It’s not that we want to relate to the Joker, but Joaquin Phoenix plays the character with such a vulnerability that you begin to feel sorry for a madman.
The thing is, the Joker as always been someone who distrupts the status quo and aims for the 1%. Millions of us can relate to the exhaustion and insecurity of being slapped around by society for not fitting in, and more so for those of us dealing with some level of mental illness.
What this new Joker film does really well is show a slow decent into madness after trying so hard for so long. It shows the lack of funding in helping those suffering from mental illness and the loss of innocence when our checks and balances goes unchecked.
Joaquin is an actor I’m not a massive fan of, but in this case and in this film I found his subtle growth into the Joker very compelling. More over what I found impressive was the lack of violence.
I went in thinking I’d see a madman on the loose leaving piles of bodies in his wake, but what I found on screen was the violence limited to that which served a meaningful purpose to shaping the character. Each act of violence transforms the Joker like that of a Caterpillar into a butterfly. At first it’s shocking then it’s beautiful.
It is odd to say the act of killing on screen is beautiful, but it’s the only way I know to describe it.
The Joker is raw and real and honestly, this may be a controversial statement, but I liked this version better than Heath Leager’s version. Both are outstanding performances, but Joaquin Phoenix brought a childlike sensibility to a scary man and made him relatable.
I would totally recommend this film. The cinematography alone is gorgeous. The score of the film is amazing. Overall, as deeply sad as is this film, it is very entertaining.
