SCABs

THOUGHTS ON JOKER FROM SCA’S JOKER – By @shein_dean

By Dean Shein

 

THOUGHTS ON JOKER FROM SCA’S JOKER

   

As I walked out of the cinema. I trembled. What on earth had just taken place? 

 

For 2 hours and 2 minutes I sat still on the edge of my seat. 

 

Having never seen a DC film before, I expected it to be tense. But this was like nothing I had ever witnessed.

I must say before we dive in that Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker was absolutely wonderful. There are rumours he pursued method acting to get into the role, and I wouldn’t be surprised. I hope he wins an Oscar…

Joker the tells the story of Arthur Fleck, a tragic clown living at home with this mother. However, as the film progresses the Joker’s true character is revealed and he slowly starts starts to spiral out of control.

 

Tension was concocted by the director Todd Phillips as I was able to simultaneously sympathise and fear Arthur. I understood his personal struggle but not his way of dealing with it.  He just wanted to make others smile, but it was clear that he really didn’t understand how to make others laugh. To me, it was his laugh that struck me. But was it a cackle or a cry? A yearning to be accepted, or something subjectively hilarious.

The movie allowed me to try and sympathise with psychopaths. To get into their world. I gained insight into a world so different from my own. Your childhood can really affect your ability to empathise with others. But the Joker can feel, he longs for love and meets a girl. He looks after his mother with such pride.

 

Overall the aesthetic of the film is what ultimately sang. Set in the 80’s, the fictional Gotham City is reminiscent of Brooklyn. I was immediately transported to that world. Gloomy clouds above and old four wheeled beauties on theb streets

 

To me, the key element of any film is its sound. Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir does the score of the entire film and delivers a stellar, mind-blowing performance. Apparently she wrote the music after reading the script, but before seeing the pictures. That’s a great idea! It allows her freedom to interpret events in her own way. 

Now, here’s the part that was crazy! As the film ended my companions and I felt absolutely wired. We felt it was completely necessary to go and debrief for the next four hours in a café. I can’t really explain my feelings after. I felt a cheeky form of rage fall upon me, not so dissimilar to feelings the joker had experienced throughout the film. 

In the days that have followed many people have told me that I look and have always acted like the Joker. And you what, I think they are absolutely right. Marc now asks me to laugh like him, but I can’t laugh like him, when I am him.

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