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Contains spoilers.
Joker as a human being, not as a Joker as a Villain of DC Comics.
The Batman series, now a classic, as well as Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and David Eyer's Joker in the Sourside Squad, have been portrayed as nothing but a mad villain. Until now, no one had wondered why he had become a villain and would not understand.
Todd Phillips' film Joker has brilliantly portrayed the story of Joker's birth, a story that one might have wondered. The movie livened up the character of Joker, which was considered perfect even as a mad villain. Start the story. Joker, Now his human drama begins.
The social underdogs in grim and miserable realities.
Gotham, a city of crime and evil, Arthur, who lives in the city, is a man who lives with his single mother, Penny. The world was too harsh for him, who always tried to live up to his mother's promise that he should be the one who made others happy with a smile on his face. That was because he was mentally ill. He always smiled. He laughed when he was happy and when he was sad and angry too. The world was so cold for him, who could only show his feelings with laughter.
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He had a perfect job. It was a clown that always laughed and made others happy. However, there is a crisis in his job. A fellow "Barry" hands him a gun, telling him to use it in a time of crisis after being beaten back by children on the street just because he is a clown. A few days later, a joker who was working in a children's hospital dropped his gun on the floor, and the boss found out about it. Although he made the excuse that it was a necessary prop for his show, the boss fired Arthur, saying Barry has already testified. He was betrayed even by the group, which he had thought was the only safe place. Because he was a creepy and uncomfortable creature who always laughed.
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Why do I exist?
He always had to live as someone else who existed but didn't exist because he had to hide that he was different. No one listened to him. Even though he had a dream. It was to be a comedian. But it was a real impossible dream. It was because of a variety of emotions, including tension on stage, burst out with laughter. His incessant burst of laughter made it hard to tell his jokes to others. The audience was silent when he laughed and laughed when he didn't. The laughter from the audience was just a ridicule when he told the quiet truth without emotion.
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Arthur's mother kept sending letters to Thomas Wayne. She had a belief that her former boss Wayne would help her and her son living in such misery. Arthur always checked the mailbox at his mother's request. But for decades, not a single reply has come. One day, what he found when he opened his mother's letter was that he was the illegitimate son of Thomas Wayne, the mayor's candidate and billionaire
The reason for existence
One day on the way home from work in a clown costume, three drunken men in high-end suits appeared on the subway. Arthur began to laugh at them for making fun of women. He didn't laugh, it was his illness that laughed. The laughter did not stop, as if laughing at himself as an underdog who could nothing. His constant laughter irritated them, and they changed their target. Arthur, who had been beaten by them, killed three people with the gun that his colleague had handed him.
Guns began to become props for the show.
Filled with guilt and fear, he left the scene and began running like crazy. Running and running, the place where he arrived was in a bathroom. When peace came, Arthur looked into the mirror and began to dance, leaving himself to the music of the cello in his head. In the meantime, he didn't laugh. As if all emotion had been lost except joy, there was no more peace.
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His killing served as a catalyst that exploded citizens' antipathy toward Thomas and other wealthy people. People began wearing clown masks to support the killer clown. The world has rejected and ignored Arthur as a human but has begun to pay attention as the killer clown. Arthur smiles lightly as he sees a passenger wearing a clown mask in a taxi. Feel alive.
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The evil created by society and the environment
Arthur had an idol named Murray Franklin. He was more like a spiritual father rather than an idol. He was the star of his show as a famous comedian. Arthur had a dream of becoming a guest of his show one day. But he was unwilling to appear on the show. At the club where he performed, someone filmed Arthur's show and played the video on the show. Murray laughed at the video and made Arthur a laughingstock.
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Arthur, who had been imprisoned in a hospital for mental illness, has been regularly consulted by welfare agencies and the prescribed medicine. As everyone did, neither the social worker listened to him. Because of the welfare facilities, he was able to receive a drug that would allow him to endure as a 'human Arthur.' However, this place will also eventually be closed, affected by the policy of welfare cuts.
He was fired from his only job and blocked from supplying drugs that would keep him awake. He was treated as a mockery by even his spiritual father.
His world fell apart.
The birth of evil
After meeting Thomas, Arthur went to the Arkham Asylum where his mother had been imprisoned, as he had said. There, he found information that the person he thought was his mother had actually adopted him, was mentally ill and abused him, causing brain damage. According to the information, it was because of her that he was ostracized from the world. Eventually, Arthur began to erase his wrong birth by killing Penny. And that night, Arthur emptied the refrigerator and crouched into the cold, dark refrigerator. For a new Life.
Arthur received a call from the Murray Franklin show It was to ask for Arthur's guest appearance because of the high ratings of the broadcast that played his video. He accepted the request, and began preparing for his show. He dyed his hair green, dressed in clown makeup and dressed in funny colors. After a hard day, he led his tired body up the stairs and headed home. But now, he danced down the stairs. He won't have to go up these stairs again.
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Arthur, who was preparing in the waiting room, asked Murray for a favor. He was asked to introduce himself as a 'Joker'. Arthur dances in the curtain behind the stage. The curtain opens and Joker dances into the stage. Now the show has begun. Arthur is gone and the only Joker exists. That's how Joker was born.
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In closing
After watching the movie, I listened to the soundtrack over and over for a long time so that the dark movie's aftershocks could not be washed away from my body. Arthur's life must have been as dark as this. Then, listening to bright music, I woke up from the movie and faced reality. I thought, 'It's a pity. My life is still bright'. It was a really good movie.
After the death of Heath Ledger, who played the Dark Knight's Joker, whose presence was full of madness and laughter alone, Joaquin Phoenix emerged as a more perfect Joker with the story of the human Joker. The image of Heath Ledger's Joker, which had been impossible to erase, gradually melted into Joaquin. The two actors were reborn as Joker through their play and bring Joker to life. To me, Joker has become the most human and lively character in DC Comics.
There is only one movie, but the interpretation of the movie varies. It is dangerous to accept movies without critical acceptance. In this aspect, the film uses sympathy and compassion for the socially disadvantaged Arthur to glorify the birth of Joker. There is no doubt that this movie can be criticized as justifying evil by putting a reason and basis on the birth of evil. However, I have no doubt that many good movies will be made through such attempts.
I want to watch it again, but I'm reluctant to watch it again too.
Of course, I'll watch it again nonetheless
- MOVIE URL: https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/475557-joker
- CRITIC: AAA
This version of Joker contrasts with the Gotham version which I prefer a bit more over this one. However, both version may be true if some of the details were fabricated in this film by the Joker who was in the crazy hospital at the end. So, it is possible that Joker was reflecting upon his life in this movie.
I have never seen the story about the 'human drama of villain'. That's why I like this movie.
I totally agree.