The Joker Analysis
“The joker” is an American psychological movie directed by Todd Philips and produced by Emma Tillinger Koskoff in 2019. The movie’s central character is Arthur Fleck – who, according to the film, is a failed stand -up comedian. It is a production of Warner Bros Pictures together with Bron Creative and Village roadshow pictures. It was released on October 4, 2019. The movie, where Arthur is disguised as partly clown, is based in Gotham City, which happens to be a hub of crimes and has a high number of unemployed people. Arthur goes through unfortunate events, which make him become a murderer and a wanted suspect by the New York Police Department (NYPD). By choosing his main character to be a joker, Todd Philips was aiming to relay a specific message. Usually, in the modern-day, jokers are famous for just making people laugh and doing things that are often taken lightly by people. However, here, the Joker represents the liberator of people and society as a whole.
The movie is about the insignificant Arthur Fleck, who faces rejection from the society even though he aspires for its acceptance. Arthur lives with his mother, Penny, in Gotham. He suffers from several mental ailments, such as the one which makes him laugh himself out whenever he is nervous. Arthur, who wears a smudgy make up every day, struggles a lot to make people laugh in the city. However, society mocks him, bullies him, and above all, marginalizes him. Soon after being brutally beaten by an unknown, his co-worker Randall gives a gun for protection. This marks the beginning of his troubles. That day, he meets Sophie Dumond, his neighbor, and invites her to his stand-up routine at a nightclub.
While entertaining children at a hospital, his gun falls from his pocket. He tries to defend himself that the gun was a prop for his shows, but Randall insists that it is real, making him get fired. On his way home, he is attacked by three drunk people. He shoots two of them and executes one, while still in his makeup. These killings resulted in demonstrations against Gotham City, where protesters carried banners displaying Arthurs Clown’s image. After these happenings, the medical supplies to Arthur are cut short, making him have a mental breakdown. He later viciously murders Randal and publicly kills Murray, resulting in his arrest, as serious riots step foot in the city. As he rests in the police car, the rioters’ ambulance crashes into the police car and release him. Arthur gets excited and dances to cheer the crowd. He then runs from the orderly, leaving a string of bloodied footprints.
The technical analysis of the film reveals various vital elements. For example, it is possible to undertake critical evaluations of various fundamental elements, such as aspects such as cinematic elements – and what they tell about the movie. The movie is easily understood from the perspective of a brilliantly presented artistic piece. In terms of genre, Joker is a thriller film. An analysis of various short scene sequences will provide a clear picture of the importance of unique styles and impacts on a movie through successful editing skills, approaches, and techniques – as addressed in the artist overview.
The opening minutes paint a clear picture and set the mood of the film, mainly. They create anticipatory suspense of impending conflict, negativity, and other forms of negative energy in society in the choice of words in dialogue. For example, Arthur questions his reality when he asks an observatory question that reflects his perception that the world was getting crazier ‘out there.’ The conflict that is Arthur’s existence feeds the plot, and to effectively express these aspects and elements of conflict, the team involved had to implement various approaches to communicate and convey subtle but critical elements. Joker is a villain. One critical element is that He had to be a relatable character, in a relatable society – a reflection of the world’s reality (Haigh, 2019). The Joker’s descent down a dark path is more immersing and interesting when the character is made believable.
Graphically, the design is efficient and creative. First, the setting sets the feel of the movie. The cinematography of Gotham, the city, is inspired by the 80’s New York setting (Haigh, 2019). The trash, graffiti, and buildings are reflected – the depiction of a lost world. The people are harsh, and the stakes are slim for Arthur. The Joker is presented as a clown. The approach relates to the aspect that Gotham is a gritty and dark place – an oppressive place. The color palette used across the film is largely muted – nothing is depicted as shiny or lively in line with the primary mood and feel of the film (Haigh, 2019). The cinematography was inclined towards achieving a film look. The camera work was inclined towards creating a closer connection with Joker – to feel connected with his conflict and journey, his situation of invisibility, and gradual craziness. Aspects of composition present an interesting approach. The Joker is mostly portrayed dwarfed in scenes to depict the tension, conflict, and bullying of the outside world. The sound design is another excellently applied element. The aspects of sound design, acting, producing, and art direction, among others, all merge to present a complex yet simple and unique piece.
Generally, in the film, Arthur tries to be someone he is not. His life is filled with pain and rage. His life starts as a normal life, where he could partly manage his mental illness but ends abnormally with the mental illness taking full control of him, leading to a revolution that empowers criminal activities in the city. The message relayed here is that we should not look down on insignificant people in the society as they also can massively impact society.
Reference
Haigh, C. (2019). The Look of the Joker – Hurlbut Academy. Retrieved May 3, 2020, from https://www.hurlbutacademy.com/look-of-joker/