Why 2019 needed ‘Joker’

One of the year’s most anticipated and talked about films, “Joker,” is now out for the world to see in all its insanity. Does this dramatically new interpretation of the iconic DC character have what it takes to leave its mark on comic book cinema?

The film tells the story of Arthur Fleck, a young man who must go about life helping his mother and attempting to start up a career in stand-up comedy, all while dealing with severe mental illness. As time progresses, however, Fleck begins to open his eyes to the deeper, darker side of life, creating a ticking time bomb of events that lead to Fleck embracing the insanity that has been held deep inside of him for a long time.

In short, “Joker” is the comic book fatigue cleansing the industry has needed so desperately for a while now, especially this year. While there are numerous factors that help this thought-provoking, gut-wrenching experience work so magnificently, what can not be given enough praise is Joaquin Phoenix’s brutally harrowing performance. Phoenix’s transformation from mildly awkward citizen to deeply disturbed psychopath is so immaculately handled that it will leave you emotionally exhausted by the end, deciphering where your loyalties lie as his deeds become ever so darker. The efforts made by Phoenix to tread this delicate line are done expertly, with the physical and emotional pain endured by his character never letting up as a result. By the end, the actor succeeds at pulling off the unpredictable energy needed to play such an iconic character.

Ultimately, the film becomes an in-depth character study on Fleck and the downward spiral caused by his mental illness, very much in the same vein as many of the New Hollywood classics from the 1970s and 80s such as “Taxi Driver” and “Network.” Much of the film’s execution in its storytelling very deliberately reflect Fleck’s unhinged mindset. The structure never becomes messy, but does have the story jump around from event to event at an uneven enough pace to communicate the character’s frenetic way of thinking. Similarly, the film uses the absence of Batman to its favor. Never painting the events as full-on good or bad, the film rather asks its audience to come to their own conclusion by the end regarding the intense violence. This lack of a moral compass gives the film an intriguing sense of nuance to it that is largely left unexplored in many modern day comic book films.

Todd Phillips’ direction and handling of the presentation adds to the great sense of tension and atmosphere throughout. After countless interpretations of Gotham City that choose to see the environment from Batman’s perspective, it is refreshing to get a point of view that decides to follow an everyman, allowing for the grungy personality of Gotham to truly come out. With a stellar color palette and believably lived-in production design, Phillips encapsulates the unkempt, dirty nature of the city perfectly.

The cinematography aided in this, while also visually succeeding in depicting Fleck’s emotional journey, switching between nerve-wracking handheld moments and poignant closeups to help the audience dig ever so deeper into the character’s mind. The musical score was, much like the rest of the film, a welcome surprise for this genre. Never becoming annoyingly present while still giving the series of events just the right sense of atmosphere, the musical score and song choices act as the icing on top to deliver this effective psychological drama to even higher levels of perfection.

Simply put, “Joker” is a surprising, riveting and mind-blowing journey that must be seen to be believed. In this day and age, “Joker” may just be the necessarily intense and controversial slap in the face we need, both for comic book cinema and as a nuanced look at how we shape the world and those who live in it. A film that undeniably demands your time.