“Joker” is driven not by any outside force but the
ominous sense of something bad welling up in
the unloved Arthur. Having won our sympathy
through endless indignities, we begin to almost
root for him to lash out. When he does, one
night on a nearly empty subway (a subterranean
gloom pervades the whole film), Arthur has,
in a troubling way, self-actualized. This is, of
course, who he’s meant to be. And it’s that leap,
from self-pity wallowing to wanton revenge
meted out on a sick society, that has made
“Joker” rightfully debated. Rather than surround
Arthur’s horrifying transformation with context,
alternatives or rays of light whether they fall on
him or not “Joker” simply hitches a ride on his
freefall in mania.
wang
(Wang)
#1