Put on a happy face

cover story

Joker

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy

Directed by: Todd Phillips

Written by: Todd Phillips and Scott Silver

Running time: 122 minutes

Music by: Hildur Guðnadóttir

Tagline: Put on a happy face.

The evolution of the comic book movie has been nothing short of magical. 

Even a little over a decade ago, it would’ve been hard to wager that superhero movies would soon be the world’s biggest blockbusters. Yet, just a few short years later, comic book adaptations have become the indisputable rulers of the box office, and one of them is even the highest grossing film of all time.

As superheroes have leapt out of the pages of graphic novels and taken over the silver screen, the Big Two of the comic book world – Marvel and DC – have found themselves battling it out for ultimate supremacy. So far, it’s Marvel that has come out on top, thanks to the unprecedented success of its Avengers collective. But even though building a connected universe hasn’t worked out quite as well for DC, they have still had their share of successes, most notably with Christopher Nolan’s terrific The Dark Knight trilogy.

It’s the world of Batman that has now provided DC with yet another triumph. But this time it’s not the Caped Crusader who is taking centre stage. Instead the spotlight has been turned to his biggest nemesis, the Joker.

The notorious character – one of pop culture’s best-known villains – has already had several cinematic outings, mostly as a baddie in Batman’s escapades, and has been portrayed by some enormously talented actors, including Jack Nicholson who played him in 1989’s Batman, Heath Ledger who essayed the role in 2008’s The Dark Knight, and Jared Leto who played the part in 2016’s Suicide Squad (and even Zach Galifianakis who voiced the character in 2017’s delightful The Lego Batman Movie).

Unlike all these iterations though, the new film chooses to focus on the character’s origin story, detailing how a struggling comedian ends up becoming the Clown Prince of Crime.

Joaquin Phoenix portrays the protagonist, Arthur Fleck, a man who works as a party clown but aspires to be a stand-up comedian. Arthur lives with his aging mother (who is forever waiting for her former employer, billionaire mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne, to answer her letters). He suffers from mental health issues, including a condition that causes him to laugh at inappropriate times.

But an incident leads to him being fired from his clown job, making him even more desolate. This, combined with an episode of bullying, pushes him to his breaking point. He snaps. Violence ensues.

It’s all very dark and gritty, and it’s very thoroughly riveting.

Writer and director Todd Phillips has created one of the most compelling dramas in the DC universe this side of Nolan’s trilogy. 

An intriguingly disturbing central character, engrossing story, absorbing atmosphere, terrific score and soundtrack, and, most significantly, a very powerful performance by Phoenix all come together to create a chilling portrait that redefines an infamous villain. Phoenix, in fact, is so deeply committed and astoundingly brilliant in the part that his portrayal even gives Ledger’s version of the villain a run for his money. The supporting players around him have also been brought to life by talented actors, including the legendary Robert De Niro (who appears as a talk show host who plays a part in Arthur’s unravelling), the lovely Zazie Beetz (Arthur’s love interest), and the ever-reliable Frances Conroy (Arthur’s mother).

While there are elements of the film that come off as a bit derivative and while its ultimate destination is obviously a foregone conclusion, Joker does manage to create an interesting tale and also holds up a mirror to society, deeming us responsibility for the plight of humanity.

But – and it’s a very significant but – Joker’s narrative is also undeniably problematic.

For starters, being mistreated by society does not and should not justify murder or make a character seem more sympathetic, like it’s meant to here. Plus equating mental health problems to crime just perpetuates the misconception that people with mental illnesses are bound to be violent. It’s always frustrating when someone associates mental issues with violence, even more so when a mass-consumed piece of entertainment chooses to reinforce this inaccurate stereotype. The stigma around mental problems is already troubling, and Joker’s negative depiction doesn’t do anyone any good. We need to do so much more for an already stigmatized group, not harm them further in the name of entertainment. The film could have easily avoided this pitfall and spun a tale with just as much impact without employing this toxic trope.

If you ignore the film’s take on mental illness though – and you really shouldn’t, because it certainly is an issue – then you have a dark, twisted tale powered by a terrific lead performance, one that will stay with you long after you’ve left the cinema. Joker is a very well made movie, an unsettling albeit fascinating watch, and one of DC’s most intriguing episodes; it’s just that it could have been a lot less problematic if it had been a little more tactful.

*****

Dazzling DC

The world of DC Comics

1. What does the “DC” in “DC Comics” stand for?

A. Dramatic Comics

B. Dynamic Creations

C. Detective Comics

D. Direct Current

2. What was the name of the comic book publishing company that eventually morphed into DC Comics?

A. Superhero Comics

B. Fantastic Comics 

C. American Publications

D. National Comics Publications

3. Who was the first DC superhero?

A. Doctor Occult

B. Shazam

C. Batman

D. Superman

4. Which DC character has made the most appearances?

A. Superman

B. Batman

C. Green Arrow

D. Wonder Woman

DC superheroes

5. Which of these is not a character created by DC?

A. The Defenestrator, a man who carries around a window through which he throws criminals

B. Dog Welder, a hero who welds dead dogs to people’s faces

C. Galaxoid, a woman who can wield galactic objects like meteors and comets

D. Guts, a mass of internal organs arranged in a humanoid shape

6. Who is Aquaman’s archnemesis?

A. Sinestro

B. Black Manta

C. Cheetah

D. Silver Banshee

7. Who won the crossover clash between Marvel and DC?

A. Marvel

B. DC

C. It was a draw

D. It never happened

8. Fans were given the chance to decide the fate of which character that they then voted to kill off?

A. Harley Quinn

B. Robin

C. Superman

D. Flash

Joker

9. Which of these statements about the Joker is not true?

A. He prefers his past to be multiple choice

B. He has super sanity

C. He was originally supposed to die after a few appearances

D. He has a daughter with Harley Quinn

10. Which of these is not one of the Joker’s many nicknames?

A. Mister J

B. Clown Prince of Crime

C. Ace of Knaves

D. Jester of Jeopardy 

11. Which Star Wars actor is renowned for voicing the Joker?

A. Adam Drive 

B. James Earl Jones 

C. Harrison Ford

D. Mark Hamill

12. This is Joaquin Phoenix’s first leading role in a comic book film. Which part did he previously turn down?

A. Thor

B. Hulk

C. Doctor Strange

D. Hawkeye

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Answers

1. C

“DC” stands for Detective Comics. The abbreviation comes from the company Detective Comics Inc. and their popular series, also titled Detective Comics, which was initially published from 1937 to 2011 and later continued in 2016.

This makes DC Comics’ full name “Detective Comics Comics”.

2. D

American comic book publishing company National Comics Publications, Inc. was the direct predecessor of DC Comics.

The companies National Allied Publications (formed in 1934) and Detective Comics, Inc. (formed in 1937) merged into National Comics Publications in 1946 before eventually being renamed National Periodical Publications, Inc. in 1961. The company soon became known colloquially as DC Comics, before officially adopting the moniker in 1977.

3. A

Ghost detective Doctor Occult – a private investigator who uses magic and specializes in supernatural cases – is considered the first DC superhero. He first appeared in 1935 and is the earliest DC character who still appears in the DC Universe. 

4. B

According to the folks at Ranker, Batman has appeared most frequently in comic books across all publications (more than 14,000 issues), followed closely by Superman (more than 13,000 issues).

5. C

The Defenestrator, Dog Welder, and Guts were part of Section 8, a fictional team of superheroes created by writer Garth Ennis and artists John McCrea and Steve Dillon. The team first appeared in Hitman #18 (September 1997) and is named after the military discharge for service members deemed mentally unfit for duty.

6. B

Underwater-based mercenary Black Manta is Aquaman’s archenemy.

Sinestro is the nemesis of Green Lantern. Cheetah is Wonder Woman’s archenemy. And Silver Banshee is primarily an opponent of Superman.

7. A

The DC versus Marvel Comics crossover miniseries was published in 1996. There were 11 battles fought between the two universes. Six were determined by the miniseries’ creative team (both Marvel and DC won 3 each) while the remaining were determined by the readers’ votes (Marvel won 3, DC 2).

8. B

In 1988, the fate of Batman sidekick Jason “Robin” Todd was left in the hands of fans. They voted – 5,343 to 5,271 – to axe the Boy Wonder.

9. All of them are true.

In Alan Moore’s graphic novel, The Killing Joke, the Joker says “If I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice!”

In Grant Morrison’s Arkham Asylum, he is described as having “super sanity”.

The Joker was meant to be killed off in his second appearance but was spared after editor Whitney Ellsworth saw potential in the character.

In the Injustice series, Joker and Harley Quinn have a daughter, Lucy Quinzel.

10. D

Jester of Jeopardy isn’t one of the Joker’s names. Jester of Genocide is.

11. D

Mark Hamill has received critical acclaim for his voice performance as the Joker. He started played the role in 1992 and has voiced the character in various television shows, films, and video games.

12. C

Before Benedict Cumberbatch was hired to play Doctor Strange, Joaquin Phoenix had been in talks to portray the mystical Marvel superhero, but he passed on the role, a decision that he thinks worked out well for everyone involved.

- Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News International, 25th October, 2019 *