“Joker” is the latest comic book movie to hit theaters. Some people may feel burnt out or “superhero fatigue” from the vast amount of superhero movies being released every year, and understandably so. But “Joker” manages to stand out amongst both its DC and Marvel counterparts by offering up a character study of one of the most iconic villains in all of comic history, played by Joaquin Phoenix.
Unlike most superhero movies today, “Joker” stands alone, without an overt connection to the DC universe or existing Batman movies. It tells a story in its own world. In a lot of Batman iterations, the Joker is usually someone who becomes a deranged maniac through his own personal philosophy, his experiences, and twisted views of the world. While this movie clearly paints the Joker as the villain, as opposed to an anti-hero in movies like “Venom” or “Suicide Squad,” it dares to ask the question: What if society bore some of the responsibility for the creation of a psychopath, and what if it was possible to prevent the creation of the Joker to begin with?
The movie tells the story of Arthur Fleck, a man with mental health issues who has difficulty being a productive member of society and is forced to take care of his sickly mother. It is not until social services has its budget slashed and he loses access to his various medications that he starts down his dark path. After a fateful event late at night on a subway train, Arthur’s actions unintentionally spark a movement, pitting Gotham City’s lower class against the elites of Gotham City who have turned a blind eye to the former’s problems for too long. Taken aback by the consequences of his actions, Arthur believes himself to be at the point of no return.
“Joker” was met with massive controversy before it was even seen by the general public, being classified by some as a rallying cry for disassociated males, which might inspire imitations of the acts of violence it portrays.
However, I think the movie should be seen as a cautionary tale, holding up a mirror to our society. We have definitely made strides in terms of mental health awareness from when the film is set in 1981, but what would have happened if mental health services had been kept and Arthur still had access to his medication? What would have happened if people like Thomas Wayne, running for mayor in the film, actually sought to help the disenfranchised citizens instead of writing them off as degenerates and widening the divide between classes? What if his failings as a comedian were not broadcast on a late night talk show for another comedian to mock? These statements ask us difficult questions about how we care for “the least of these” that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 25.
The fallout from the Joker's actions make it hard to deny that we as a society have a part to play in ignoring the disenfranchised. By the time the credits were rolling, I felt vastly unsettled, as the movie did a marvelous job of portraying how something like this could realistically spin out of control. Maybe at the end of the day, the joke is on us for creating this super-villain.