"Joker" Until the victims of society acquire "kingly qualities" - Resonance with evil that touches on taboos

What is the “true identity” that created “Joker”?

Marvel movies are based on a firm idea of ​​justice, while DC movies dissolve the boundaries between good and evil and are subdivided into individual differences in beliefs. What is important here is that DC movies have a strong awareness of giving a place to "evil = beings outside of society." The composition of the villain alliance Suicide Squad against the hero group Avengers is easy to understand.

In other words, the definition of "evil" in DC movies is slightly different from Marvel movies and other works, and it can be said that the reception for the work "Joker" was already complete. This movie is by no means a jumping-off point, but a purely "orthodox" one in the lineage of DC movies.

“Joker” (C) 2019 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved TM & (C) DC Comics

If we go a little deeper, we can say that in Marvel movies such as "Spider-Man," it is "incidents" that make people villains, but in DC movies such as "The Dark Knight," it is "environments" that make people villains. In Marvel movies, there are many villains who recognize themselves as evil, but in DC movies, they have no sense of guilt and are categorized as villains by being defined as "evil." That is why the definition of "evil" is unclear in DC movies.

You might think that "Joker," which depicts the villain's background, is a movie that leans toward Marvel-style direction, but in fact it's completely different. That's because there is no such thing as justice = hero in this movie. Evil is born only because there is opposing justice. However, in this work, there is no guardian of justice, and the main character is a villain. From the beginning, the element of conflict between justice and evil does not exist. That's because he was simply raised in that environment.

As I have said many times before, the environment, or "society," plays an important role as a shadow character in DC movies. The fictional city of Gotham City that appears in the Batman series is a perfect symbol of this. In Batman Begins (2005), the evil that permeates the city kills the parents of the main character, Bruce Wayne, and triggers the birth of Batman. In all three films, director Nolan portrays Gotham City as a "microcosm of society."

"Batman Begins" trailer

In "Joker," the poverty and anger that permeates the city are depicted as driving people to insanity, with Gotham City portrayed as one of the main characters. There is no justice in the city. On the contrary, it is in a state of explosives, like a powder keg about to explode. Arthur, who was rejected by the city as a result of trying to bring happy laughter, is penetrated by "anger" and transformed, and for the first time, the city welcomes him -- and that insane smile fills the screen.

One of the themes of this film is "What created the Joker?" The answer to this question will vary depending on the viewer. However, there is no doubt that the "town" is the closest thing to the "mastermind." The town, the society, the times, transformed a lonely man into the embodiment of evil - although it may seem like a heretical existence, this film is a work that inherited the "soul" that forms DC movies.

Text: SYO

Born in 1987. After The Graduate from Tokyo Gakugei University, he worked at a film magazine editorial production site and a film information site before becoming a film writer. Works on a wide range of topics including interviews, reviews, columns, event appearances, and recommendation comments. Contributed to ``CINEMORE'', ``FRIDAY Digital'', ``Fan's Voice'', ``Eiga.com'', etc. Twitter「syocinema」

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"Joker"

Nationwide release: Friday, October 4, 2019

Distribution: Warner Bros. Pictures

(C)2019 Warner Bros. Ent. All Rights Reserved TM & (C) DC Comics

Official site: http://wwws.warnerbros.co.jp/jokermovie/

*Information as of October 2019 article publication.