From Capes to Crusades

The Joker truly apprehends the underlying thoughts of a classic super villain but is it a bit of overkill?

From+Capes+to+Crusades

Parker Porter, Staff Writer

 

While sitting in the theater, I had a very hard time watching a villain we’ve come to have sympathy for, gruesomely murder multiple people. Untreated mental health leading to raged homicide really struck a nerve for me. When an individual who is uneducated about mental health watches this movie, it could spark them to believe that all people with any psychological condition are dangerous. But that honestly shouldn’t be on the top of our list of concerns.

Arthur finally snaps after being assaulted on the subway. While it may first be perceived as self-defense, it quickly turns to cold-blooded murder after he chases the other two men involved to shoot them multiple times. The different opinions on the movie have ranged from people claiming it to be the boldest view of mental disorders in ravaged societies, to statements about believing that the movie will cause rioting and violent movements.

The movie truly highlights the high risk of untreated psychosis and other serious mental disorders

The film has sparked thousands of Instagramers and other comic book enthusiasts to take pictures on the famous joker stairs. It raises an unsettling question of whether or not the film is causing a cult-like following.

The Joker, making its debut only about a month ago, has already grossed an estimate of $744 million dollars worldwide. Set in what seems to be the 1980’s in Gotham City, Arthur Fleck lives a day to day life as a party clown. He has a dream of becoming a world-renowned stand-up comedian. Arthur lives with a disorder called Pseudobulbar affect, also known as emotional incontinence, making him involuntarily laugh when in high emotion situations. 

The unique portrayal of an already classically portrayed villain can be a bit confusing, but this movie truly does give an amazing backstory to the insane man we all have come to understand the struggles of. With the movie focusing on Arthur’s coming of the joker, it delves into a very deep and dark side of his mind. And towards the end of the film, we finally see how Batman’s fate sets. 

While living in a society that is ridden with hate and judgment, Arthur finds it very hard to control his anger towards a lack of help and understanding. The movie truly highlights the high risk of untreated psychosis and other serious mental disorders in a quite sinister way.  With parents walking out of the theater with their kids in disgust, it raises the question; Why did you bring them to an ‘R’ rated movie in the first place?