Joker is a 2019 American psychological thriller film directed and produced by Todd Phillips, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver. The film, based on DC Comics characters, stars Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker and provides a possible origin story for the character. Set in 1981, it follows Arthur Fleck, a failed clown and stand-up comedian whose descent into insanity and nihilism inspires a violent counter-cultural revolution against the wealthy in a decaying Gotham City. Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Brett Cullen, Glenn Fleshler, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Marc Maron appear in supporting roles. Joker was produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Films, and Joint Effort, in association with Bron Creative and Village Roadshow Pictures, and distributed by Warner Bros.
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Phillips conceived Joker in 2016 and wrote the script with Silver throughout 2017. The two were inspired by 1970s character studies and the films of Martin Scorsese (particularly Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy), who was initially attached to the project as a producer. The film loosely adapts plot elements from Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), but Phillips and Silver otherwise did not look to specific comics for inspiration. Phoenix became attached in February 2018 and was cast that July, while the majority of the cast signed on by August. Principal photography took place in New York City, Jersey City, and Newark, from September to December 2018. Joker is the first live-action theatrical Batman film to receive an R-rating from the Motion Picture Association.
Joker premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2019, where it won the Golden Lion, and was released in the United States on October 4, 2019. The film experienced a polarized critical reception. While Phoenix's performance, the direction, editing, musical score, and cinematography were praised, the dark tone, portrayal of mental illness, and handling of violence divided opinions and generated concerns of inspiring real-life violence; the movie theater where the 2012 Aurora, Colorado mass shooting occurred during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises refused to show it.[7] Despite this, Joker became a major box office success and set records for an October release. It grossed over $1 billion, the first R-rated film to do so, and became the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2019 during its theatrical run.
Joker received numerous accolades. At the 92nd Academy Awards, the film earned a leading 11 nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, winning Best Actor for Phoenix (who became the second actor to win an Oscar for portraying the Joker, following Heath Ledger in 2009) and Best Original Score for Hildur Guðnadóttir. Phoenix and Guðnadóttir also won at the Golden Globe and BAFTA Award ceremonies.
Plot
Party clown and aspiring stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck lives with his mother, Penny, in Gotham City, which is rife with crime and unemployment. Arthur suffers from a neurological disorder that greatly affects his behavior in society: he is psychotically delusional, has trouble speaking and shows inappropriate emotional responses to stressful situations (e.g., he can burst into uncontrollable laughter when nervous). After delinquents attack Arthur, his co-worker Randall gives him a gun for protection. Arthur pursues a relationship with his neighbor, single mother Sophie Dumond, and invites her to his upcoming stand-up routine at a nightclub.
While entertaining at a children's hospital, Arthur's gun falls out of his pocket. Arthur is fired when Randall lies to their manager that the gun was Arthur's own. On the subway, still in clown makeup, Arthur is beaten by three drunk Wayne Enterprises businessmen; he shoots two dead in self-defense and murders the third as he attempts to flee. The killings are condemned by billionaire mayoral candidate Thomas Wayne, who calls those envious of more successful people "clowns." Demonstrations against Gotham's rich begin, with protesters donning clown masks in Arthur's image. Funding cuts shut down the social service program, leaving Arthur without his therapy and medication.
Sophie attends Arthur's stand-up routine, which goes poorly; he laughs uncontrollably, and his jokes fall flat. Arthur intercepts a letter written by Penny to Thomas, alleging that he is Thomas's illegitimate son, and berates his mother for hiding the truth. Arthur goes to Wayne Manor, where he meets Thomas's young son Bruce, but flees after a scuffle with the family butler Alfred Pennyworth. Following a visit from two police detectives investigating the train murders, Penny suffers a stroke and is hospitalized. Arthur's idol, popular talk show host Murray Franklin, mocks Arthur by showing clips from the comedy routine on his show.
Arthur sneaks into a private movie theater event and confronts Thomas, who tells him that Penny is delusional and not his biological mother. In denial, Arthur visits Arkham State Hospital and steals Penny's file, which states she adopted Arthur while working as a housekeeper for the Waynes in the 1950s. Penny then raised Arthur along with her abusive boyfriend, who was later arrested and died in jail. Penny was sent to Arkham State Hospital. Although Penny claims the adoption papers were forged to cover up that Arthur is Waynes' illegitimate child, it is implied to have been a lie fabricated to unsuccessfully blackmail him into paying alimony. Distraught, Arthur returns home and enters Sophie's apartment unannounced. Frightened, Sophie asks him to leave; their relationship was a figment of Arthur's delusions. The following day, Arthur, now completely insane, murders Penny at the hospital.
Arthur is invited to appear on Murray's show due to the popularity of his stand-up routine clips. While dyeing his hair green and painting his face with clown makeup, he finds an old picture of his mother; on the other side is written "Love your smile. TW", hinting Penny did tell the truth about her affair with Thomas Wayne, but Arthur discards it. He is soon visited by ex-colleagues Gary and Randall. Arthur murders Randall for revenge but spares Gary for treating him well in the past. En route to the studio, Arthur is pursued by the two detectives onto a train filled with clown protesters. One detective accidentally shoots a protester, and the rioters brutally beat them as Arthur escapes.
Before the show goes live, Arthur requests that Murray introduce him as Joker – a reference to Murray's mockery. Arthur waltzes out to applause, but the mood changes when he behaves lewdly, tells morbid jokes, confesses to the train murders, rants about how society abandons the downtrodden and mentally ill, and berates Murray for mocking him on the previous segment. Murray's enthusiasm for Arthur quickly turns, and as he threatens to call the police, Arthur shoots him in the head on live television. He is arrested for murder as riots break out across Gotham. One of the rioters corners the Wayne family in an alley and murders Thomas and his wife, Martha, sparing Bruce.[a] Rioters in an ambulance crash into the police car carrying Arthur, freeing him; he stands atop the car, dances to the cheers of the crowd, and smears blood on his face in the form of a smile.
At Arkham State Hospital, Arthur laughs to himself about a joke and tells his psychiatrist she would not understand it. He seemingly escapes from his psychotherapy session, leaving behind a trail of bloodied footprints as he runs from an orderly.
Cast
- Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck / Joker: A mentally ill, impoverished party clown and stand-up comedian disregarded by society,[9] whose history of abuse causes him to become a nihilistic criminal with a clown motif.[10] Phoenix had been interested in a low-budget "character study" of a comic book character, and said the film "feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe [...] It might as well be the thing that scares you the most."[11] Phoenix lost 52 pounds (24 kg) in preparation,[12][13] and based his laugh on "videos of people suffering from pathological laughter."[14] He also sought to portray a character who audiences could not identify with and did not look to previous Joker actors for inspiration; instead, he read a book about political assassinations so he could understand killers and motivations.[10] Director Todd Phillips said that he intentionally left it ambiguous as to whether Arthur becomes the Joker of traditional Batman stories or inspires a separate character,[15] although Phoenix believes that Arthur is the former.[16]
- Robert De Niro as Murray Franklin:[17] A talk show host who plays a role in Arthur's downfall.[18] De Niro said his role in Joker pays homage to his character from The King of Comedy (1983), Rupert Pupkin, who is a comedian obsessed with a talk-show host.[17]
- Zazie Beetz as Sophie Dumond:[19] A cynical single mother and Arthur's "love interest".[19][20] Beetz, a "huge fan" of Phoenix, said that it was "an honor" to co-star with him,[21] and that she learned a lot working with him on set.[22]
- Frances Conroy as Penny Fleck: Arthur's mentally and physically ill mother,[23] who formerly worked for Thomas Wayne.[24] The Canadian actress Hannah Gross portrays a young Penny.[25]
Additionally, Brett Cullen portrays Thomas Wayne, a billionaire running for mayor of Gotham.[26] Unlike in the comics, Thomas plays a role in the Joker's origins and is less sympathetic than traditional incarnations.[27] Alec Baldwin was initially cast in the role but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.[28][29] Carrie Louise Putrello portrays Thomas's wife Martha, although the character has no lines nor is referred to by name.[30] Douglas Hodge plays Alfred Pennyworth, the butler and caretaker of the Wayne family,[31] and Dante Pereira-Olson plays Bruce Wayne, Thomas' son, who becomes the Joker's archenemy Batman as an adult.[32][33]
Additional cast members include: Glenn Fleshler and Leigh Gill as Randall and Gary, Arthur's clown co-workers;[34][35] Bill Camp and Shea Whigham as detectives Garrity and Burke in the Gotham City Police Department;[36] Marc Maron as Gene Ufland, a producer on Franklin's show;[37][38] Josh Pais as Hoyt Vaughn, Arthur's agent;[34][39] Brian Tyree Henry as Clark, a clerk at Arkham State Hospital;[40] Ben Warheit, Michael Benz, and Carl Lundstedt as bankers who harass Arthur;[41] Gary Gulman as a comedian;[42] and Bryan Callen as Javier, a co-worker of Arthur.[43] Justin Theroux has an uncredited cameo as Ethan Chase, a celebrity guest on Franklin's show.[44]
Production
Development
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Between 2014 and 2015, Joaquin Phoenix expressed interest to his agent in acting in a low-budget "character study" type of film about a comic book villain, like DC Comics character the Joker.[11] Phoenix had previously declined to act in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because he would have been required to reprise a role, such as the Hulk (initially portrayed by Edward Norton) or Doctor Strange, in multiple films.[45] Phoenix ruled out the Joker for his "character study" idea and tried to think of a different one. "I thought, 'You can’t do the Joker, because, you know, it’s just you can’t do that character, it’s just been done.'" Phoenix's agent suggested setting up an exploratory meeting with Warner Bros., but he declined and let go of the idea.[11] Similarly, Todd Phillips had been offered to direct comic-based films a number of times, but declined because he thought they were "loud" and did not interest him. According to Phillips, Joker was created from his idea to create a different, more grounded comic book film.[12] He was attracted to the Joker because he did not think there was a definitive portrayal of the character, which he knew would provide considerable creative freedom.[15]
Phillips pitched the idea for Joker to Warner Bros. after his film War Dogs premiered in August 2016.[12] Prior to War Dogs, Phillips was mostly known for his comedy films, such as Road Trip (2000), Old School (2003), and The Hangover (2009); War Dogs marked a venture into more unsettling territory.[46] During the premiere, Phillips realized "War Dogs wasn't going to set the world on fire and I was thinking, 'What do people really want to see?'"[12] He proposed that DC Films differentiate its slate from the competing Marvel Studios' by producing low-budget, standalone films.[47][48] After the successful release of Wonder Woman (2017), DC Films decided to deemphasize the shared nature of its DC-based film franchise, the DC Extended Universe (DCEU).[49] In August 2017, Warner Bros. and DC Films revealed plans for the film, with Phillips directing and co-writing with Scott Silver, and Martin Scorsese set to co-produce with Phillips.[50]
According to Kim Masters and Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter, Jared Leto, who portrayed the Joker in the DCEU, was displeased by the existence of a project separate from his interpretation.[51][52] In October 2019, Masters reported that Leto "felt 'alienated and upset'" when he learned that Warner Bros.—which had promised him a standalone DCEU Joker film—let Phillips proceed with Joker, going as far as to ask his music manager Irving Azoff to get the project canceled. Masters added that Leto's irritation was what caused him to end his association with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), as he believed "his agents should have told him about the Phillips project earlier and fought harder for his version of Joker." However, sources associated with Leto deny that he attempted to get Joker canceled and left CAA because of it.[52]
Warner Bros. pushed for Phillips to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as the Joker,[46] hoping to use his frequent collaborator Scorsese's involvement to attract him.[51] However, Phillips said that Phoenix was the only actor he considered,[53] and that he and Silver wrote the script with Phoenix in mind, "The goal was never to introduce Joaquin Phoenix into the comic book movie universe. The goal was to introduce comic book movies into the Joaquin Phoenix universe."[54] Phoenix said when he learned of the film, he became excited because it was the kind he was looking to make, describing it as unique and stating it did not feel like a typical "studio movie."[11] It took him some time to commit to the role, as it intimidated him and he said "oftentimes, in these movies, we have these simplified, reductive archetypes, and that allows for the audience to be distant from the character, just like we would do in real life, where it's easy to label somebody as evil, and therefore say, 'Well, I'm not that.'"[54]
Writing
– Todd Phillips[12]
Phillips and Silver wrote Joker throughout 2017, and the writing process took about a year.[55] According to producer Emma Tillinger Koskoff, it took some time to get approval for the script from Warner Bros., partly because of concerns over the content. Similarly, Phillips commented that there were "a zillion hurdles" during the year-long writing process due to the visibility of the character.[12] Phillips said that while the script's themes may reflect modern society, the film was not intended to be political.[55] While the Joker had appeared in several films before, Phillips thought it was possible to produce a new story featuring the character. "It's just another interpretation, like people do interpretations of Macbeth," he told The New York Times.[53]
The script draws inspiration from Scorsese films such as Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), and The King of Comedy (1983),[50][46] as well as Phillips' Hangover Trilogy.[56] Other films Phillips has cited as inspiration include character studies released in the 1970s—such as Serpico (1973) and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)—the silent film The Man Who Laughs (1928), and several musicals. Phillips said that aside from the tone, he did not consider Joker that different from his previous work, such as his Hangover films.[55] While the film's premise was inspired by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke (1988), which depicts the Joker as a failed stand-up comedian,[12] Phillips said it does not "follow anything from the comic books... That's what was interesting to me. We're not even doing Joker, but the story of becoming Joker."[57] Phillips later clarified that he meant they did not look to a specific comic for inspiration, but rather "picked and chose what we liked" from the character's history.[58] Having grown up in New York, Phillips also drew inspiration from life in New York City during the early 1980s.[59] The Subway shooting scene and its aftermath were inspired by the 1984 New York City Subway shooting,[59][60] while Arthur Fleck is partially based on the shooting's perpetrator, Bernhard Goetz.[60][59]
Phillips and Silver found the most common Joker origin story, in which the character is disfigured after falling into a vat of acid, too unrealistic.[12] Instead, they used certain elements of the Joker lore to produce an original story,[61] which Phillips wanted to feel as authentic as possible.[12] Because the Joker does not have a definitive origin story in the comics, Phillips and Silver were given considerable creative freedom and "pushed each other every day to come up with something totally insane."[55] However, they did try to retain the ambiguous "multiple choice" nature of the Joker's past by positioning the character as an unreliable narrator—with entire storylines simply being his delusions[15]—and left what mental illnesses he suffers from unclear.[46] As such, Phillips said the entire film is open to interpretation.[15]
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