Joker
Oct 13th 2019 Budapest
Well, a lot to absorb and much to talk about – the reactions and controversies, the story and its place (or not) in the DC universe, the violence, the setting and the central performance. So to begin.
I have not really read any of the reviews of Joker (deliberately) but I have been aware of two things; that opinion is VERY polarised – something of a Marmite movie – and the events that we see and experience in the film are being tied and connected to what has happened and is happening in the world today. For the first I will say, simply, that I am of the group who rate it as an outstanding film – for many reasons which will be apparent I hope by the end of this and that, (and this should go without saying) you need to have seen the film to have an informed opinion. Of course just reading about it could allow you to form and opinion but…And briefly, the other element that clearly caused problems was the violence – but that I think is because the violence is sudden, inexplicable to some minds and real. I think it might be this realness of the violence that is the really disturbing element for many people – but then violence IS vile and unpleasant and in a film such as this, that is how it should and needs to be shown.
For the second, as it is a serious film, it is inevitable, and probably right, that it does at least partially reflect the world in which we live; any significant work of art must surely do that to a degree in order to be taken seriously. The question of its place, or otherwise, in the DC universe is an interesting. I think it’s significant that the film is called Joker not THE Joker. Until the first reference was made to other figures in that universe (essentially the name Wayne) there was no blatant indication that there was this connection. Now it’s very difficult NOT to make that connection, just by the name and the look, but for me the link to the DC universe, only made really clear and explicit at the very end of the film, was not particularly important – and I did feel that one scene involving the Wayne family really rather made the connection too clear and I felt suddenly pulled into the DC universe when I had not been there and did not want to go there as I was so absorbed in the story of Arthur Fleck.
The Gotham setting is redolent of NYC in the 80’s – the NYC of Taxi Driver and of Bernard Goetz, the Subway Vigilante whose actions are (surely very deliberately) mirrored by Fleck and provide a key trigger for subsequent events. (Pun unintended – it’s just the right word). The dark grubbiness was very well shown and the whole colour palette of the film was drained and shitty-looking. Even Fleck’s costume, right at the end, did not have the primary brilliance of, say Nicholson – and quite right too.
The other cinematic element that was superbly effective was the music – and not a soundtrack by one person but an amazing amalgam of newly created music and sounds, and songs and musical styles of the past – a total kaleidoscope and perhaps one that gave some sort of reflection of the chaotic dysfunctionalism of both the main character and the world in which he lives – or exists, to be more accurate. The use of old-fashioned songs – Big Band ones, lounge songs by Sinatra et al – was of course there (sparingly) to provide a harsh and ironic parallel to what we were seeing and hearing on the screen and with the characters (thank you Quentin Tarantino) but while nowadays this can become an irritating and predictable feature of films and tires to work, in bad cases, just by calculatedly pushing emotional buttons, here, partly because it was sparingly used, it was a devastatingly effective as it should be. The other musical elements were remarkably varied – sometimes melodic and semi-tonal although often with a slightly uncomfortable harmonic edge, at other times just evocative blocks of pure sound to establish a mood. The mixture of these elements was wonderful and I think a significant part of the films power. It is something that I will probably have a clearer idea about when I see the film for a second time – which I do want to do but with friends.
And so to performances. De Niro as Murray Franklin gave a unpleasantly marvellous performance as Murray Franklin an archetypal American-style chat show host whose apparent easy and smooth slickness and charm which works so well for everyone, can easily slip and a harsh and sneering person peeps out, particularly when caught out by someone and them not ‘playing his game’ – essentially by making themselves the focus whereas, in this world, it is the chat show host who is at least as important as the guest. In his climactic appearance on the chat show, there were, of course, obvious parallels to be drawn between Fleck and Franklin and Joaquin P and Letterman when Joaquin P was ‘in character’ for his mockumentary/documentary.
And so that brings us to Joaquin Phoenix. He has always been an actor who has a remarkable screen presence – not the cheap and easy ‘star’ presence of a Tom Cruise, but rather as an actor totally inhabiting the part (sorry for that unimaginative cliché, but sometimes clichés are the best way to get something across). This was an utterly remarkable performance of an intensity and conviction that I have seen, on stage and screen, very few times – and which also kept sympathy – remarkably given what he does. He was rarely off-screen for the lengthy duration of the film and the almost invasive close-ups that are a feature of the film were thus even more impressive. He was also a remarkably graceful mover – again towards the end when dancing in the streets, he had the grace and charm of a Fred Astaire. Of course he must be nominated for Best Actor awards. He should receive all of them but whether the Academy could cope with such a dark film…
So a quite remarkable film and performance –and these two elements (indeed all the elements) necessarily go hand in hand to make this the extraordinary and disturbing film that it is. I am looking forward to seeing it again and wonder what I will see the second time around.
Trailer https://youtu.be/xRjvmVaFHkkhttps://youtu.be/xRjvmVaFHkk