For Some, Joker Is An Idea

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' "Joker" (Source: IMDB)

JAKARTA - Kyotta Hattori wearing a Joker costume during an indiscriminate attack on the subway in Tokyo. He told the police that the villain character in the form of a clown in the Batman universe did inspire him. The Joker is never just a character. The story is also not just an epic. For some people, in some perceptions, the Joker is an idea.

The attack took place on Sunday evening, October 31 at around 8:30 p.m. local time, right after Hattori attended a Halloween party in the Shibuya District. Hattori was arrested at the scene after briefly locking himself in a carriage while smoking a cigarette.

In his confession to the police Hattori admitted that he had planned the attack since last June. He chose a limited express train to the city center which rarely stops because it is usually crowded with passengers. The ideal situation as he envisioned in his plan.

Hattori also confirmed his admiration for the Joker. He even openly admits his regret. Not because the attack injured 17 people -- three of them critically -- but precisely because it failed to kill a single person. Quoting Japan Today, Hattori said, "wanted to kill people so he could be sentenced to death."

Not only stabbing people with knives, Hattori also carried out arson. According to witnesses the fire emerged from a clear liquid that Hattori burned after he sprayed around the carriage. At the crime scene, police found a knife, several plastic bottles, possibly containing lighter fluid, as well as an aerosol can inside the train carriage.

pic.twitter. com/UxTWXY8ZxW

— ️ (@Master_Bird_) October 31, 2021

Joker as an idea

A few days before it was released in the United States (US), Friday, October 4, 2019, the Joker film directed by Todd Phillips immediately triggered security problems. The police issued a warning to personnel that the threat of mass shooting would be very real on the day of the film.

This concern was influenced by the tragedy that occurred at the screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora City, Colorado State in 2012. That day 12 people were killed and 70 others were injured after being shot by a man named James Holmes. It was later discovered that Holmes was inspired by the chaos described by Nolan in The Dark Knight.

There have been a number of long studies about the character of the Joker, whether played by Phoenix in Joker or brought to life by the late Heath Ledger in the sequel to Christopher Nolan's Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises.

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' "Joker" (Source: IMDB)

There was a time when the quote "bad people are good people who get hurt" sounded like garbage just because so many people typed it in to post a dime on their social media. But today, far from the euphoria of past Joker releases, that sentence seems to have found its soul again.

Arthur Fleck, in his daily work as a rental clown. In his clown costume, Arthur must dance while carrying a promotional billboard. In fact, he likes jokes. Also his identity as a clown. But not this kind of clown. Arthur's dream is to become a famous comedian on television. But the distance between reality and Arthur's dream was too far.

The first touch between the audience and Arthur's poor life is the scene of robbery and brutal assault by a group of teenagers against him. The scene immediately depicts the social rejection of Arthur's existence.

The symbolic elements in the film also confirm Arthur's misfortune. The bones imprinted on Arthur's body, his hasty movements, to the annoying laughter that arose because of his mental health problems. So clearly we see the turbulence that Arthur experienced.

Another set of context events catalyzes poor Arthur's transition into the ruthless Joker. Call it the annoying process of mental illness therapy, dismissal, to cut health services. And don't forget, his disillusionment with authority, in this case Thomas Wayne, the father of Batman, Bruce Wayne.

Todd Phillips indeed invites the audience to dive deep, understand the development of Arthur Fleck's attitude and thoughts towards his surroundings, which ultimately causes emotional confusion. Somehow, the murder of the craziest Wall Street employee he met on the subway to the death of his mother at Arthur's hands, we all understand.

This is one of the Joker's points of influence. Critics, as compiled by The Weekender concluded this film as an empty attempt to comment. The holistic depiction of Arthur leads us to the belief in nihilism.

Joaquin Phoenix as Arthur Fleck in Todd Phillips' "Joker" (Source: IMDB)

From a sociological point of view, the Joker film is seen as a depiction of the lives of people who are "impaired," as described by the famous sociologist, Michael Kimmel, written by The Conversation. These people, specifically refers to them, white American men who failed to get the social status and goods they believed they deserved. This situation causes anger.

Pijar Psychology, in an article on his website brings a more contemplative perspective. JOKER and How Much We Understand Humans, as they gave the title to the article that examines the mental development side of Arthur. There were spaces for sympathy for Arthur, obviously.

"Arthur Fleck is a picture of people with mental disorders who live in our society, who are still antipathy in understanding humans. We never want to understand their need for acceptance, appreciation, love and understanding from us which they so desperately look forward to. which will make them more meaningful in their lives."

Heath Ledger in his role as Joker in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" (Source: IMDB)

Until the jury was sentenced to life imprisonment in August 2015, James Holmes was still adamant that the perpetrator of the brutal shooting was a person with a mental disorder. However, the court remains in the decision that the sentence will not be commuted. No forgiveness.

The families of the shooting victims greeted the verdict with cheers and applause, which accompanied Holmes as he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs. This sentence is lighter than the initial demands, in which discussions about Holmes's death sentence were rolling.

Throughout the legal process, it was revealed that Holmes' attack was inspired by Heath Ledger's character Joker in The Dark Knight. This character is also filled with the dark story behind it. Until his death, the Joker's soul is said to have never wanted to leave Ledger.

In order to dive into the role of the Joker, Ledger worked hard. Citing Empire, Ledger brings the Joker persona to life by reading Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange (1962), which Stanley Kubrick later adapted into a film. Ledger also studied the figurative paintings of Francis Bacon.

Months before filming began, Ledger had isolated himself in a hotel room in London. There Ledger put his ideas about the Joker in the form of drawings, writing, to other doodles until "I finally landed in a more psychopathic realm. Someone who has very little or no conscience," said Ledger.

"He (Joker) is just a sociopath. Cold blooded clown. Mass killer. And Chris (Nolan) gave me free rein. The fun thing is, there's no real limit to what the Joker can and can't say or do. Nobody intimidated him. It's all a big joke."

Ledger's commitment is no joke. However, this deepening has implications for Ledger's mental disorder. He was hit by panic attacks, insomnia, fatigue, and anxiety without stopping. Ledger is said to have brought that chaos of mind and spirit to his death in 2008 from a drug overdose, which ironically happened within months of the film's release.

Joker's inspiration

Bob Kane and Bill Finger created the character Batman in 1939. The fellow artists and writers agreed that the Batman universe would be filled with darkness. The two even based the look and theme of Batman on some of the darkest stories of the era.

In contrast to the heroic Superman, both project Batman as a fearsome and cruel hero. Like the darkness that covered Batman, the Joker was also created in the same color at that time.

Kane and Finger are the characters of Gwynplaine, the protagonists of Victor Hugo's novel The Man Who Laughs. The novel was adapted into a silent film in 1928 of the same name.

Gwynplaine is a character who is always trying to help others, whose own life is tragic. In the silent film, Gwynplaine's character, played by Conrad Veidt, has an iconic creepy smile.

Reported by Republic World, that smile was later adopted as the Joker's visual form. In terms of story, Gwynplaine also unfortunate. He lost his father at a young age. Gwynplaine is then sold to a sadistic man, Dr. Hardquannone.

Dr. Hardquannone left a ghastly grin permanent on Gwynplaine's face. Gwynplaine then grows up to be an outcast. However, unlike the Joker, Gwynplaine never turned into a monster. Instead, he continues to do good and help many people in his life.

So, perhaps true, we are all responsible for the emergence of 'Joker'. However, there was never any justification for violence, let alone murder.

*Read other information about INTERNATIONAL NEWS or read other interesting articles from Yudhistira Mahabharata.

Other BERNAS