For me, the film has been the most special one up till now.
I did think a lot before making final decision whether I should watch it because there’re some controversies over it. I created a poll on Instagram to ask for help. No matter what you casted votes for, I’m always appreciate your opinions. Ultimately, the final result is nearly 90% of the voters say ‘yes’ to the film, so I gave it a try.
The original version is rated 21+, but owing to strict film censorship in Vietnam, audience can only watch the 18+ version without some “too much” violence or scary scenes. This may be a bit of luck in that I’m not 21 yet.
Have you ever heard of a sad clown?
I have. So many. At times, I even regard myself as one. Not really a clown, but a person who feel dead inside with a smiling mask on the face. There’re countless guys like that in reality. And that’s the origin of JOKER.
Joaquin Phoenix has been showered with praise for his exceptionally good acting, so there’s no need for me to write about his talent and dedication here. The film starts with a scene where Arthur Fleck is doing his clown makeup with a tear running down his face. Ridiculously, he tries in vain to conceal his sadness by putting on a clown mask on his face every single day in the hope of making his mom happy.
I like the film so freaking bad because it touches on several burning social issues nowadays even though the setting is fictional (maybe 1980s in Gotham city). Poor mental health, income gap and indifference among people are the main themes. Throughout the film, the only word appearing in my head is ‘DARK’.
Arthur Fleck is only one of the deprived citizens in Gotham. It’s a rotten city in terms of both literal and figurative meaning. Street is full of trash and super rats. “RAT” may imply the bad people. Guess who are they? The rich are described as the arrogant and two-face liars wearing fancy suits. They maintain glamor facades with endless in-depth conversations about life, acting like they’re trying their best to save the whole society. But in fact, they all lie. In the poor’s eyes, they’re so disgusting. Arthur’s bloody father is a typical example.
Villains are normally blamed for their crime, but the reasons why they aren’t good people are often ignored. Arthur is a disadvantaged person since birth. Yet even so, he makes every effort to be a good inhabitant in Gotham, to be a good kid in the family where there’re only Arthur and his beloved mom. He tries to hide his genuine emotion, struggling to smile and to spread positive vibes all the time. Arthur also has a psychological problem that he sometimes can’t refrain from uncontrollably laughing. And that leads to series of tragedies in his life. One of those marks his milestone, making him a hero. That is the moment when he fights back against the bullies. Obviously, when something is pressed for too long, one day it’ll definitely explode as Arthur’s anger.
In the chaotic world where the destitute are always underdogs, is it sensible to make a mess over everything for a successful revolution? Arthur, in spite of so many obstacles, still sincerely desires to bring real happiness to everyone, but all he gets is just ignorance or even loathe. People tend to fall for dirty bullshits about sex other than his authentic works. What a stupid society! Then after comes his mom’s death, he has nothing to lose. Finally, everyone receives their own karma, and all I can say is “It serves you right!”
In short, the film is worth watching no matter how much scorching criticism it has got. If anyone thinks life sucks, just enjoy the film and be grateful for what you have in your hand.
brillbro 