By Radhika Nair
Every villain has a tragic story that lands them playing the protagonist of a movie either with a mission of vengeance or demolition. At least that's why every Batman fan grips tightly as they enter into the story to understand what made Gotham turn mayhem. Joaquin Phoenix playing the title role questions his counselor “Is it just me or is it getting crazy out there?” and sure enough the entire film erupts into a heart wrenching and intense tale of the Joker mutating from making people laugh to blowing up their brains as he gives the rich taste of
their own torturous medicine of being uncivil.
The delicious story of the Joker that has been portrayed in a variety of films till date from Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight”, Jared Leto in “Suicide Squad”, Jack Nicholson in “Batman’ to Cameron Monaghan in ‘Gotham’, only makes the much anticipated Joker played by Joaquin Phoenix to set another dome of good impression that can create either a distinguished or disapproved view for a fan.
The first half launches the character of Arther Fleck creeping into your mind – shocking and shaking you with his displeasing laughter mixed with sadness, captivating us with his loose and derailed dancing movements, carrying the mannerism of a disturbed and mentally distraught person – who in reality is just a common man crunching hard to make his living.
The somber pace of Arthur's nihilistic thoughts, ravaging guffaw, freakish vibe of an unsettled mind, escalates the movie towards the turning point of how a person with a broken dream of being a comedian wrecks havoc in the city.
The remarkable performance of Phoenix who delivers a version of Joker that the directer Todd Phillips has built the film’s premise from the graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke, astounds and frightens the audience making one gasp or gather their minds understanding how the society molds a person to become someone so horrific and villainous. It is the first live-action Batman franchise film rated R with a tone and tide of how a forlorn mind with no positive will to live in a world where he is tired of being mistreated – makes us drop our hearts
and sympathize with Arthur fleck who instigates an insurgency.
The missing puzzle piece of why Gotham breathes crime and chaos in every corner of the city finally brings us the gratifying story of the clown mask and the symbol of the revolution that it carries with it. The sheer intensity of rage and fear instilled in Pheonix’s eyes portrays an image of a debilitating man about to pounce on anyone he could confront in the times of adversity. The movie frames an understanding of the white grease painted clown running in business to fill his stomach and the consequence of a scarring childhood which is aching to
watch out for what lies ahead in his life that can only get worst. It’s as if the stand-alone violent biopic that streams ahead its first half of the movie, somehow managed to drag it by focussing thoroughly on just how hallow and pitiful Arther’s life is.
The essential other elements of half encompassed characters like that girl in the same building, ailing mother, pals in his work, his awe and interest for Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) a famous talk host comedian, also including the need to unravel his linkage to the Wayne family – surely opened new possibilities to make his lineament turn fierce, but some might find it quite scattered. The role of Joker is a powerhouse of outrageous fall outs in his past, excruciating times of living in pain in the present and coming into power as one of the most maddening and celebrated villains in the future. Phoenix has vehemently carried ahead the legacy of a street menace overthrowing a tumbling city’s social injustice in a way that will leave an impression of sorrow or anguish in the minds of the audience.
