It’s hard to smile in such a sad world … – “Joker” DVD release review

This year’s Oscars are behind us, and although the Joker finally had to deal with the taste of most of the statuettes, it is difficult to talk about a failure. After all, who a few years ago would have expected a film based on DC comics to be hosted at the most important film awards galas … So the DVD release is for me an excuse to reflect on the question of whether Joaquin Phoenix   ‘s Todd Phillips painting deserves the accompanying buzz .

 

The art of promotion

Let’s get over the unpleasant, but important fact – the artistic success of the Joker does not constitute such a big breakthrough in terms of future film awards seasons, and does not mean that the festival jurors will look more favorably at comic book cinema. One can even counter the fact that this film was appreciated precisely because marketers were able to sell it, completely cutting themselves off from the character’s pedigree. Before the premiere, the production was not compared with the screen incarnations of Batman, and the story about the birth of the most famous villain from Gotham was compared to the Taxi Driver and King of Comedy by Martin Scorsese.

The comparisons were right, because the work of Todd Phillips draws a lot from the aforementioned titles of the famous director. Distancing oneself also made sense, insofar as the Joker is in fact a breath of fresh air and a new quality in comic book cinema, as it shows that we are dealing with a new trend that cannot manifest itself in completely different genres. Yes, last year was marked by superhero diversity, as evidenced by: the twisted Doom Patrol , kept in the convention of the Shazam family comedy ! or finally the pompous MCU culmination in the form of Avengers: Game Over. All these images, however, were to some extent derived from action cinema schemes. Then the Jokerhe drives in all white and throws the audience’s habits into the bin. This is because we are dealing with the first attempt to transfer DC’s heroes to a full-blooded drama and thus get closer to comics where juggling genres has already become something normal.

Welcome to society

Well, it is worth noting that the Joker cut off from the source material, in fact, only on the promotional level. Perhaps a bit in spite of it, but Phillips keeps tossing up references to classic Batman stories. No wonder, since many of them torn off the genre clasps that we equate with the stories about the dark knight of Gotham. In fact, the main plot of the film is largely based on themes borrowed from Alan Moore’s Killing Joke , an attempt to prove to viewers that a “bad day” can strike people extraordinarily and drive them crazy.

This is the situation for Arthur Fleck – a lonely man working as a subordinate clown, but dreaming of a great career. The obstacle, however, is omnipresent rejection. Due to the difficult past, the protagonist only lives with his ailing mother, and he has to deal with mental ailments himself. This, on the other hand, brings with it stigma – after all, you can easily take it out on a weak person with impunity. The catalyst for the drama is the closure of a public facility, which is the only place for Arthur where he could count on any help. Deprived of this support, he has to collapse in the end, and even a one-time desperate action has consequences that slowly push Fleck to be reborn as the title Joker.

Although it may seem that the evil pouring out of the screen is exaggerated, it should be remembered that we are dealing with a parable, not always literal (see: metaphorical, undefined disease of the protagonist). And it must be remembered that the process of falling into madness and entering the path of crime was illustrated in an exceptionally suggestive way. There are practically no classic action scenes here, but the film does not lack moments that are terrifying and not easy to perceive. However, this is not a cheap shock intended to arouse the viewer’s attention, but a skilful narrative procedure that harmonizes with the general, exceptionally depressive tone of the production.

Concert performance

Unfortunately, when it comes to scripting and directing, not everything always works out as it should, and Phillips, who breaks with his comedic achievements, tries to tell a lot about what subtlety suffers from. Fortunately, the moments when the work of the creator leaves something to be desired are successfully saved by the rest of the fantastic team. Everyone probably knows this by now, but I will repeat it again – Joaquin Pheonix’s creation is simply brilliant. It is a very “physical” role, so the actor was able to cover the shortcomings of the script with mesmerizing energy. Pheonix interprets the Joker and his characteristic behavior in a completely different way than the already iconic Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger. The hero’s laughter is especially remembered. There is no maddening joy in him, only despair. Robert De Niro also makes a good appearance in the cameo role of comedian Murray Franklin. It is a pity, however, that Frances Conroy who plays the role of Arthur’s mother is so often overlooked. There may not be much of it on the screen, but it is one of the driving motives in the story, and when it does, it looks poignant.

The real pearl of the film is Hildur Guðnadóttir. The Icelandic composer proposed a mysterious, depressing and even disturbing soundtrack, which may evoke some associations with her works created for the needs of Chernobyl . However, he uses slightly different means, reaching for strings much more often.

The visual beauty of the Joker also needs to be rendered . Settling the action in the poor Gotham City district of the 1970s was a bull’s eye. The atmosphere of hate and omnipresent evil is almost tangible.

And the plate is empty …

Unfortunately, the DVD edition spoils the positive impressions. As in other Warner Bros. movies, after inserting the disc into the drive, only the standard static menu appears. The bonus content is the most disappointing. In the case of a film such as Joker, people were asking for comments from the creators or reports on the production. In the DVD version we will find only a few minutes video in which we will see some alternative shots of the Joker entering the stage and that’s it …

On the plus side, there are at least numerous language options. The album features both the Polish voiceover and the original sound, and both tracks are in Dolby Digital 5.1 standard. Several subtitle versions are also available, including Polish and English.

Worth knowing

If, despite all the hype, you missed the Joker cinema screenings , then you have a great opportunity to catch up. Even a poor DVD release won’t make it one of the most interesting movies of the last year. I don’t even mean all the media coverage associated with attendance at festivals and awards, but the very concept of using the popular superhero license to tell a moving story about social insensitivity, rejection and a desperate road to madness. At the same time, the film does not escape into a moralizing attempt to unequivocally indicate who is really evil, and prompts the viewer to look deeper into the characters and ask a more appropriate question: “Where does evil come from?”