. It stands with a strength of its own, but I think it could be a marvelous cornerstone for deeper storytelling, in the midst of enthralling comics-inspired spectacle, if this was the Joker character, going forward. (But is that desirable for Phoenix?)
If superhero tradition were about restoring the status quo from fantastic threats, The Joker cinematically kicks open uncomfortable questions. Fittingly, I find many of the same real life problems in the original, earliest, unique Superman comics.
The Joker has a well-told, plausible formula for what makes the Joker character, but in detailing its theme, it's quietly pleading with your conscience to defuse the explosive human.
The Joker suggests, in garish fashion, an indicting line of causality, without really justifying anyone's wrongdoing. We have a morality play, a grown-up's fable, that asks us to honestly take vigilance of where our society of fractured communities and broken individuals is brewing its own indiscriminate punishment. If, in the end, you find fault with its plausibility, well...the Joker habitually fabricates a past of lies.
Johann: I’ve woven most of my commentary into a longer plot synopsis, but to stay spoiler-light, I’ll come back to that, down the road.
Two points:
First, I was highly amused that the Waynes had taken their son to watch “Zorro the Gay Blade” I mean of course this is the Jokers story so obviously, as to the Joker, all shots are cheap, they would take a semantic dig at Batman's origins 'being Gay .' But Zorro the Gay Blade is a comedy about the serious, Macho Zorro being injured (he took over from his Father as Zorro) and passing the mantle temporarly (with some reluctance) to his openly homosexual brother-- who wears outfits of more flamboyant colours than the drab black camouflage the old Zorros used to wear.
C. Lue: So it's a sly thematic nod to the' In' the Batman's story has now given us a star turn examining Joker.
Johann: Second: The comedian/ actor Marc Maron plays a character that is the assistant to the Talkshow host in the penultimate part of the movie. I thought that was very interesting for a few reasons. Marc Maron started his career off as a ventriloquist, but did not make it. Also if watched the three season web bio series titled “Maron,” you come to the realization that had Marc not had friends, occasional female companionship, and his career not taken off, he may have ended up similar to Arthur.
C Lue: Well, if anyone argues they saw a different film than I have, at this point, we know they probably did.
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