How the 2019 film, Joker, Addresses Poverty and Mental Health

 Introduction

Mental health and poverty are growing concerns in today’s society. It seems that the rate of suicides is always increasing along with violence in impoverished cities. Something everyone says they want to do better is look out for others and help bring awareness to important issues in today’s world. One of the best ways to bring attention to current problems is through film. One film that does a great job of facilitating conversation and bringing awareness to two major issues, poverty, and mental health, is the Joker (2019). This Todd Phillips film was so monumental it landed star, Joaquin Pheonix his first Oscar for Best Male Actor. Joaquin’s portrayal of a suffering lower-class citizen of New York is breathtaking. The Joker, or Arthur Fleck, cannot seem to catch a single break in this film. After being handed the crappy end of the stick his whole life, he finally snaps. Fleck explains himself as being a product of the system and is a prime example of what can happen to people in the wrong environment. Although some critics disagree, the film, Joker, brings awareness to poverty and mental health through exaggerated settings, character development, and unfavorable situations. 

Cultural Portrayal According to Critics

Film critics like David Fincher, Stephanie Zacharek, and David Ehlrich are not fond of the political tension Joker creates. They believe the film is “a betrayal of the mentally ill,” (Fincher) “toxic,” (Ehlrich), and “irresponsible idiocy” (Zacharek). Gabrielle Bruney goes as far as to say the film “doesn’t say anything at all.” The main argument of all of these critics is that this film does more harm than good in regard to poverty and mental illness. Bruney believes that Joker lacks the representation of minorities, especially since the main character and punching bag is a white man. Zacharek hates the film so much because she believes it justifies mass shootings. Although Fincher is not a fan of the film he chalks it up to Hollywood putting on a show to rake in the cash. Bryan Alexander worries that the true meaning is hidden in the blur of reality and fantasy. Since Fleck is mentally ill, he is an unreliable narrator. It becomes confusing as to what is really happening and what he is imagining to make it through the day. This psychological warfare Fleck goes through truly makes the audience experience his mental illness right along with him. As he goes through tragedy after tragedy, the audience becomes more and more angry with the people mistreating him. It’s impossible to claim that this movie is “not saying anything” when this film is told directly from the perspective of a poor mentally ill person. This is Arthur Fleck’s story and he is telling it exactly the way he wants to because he has been forgotten and thrown away his whole life. Many people feel this way today and can empathize with Fleck. Although violence should not be shown as the solution, it is a realistic representation of how some people end up dealing with this sort of stress, especially men. If anything, this message is for people in power from the lower class as an S.O.S.

Setting

The setting in this film is the most important aspect concerning the representation of poverty. Gotham, New York is busy, dirty, and loud. Fleck lives in the slums of the city working as a lowly party clown. There are piles of trash everywhere Fleck goes except when Thomas Wayne is in the scene. This shows a very clear divide between the environment Arthur is unable to escape from compared to the luxury other citizens luck into. People like Arthur’s mother worship the Waynes and fantasize about a luxurious life. But Arthur experiences the dirty cruel city streets every day and quickly grows tired of the rundown gloomy hell hole he calls home. Although some aspects of this film may be dramatized for the sake of entertainment, the depiction of homelessness, trash, and abandoned buildings is not too far off from places around America today— especially in New York and Hollywood. Seeing this definitive difference in Arthurs environment to those like Thomas Wayne’s family is a perfect wake-up call. This offers an interesting perspective on how many people around the world live. Ehlirch says that “Joker is a movie about how fucked up people can exist in a fucked up world — a movie that insists to the bitter end that one does not negate the other.” Everyone has some evil within them and for Arthur Fleck, his environment and the people around him drug it out of him. Anyone can say that if they were in Arthur’s position that they would be better— they could never kill someone. Unfortunately, that’s not how the world works and it’s impossible to dictate how someone will react to an adverse environment.

Character Development

Arthur Fleck is a prime example of what can happen when someone is never shown any empathy while suffering from severe mental illness. Fleck is very optimistic at the beginning of the film. He aspires to be a comedian and take care of his sick mother. He’s not happy, but he is looking forward to a brighter future where he fulfills his dreams and is finally noticed and appreciated. Sadly, he is consistently shot down, degraded, and beaten by privileged upper-class people. He is so desperate for the love he imagines that he is dating his neighbor (who is the only person to ever notice him for a short moment). Even his mother, who he cares for day in and day out is revealed to have been unstable and abusive to Arthur as a child. Arthur has nobody to count on and nobody who believes in or supports him. He is completely on his own in a gloomy world where any progress he makes is immediately shot down. Arthur even takes medication, apologizes for his uncontrollable laughter, and seeks counseling. None of his hard work pays off and he finally gives up. This often happens to mentally ill people and it can be incredibly defeating. Alexander believes this portrayal of mental illness is correct, “Joker takes an honest look at the daily life of a person struggling with mental illness and the breakdown of social support for those who desperately need it.” When Fleck has expended all of his resources he defaults to violence and revenge. However, when he starts taking revenge on those who were always cruel to him he begins getting attention. It turns out that people in Gotham feel the same way he does. They’re tired of being pushed around and forgotten. This fuels the fire in Arthur that has been building up his whole life and he goes fully into the character of “Joker.” His character development is strongly influenced by his mental health, which is something many people can relate to today— even if it’s not as drastic as Fleck.

Situational Problems

Fleck runs into obstacle after obstacle. He is beaten, ridiculed, and fired from his job. While seeking help from a therapist he is informed that the funding is cut and he will no longer be able to get his medication or therapy. In Alexander’s review he quotes the thoughts of a professional in the matter, “‘It depicted how one day you have a program, and the next day you don’t. That’s accurate. And you see how that impacts the people you serve,’ says northern Virginia social worker Devra Gordon.” This is a clear breaking point for Arthur as his state of mind deteriorates with his lack of medication. When Fleck is beaten in a train by three wealthy drunk boys he snaps and kills for the first time, This is the first moment Fleck has felt in control of his life and starts gaining confidence. Having control over our own lives is something that anyone desires and stresses. Although killing people is not the answer, the rage an audience member feels towards the boys who beat Fleck on the train may become surprised at the little spark of evil within themselves. It’s so defeating that Fleck puts his best foot forward just to be defeated every time. This is important in today’s culture because many people feel this way and it is often the source of mass shootings and suicide. Bringing awareness in the form of this film can increase funding to mental facilities as well as general awareness about poverty and mental health. It’s interesting to look at the moments leading up to Fleck’s big moment of shooting TV host Murray and consider how it could have turned out differently. If he had one person to lean on or a little help from the system he may not have resorted to violence. Nevertheless, that is what happened and it came to show that many people felt the same way. This aspect of the film provides a great depiction of each step that happens in the forming of a societal uproar and challenge of authority.

Conclusion

Overall, Joker brings awareness to poverty and mental illness. Despite critics’ unfavorable opinions about the film, there are undeniable accuracies that depict important issues that are prevalent in today’s world. Arthur Fleck is a troubled soul who did his best and snapped under the pressure of the cards he was dealt. His life was truly the “joke” and he couldn’t stand for it anymore. Although homicidal revenge is not the answer, it accurately portrays real-life possibilities considering the circumstances. Phillips’s ability to build Gotham and Fleck’s character around real-life instances and tragedies are phenomenal. Even if the plot is dramatized for the sake of the film, the underlying message rings true: you never know what someone is going through. 

References

Alexander, B. (2019, October 27). How accurate is 'Joker's portrayal of mental illness? The answer is complicated. https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2019/10/23/what-joker-movie-gets-right-wrong-about-mental-illness-violence/3978028002/.

Bruney, G. (2020, August 20). 'Joker' Has a Profound Misunderstanding of Working People, Mental Illness, and Politics. Esquire. https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a29368612/joker-movie-politics-controversy-review/.

Ehrlich, D. (2019, August 31). 'Joker' Review: For Better or Worse, Superhero Movies Will Never Be the Same. IndieWire. https://www.indiewire.com/2019/08/joker-review-joaquin-phoenix-1202170236/.

Grater, T. (2020, November 16). David Fincher Calls 'Joker' A "Betrayal Of The Mentally Ill" & Explains Signing Exclusive Netflix Deal. https://deadline.com/2020/11/david-fincher-joker-betrayal-mentally-ill-exclusive-netflix-deal-1234616163/.

Velasquez, R. (2020, November 16). David Fincher Has a Lot to Say About Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. https://gamerant.com/david-fincher-mank-netflix-has-a-lot-to-say-about-joaquin-phoenixs-joker/.

Zacharek, S. (2019, August 31). Joker Review: Joaquin Phoenix Overacts So Hard It's No Fun. Time. https://time.com/5666055/venice-joker-review-joaquin-phoenix-not-funny/.