Since Heath Ledger's portrayal of the Joker in Christopher Nolan's 2008 film 'The Dark Knight' was praised by everyone as the best Joker of all time, every actor who plays the Joker has to be compared! Even Joaquin Phoenix cannot escape this fate!
While watching this movie, it constantly reminded me of the South Korean film 'Parasite,' but the only difference is that the protagonist Arthur is not so lucky! The streets are filled with crime, forcing Arthur to work in constant fear, along with social welfare agencies that only provide repetitive help, and a boss who completely disregards Arthur's work situation, all of which fill the movie with a sense of helplessness! One scene that left a deep impression on me was when Arthur made a child laugh on the bus, and his mother merely told him to leave her child alone. When Arthur started laughing uncontrollably and revealed that he actually had a brain disease, the mother on the bus didn't sympathize with him; instead, she looked at him with a discriminatory gaze!
The entire film gives you no chance to catch your breath; it hits your heart with punches one after another, making you empathize with the protagonist! Director and writer Todd Phillips creates an independent worldview; he knows the audience is tired of Gotham City and chooses not to connect with the DC film universe. He just needs to tell a good story; even without the Joker or Gotham City, it would still be an amazing story that cleverly satirizes this world! Although the Joker in the original comic's origin fell into a chemical vat, we all know that falling into a chemical vat does not change a person; what truly changes a person is this indifferent world!
With a great story, the next part is the actors' performances! I can only describe Joaquin's acting as so captivating that it feels like a shame just to read the subtitles. There were several times I was completely engrossed in his performance and forgot there were subtitles at all. Joaquin's hysterical acting fully brought to life a mentally ill patient! Just walking down the street, you feel an overwhelming heaviness; many people compare him with Heath Ledger, but I can only say that both are strong actors, and the differences in how the stories are expressed cannot be compared! Although many critics claim that the biggest downside is that it might stir up crowd emotions, I believe what the director intends to convey is not just how sympathetic Arthur is in the story or whether his actions are worth emulating! Rather, it is to tell us that society itself is sick! Through a realistic yet slightly exaggerated approach, it encourages everyone to pay attention to and value our society, with a touch of cautionary message, which is what this film aims to express.
