I recently went to see the new “Joker” movie, and I absolutely loved it. It’s very dark and certainly shocking at times, but it added a lot to the Batman Universe (if you’re a fellow Batman lover I highly recommend seeing it), and overall delved into problems that we face in the real world. This movie tackled mental health in a very interesting way- and you all know how much I love that topic.
I do not know if the directors of the movie intended to send any sort of message about mental health or not, but what I took away from the movie certainly hit home. I don’t want to spoil the movie for anyone, but more or less, it depicts how the joker went from being a semi-normal member of society who was struggling with a difficult medical condition and challenging familial situation to the unhinged villain we all know him as. Many of the steps that took him from normal Arthur to full blown Joker involved a series of misunderstandings, insensitivities, and direct abuses of the mental health condition he was facing. There was an overall absence of an adequate system and environment to support what he was handling, stemming from every area of life, including governmental programs, general attitudes towards mental health, and familial and social dysfunction. This eerily mirrors a lot of the problems that I’ve witnessed, and personally experienced, in facing a spectrum of mental health issues within our society. The movie takes a lot of the genuine realities we face when handling mental health and spins them into a much darker context, but it’s not always hard to feel like it would take all that much to push us over the line into a joker-esque dystopia. This is simply food for thought that I encourage you to consider, starting with actually seeing the movie and actively trying to have empathy for the situations Arthur finds himself in.
I’ve heard some controversy over the movie in the context of the complaint that the movie inaccurately portrays mental health in a way that is to the detriment of those of us who actually face mental health conditions. I don’t agree with this sentiment, as even though this movie certainly took the negative outcomes of poor mental health to the extreme, it highlights some very real aspects of what it is like to be mentally ill in a culture that does not inherently support or understand these kind of issues. It shows how easy it can be to feel insane or hopeless when there is an overwhelming lack of empathy for the situation that you find yourself in, and even though it does dramatize this aspect, it still highlights a very real, overlooked reality that many people face. There is no singular experience for struggling with mental health, and although it appears (from statistical analyses) that most people do not experience mental health struggles to the extremes of what the Joker faced, or to the point of hospitalization, the movie calls attention to some sobering realities: that we have a long way to go with education on mental health, as well as with support for mental health programs and the individuals who need these services. We are in need of a very large, overall attitude shift in this culture with how we handle all versions of mental health deviations. The way we so much as think about mental health has the capacity to literally be life changing.
I highly encourage you to go see the movie if you have not yet done so, and I also highly encourage you to examine how you personally interact with facets of mental health support, and how we can incorporate better attitudes and policies into our communities.
Hi Ellen,
Thanks for your insight and commentary on Joker! I went and saw it the night it came out at College 9 and besides being on the edge of my seat nervous about what heinous act Arthur Fleck might commit next, I was also torn within despising him and sympathizing with him. Especially early on in the movie, the way Fleck was treated by his society due to uncontrollable circumstances was certainly a bit upsetting. I felt that the overall production of the movie allowed for audiences to kind of shape a more layered opinion of Fleck rather than a straightforward negative impression. I really enjoyed the movie and am glad you did as well!
– Ninad
Ellen,
Thanks for your take on this. I’ve been watching far too many Joker scenes without having actually seen the movie – I need to go and see it. I love movies re: this topic, especially when they get the message right – and it seems like you believe they have.
I hope you’re doing well! Have barely seen you this semester, and hope life is spectacular and nursing school is a breeze (although I know much better than that – I hope you’re thriving and surviving).
– Cory
Hi Ellen!
I am glad you had a positive experience with Joker and found something you can relate to within it. I have to disagree with some of your points though. In several articles surrounding the film, it has been addressed that the director Todd Phillips and the co-writer had very muddled ideas about what the messaging in Joker was supposed to be. In terms of the mental health aspect, I would have to argue that overall the movie was much less about trying to depict mental health and all that surrounds it and much more about finding “in your face” ways to get the audience to feel sorry for Arthur which we see for the majority of the film.
I would also argue that it can get dangerous in talking about a violent white male’s problems being blamed on society neglecting him (which was another opinion raised about the film given the times). There was also another issue that some of the key figures of Aurthr’s neglect where p.o.c. i.e. the woman on the bus, his social worker, his love interest, the mental health record keeper (trying to stay as vague as possible so no spoilers). Also, the crude little people jokes were a bit out of touch in my opinion.
Just for a film major rant, I would say a general feeling among filmmakers was that the writing was quite sloppy considering most of the plot is fed to us through very half-baked/ static characters. This was quite disappointing to see considering that most of the cast are powerhouses in the realm of acting. Also, some of the “shock factors” can be predictable or narratives that did not necessarily click (in particular with the mom). A big criticism was that the film is very much a blatant grab from “King of Comedy” and “Taxi Driver” instead of using them as loose inspiration. I would also argue that we did not even need the last scene considering this is a stand-alone film.
However! I would like to note that Joquin Phoenix was absolutely amazing and really committed himself in a way that was such a saving grace for the film and the “Joker Laugh” idea was actually quite clever. The cinematography (if you’re into that sort of thing) was absolutely amazing and you should definitely look into the stories behind some of the shot setups.
I do think that mental health is in the film and should definitely be considered an aspect of it, but I would say that poor direction and writing would be the reason why we do not necessarily leave the film with a clean-cut message at all. We could argue the main message was about social neglect, classism, mental health, poor family dynamics, lunacy, etc. and that, as a filmmaker, is something you do not want.
That was beautifully written. I read Ellen’s analysis and then yours and now I’m torn because I haven’t seen it yet!
Hi Ellen,
I agree with you 100%! After watching the Joker movie, I admired the way they addressed the stigmas surrounding mental health issues within our society. This movie should help to draw attention to this topic and hopefully allow society to do a little self reflection. My favorite scene was when the joker was on the talk show pointing out how we, as a society, use people like the joker for personal entertainment.
Thanks for you review on the movie and I am happy that we drew a lot of similar conclusions!
Katelyn
Hi Ellen,
Although I’m more of a Marvel fan, I will see the Joker especially after reading your take on its underlying mental health theme. I wish mental health was just classified as “health” without the word mental to remove all the associated prejudices. Thanks for your review!