Let us now speak of the Joker, that ‘merry prankster’ of ‘Batman’
the franchise. Switch off the sarcasm? Maybe. Now onto the main event.
Firstly, the obligatory disclaimer: real life sucks. In this
particular case, it is also one of the messages of ‘Joker 2019’, as the titular
character, initially known as Arthur Fleck instead, gets to be life’s bitch –
even without spoilers we can admit that he got more than he received, at least
initially. Therefore, he became the Joker. The end?
Well, no, not at all. Why ‘Joker 2019’ is already a success,
a month before the public can see it for real, (and we should not worry about
spoilers either)? Because it’s zeitgeist. In canon, Joker is even eviller than
in the 2019 movie incarnation, but here, he is more chaotic than the average.
(Which is very low, given that it is the Joker, but still). He either does not care
about right and wrong, or perceives them in such a manner that most people on
the street, (even in Gotham), cannot relate. He is unpredictable; he might get
inspired for his new op by his itchy left (or right) heel, or by the fact that
it rained on Thursday, (and we are talking about a completely natural rain
here), and go onto his latest rampage, (or whatever). Back to real life – and we
see that the US currently have the POTUS Donald, who is also unpredictable,
uncontrollable, and just hated. Now what?
Well, you would think that by now the Democrats would start
an impeachment process regarding that man, but no. They do not. In part this is
because in that case the Donald’s most likely political heir will be Mike
Pence, whom the Democrats and co. hate and fear even moreso than they do the
Donald – but that is their problem, and if they have principles, they should be
acting upon them – right? They do have principles, correct? This is their main
difference from the Republicans, who lack them… Wait. What? The ‘Joker 2019’?
…The ‘Joker 2019’ movie depicts a Gotham that is a mess.
Yes, it is the default social setting of this city, but here it is less of a
gothic, film noir, crime-ridden horror story, and more of a painfully mundane, banally
evil, everyday soulless city. It is realistic, very reminiscent of reality,
(especially in the phase 1 Marvel movies), and not really like the Gotham
canon, (if there is such a thing). Into this morass come two men – the Joker/Arthur
Fleck, who is clearly determined to bring laughter into this world, and Thomas
Wayne, who is just as clearly determined to do something about Gotham, in a
manner that seems to be based on that of the real life Donald. Now what?
And now, there’s a fight in Gotham, over its’ soul, with no
winner in sight, as there’s no hero per se – Joker may be the titular
protagonist, but he’s still the Joker, he is still not a hero, for he isn’t
good or evil – he’s chaotic; he’s been mastered by chaos rather than master it,
and as such, whether for good or for evil, he’s unpredictable. And an asshole.
Just look at the current Batman meeting the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for
example. And Thomas Wayne?
…He comes across as a soulless corporate douche instead.
Mind you, this isn’t your typical
depiction of the elder Wayne; he is usually a better person, and sometimes even
– the Batman himself, (but then again there are worlds in DC where Joker’s role
is carried out by Martha Wayne, as in Batman/Bruce’s mom, so there is that),
but in this 2019 movie? He is dislikable, he is unpleasant, and while he is saner than Arthur Fleck is, (but then
again, anyone is saner than the Joker is, even the rest of Gotham’s villains
are), he is not any better for Gotham city and its’ state of being than Joker is.
Pause. The truth of the matter is that for all of Joker’s
different aspects, he is never a creator, always a destroyer. Period. Even in
the 2019 version, he is not trying to create anything; at first, he is just
trying to survive, and then he just goes berserk, spreading out his rage,
insanity, misery, and what else have you into the rest of his world, (Gotham
city). And Thomas Wayne? He is trying to preserve the society that had created
the Joker out of Arthur Fleck; in the first half of the movie, Arthur is
harmless, but as the external factors add on, he becomes Joker instead, a
revolutionary. Pause.
Joker may be a revolutionary, but he is no communist; rather,
he is an anarchist-maximalist by the Soviet classification chart; he just wants
to destroy the old world down to the basement, and then what will be, will be. Yes,
Arthur Fleck is almost certainly politically obtuse, even by the modern
American standards, but that is exactly what kind of a revolutionary he becomes
and it is precisely what kind of a cult following Joker gets in the second half
of the film. Put otherwise, the social order in the 2019 Gotham city is unjust,
unfair, and bad and etc., so the Joker just wants to destroy it, plough the
land with salt and seed it with lime, and Thomas Wayne… just wants to preserve
it, in part because Joker wants to destroy it and in part because he’s
benefitting from it, (the Waynes are one of the most powerful Gotham families
in the DC canon). Yes, he wants to implement some superficial changes to the
society, but this is it, and quite a few of Gotham’s citizens don’t like it; so
where does the real world come in?
Oh, the real world is there already, at least USA-wise. Half
of the people are fed-up with the current status quo and just want to tear it
down; half the people want to preserve it, regardless, or maybe even because,
of its’ flaws, because they are benefitting from this, and the rest can go
hand; and the rest want to do something without going to either of those
extremes, but they are being overwhelmed by the noise from the above two
extremes. Will the US get out of it? Judging by how ‘Joker 2019’ is already
crazily famous, (and that is even before we get into the entire unreliable
narrator/fake media aspect of the film), it is a long shot. We will have to
wait and see what will happen to the USA (and the rest of the world) next
before making any predictions.
…This is it for now, see you all soon.
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