II. Arthur was lying in bed touching himself when the personnel from the Murray Franklin show called him at home. If the document is a fake or not does not change that he would have been taken by child services for a while yet in his daydream he says he always lived with his mom as the only man of the family. Beginning when Sophie knocks on Arthur's door and is flattered when he confessed he was following her to her place of employment. Metaphorically Gotham is presented to us as a cold place, in which whatever the character does he's punished for. Maybe his madness going further? Thats definitely odd and its no wonder Alfred Pennyworth tries to defend Bruce Arthur expects Alfred Pennyworth, being British and all, to invite him in for a nice cup of tea where he can talk about both Thomas Wayne and his relationship with his mother. It only takes a minute to sign up. He stops short of killing him but flees from the scene. (Although it's unconfirmed, it's heavily implied Arthur may have also killed the psychiatrist at the end)Thomas and Martha- killed by an unnamed clown-masked gunman (implied to be Joe chill).Unknown clown - shot by one of detectives in the subway car (Confirmed by Gene at the dressing room with Arthur and Murray) Please don't kill him." He probably injured his foot or leg then. He had just called him to increase the ratings of his show by interviewing a person who had gone viral because of his weird behavior. Edit, Maybe. Later on, those protests turned to riots, and when one of them saw the Wayne family, he recognized Thomas and shot him and his wife. Edit, The film is geared to provide a more sympathetic look into who the Joker is and less towards who Thomas Wayne is, the opposite that is normally done regarding Batman's history. The movie doesn't say. Besides Phoenix himself, which other actors auditioned for the part of Fleck/Joker before Phoenix won the role? Why did Thomas Wayne punch Arthur instead of confronting him calmly like Alfred did? For example, if the movie title was changed to Depression, with no hint that this movie is about the genesis of a comic book villain, it will play out like an absolute tragedy (a live studio shooting as the city got engulfed in riots and overrun by looters). It was a different time, with much different attitudes about smoking.As long as Arthur was able to pay for his cigarettes, he would have been allowed to have them. To his horror, his conditions rears its head during a trip on the subway, where three Wall Street guys round on him and attempt to beat him to a pulp. Plus he did bring the gun in the children hospital (the same way he started dancing with it and shot the wall in his apartment) not something he did for no purpose he did want to carry the gun for self-defense even though it's a firing offense if he is caught with it. RELATED:Every Record Joker Has Already Broken. "For instance, his relationship to Sophie is a fantasy to him. VASPKIT and SeeK-path recommend different paths. 1) It's later, as the building appears to be Arkham. It's also a callback to the first friendly moment he had (or imagined having) with her, when they commiserate about how bad it is to live in an old building with problems like an erratic elevator, and she makes the gesture as a self-revealing way to show how sick of it she is. Arthur and his mother live in poverty, so how could they afford to own both an answering machine and a videocassette recorder? Arthur was denied access to his mother's medical records by a black clerk -- those files revealed Arthur's adopted status. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Who is Arthur's father in the movie or comic? This means that no one really knows where he came from and this gives an aura of mystery to the character. We never see him eat, but we do see him feed his mother, and eat nothing himself. Worse, he finds out that Penny Fleck allowed one her boyfriends to abuse him. Note also that scenes with Randall and Arthur always showed Randall towering over the skinny Arthur. Privacy policy. Right from the start, the manner in which Arthur behaves and how he imagines himself are constantly and consistently at odds. This is where we go from feeling sorry for him to seeing him as the psychopath he is. | Millions of Indonesian parents abandoned a measles vaccine in 2018 when it was declared haram. Does the Joker kill Gambol in The Dark Knight? This is an indictment of American television and the mind-numbing incessant sameness of every day's formulaic show -- a conformity of First Amendment rights to people's sense of propriety. It's a form of rebirth. Since this movie takes place through Arthur's eyes, and he is shown to be a far from reliable and unbiased observer, however, one might do well to take these opinions with a grain of salt. He recognizes Thomas . Murray was, hoping for something similar. This shows us that it is not an imagination of Arthur or a misinterpretation but rather that Randall is fully aware of his role in handing the gun over to Arthur.Most of these contacts are also contrasted by Gary. It could also be interpreted it as him threatning her if she told anyone he was in her apartment.At that point he probably was thinking of committing a suicide. Why didn't Murray have Arthur frisked for weapons near the end? Edit, The steep stairs are connected to Shakespeare and Anderson Avenues at West 167th Street in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, New York City. The fridge can be seen as a womb of sorts, with Arthur climbing inside taking the fetal position and emerging anew as Joker. Even then Randall takes advantage of the good nature of Arthur by talking him into taking the gun. Perhaps even he wanted to end her suffering? At the beginning of the film they're both shown to be good enough friends that they joke together. Is Thomas Wayne considered an antagonist in this film? Arthur's been told his mother is delusional and maybe he doesn't want to accept that and live with that? Arthur starts to get ready for his appearance on Murray's show and paints his face white. He probably didn't believe Arthur and assumed that he misplaced or broke the sign. Moreover, these three deaths were trophy kills for Arthur as he openly talked about them, almost as if he was claiming credit. The inside of a fridge is not only cold, but it is dark and relatively sound-proof. Edit, It made a lot of money so probably. Edit, The first instance of him staggering is after kicking a trash can. So, the body count question: How many people did the Joker really kill? With that in mind we now take a look at the 10 worst things Arthur does throughout the movie to turn him not just into a bad person, but Gotham City's feared Clown Prince of Crime. In Joker (2019), why did Randall give the Joker the gun? Take that scene in the bathroom between Arthur and Thomas Wayne. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. However there are many clues to allude that Thomas is his father, including the photo of a young penny signed "T.W." And Arthur could presumably have bought more ammunition in the days between first getting the gun and killing Murray.There is also the possibility that the events of the subway killing happened differently than as portrayed. Edit, He was just doing his job. Edit, You can see that Murray himself does little goofy dances all the time during his show and Arthur sorta seems to have taken that trait from him. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. After this we see Joker's face in frustration. | Meanwhile, Murray was doing what he was best at. While Fleck doesnt do anything particularly bad, hes creepy throughout the showdown. Arthur even makes it very clear on the show that Murray was replaying his video to make fun of him and that's why he calls Murray "awful."3.) Then he claimed Arthur wanted to buy it. It might all be a lie and that he accepted the abuse claim since he got tired of her.2.) And Joker unlocked the door for him and then kissed him on the head. Also because there were no cameras and no reliable witnesses to confirm the identity of the suspect. During his appearance on Franklin's show, Joker tells cruel, unfunny jokes that elicit groans from the audience and a verbal scolding from one of his fellow guests. Edit, The pillow is crushing the tube, probably the nose too. Did he imagine killing Randall and letting Gary the midget go? Jonathan "Black Jack" Randall was the key antagonist in the first three seasons of Starz series Outlander. PS: Because if things didn't fall into place, the director would have no way to make arthur fleck the joker, and justify the name of the movie Cookie Notice A film about the past of the Joker we see in The Dark Knight (often theorised to have been a veteran, based on some of his actions) would even be great. Edit, There is every indication that the whole thing was in Arthur's head. But there is something a bit off with this scene. Could it be possible that Arthur didn't want Penny to be his mother? Edit, Very likely in a shop or store. Exactly what kind of illness/disorder was Arthur suffering from? The police are pretty sure that Arthur did it, but they don't have confirming evidence yet, and don't want to be made fools because they caught a patsy. Audiences are tricked into believing Arthur Fleck is in a relationship with Zazie Beetzs Sophie Dumond. Is it possible he has a limp due to his abuse in the past that caused him to have it? External Reviews The splattering of blood on Joker's white face paint was a very nice touch. What did Arthur mean when he said "They couldn't carry a tune to save their lives"? I don't know what Randall did that provoked Joker to do what he did. Joker is a movie that has taken both the box office and social media by storm, with the disturbing story of Arthur Fleck garnering mixed viewpoints among fans. Arthur Flecks crimes begin to catch up on him and two GCPD officers try to apprehend him during an action-packed chase scene. Edit, It could've gone both ways really. Answer (1 of 28): Arthur was adopted by Penny just to receive welfare from the government. What is Wario dropping at the end of Super Mario Land 2 and why? Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Using the gun acquired from Randall, Arthur kills the first two men in self-defense. When Arthur admitted on Murray's show that he killed the three Wall Street guys on subway why didn't he simply say it was self defense that way someone would understand how Arthur became Joker? The fact that we only see Arthurs condition come out in tense moments, and we see it as a response to this line from Randall, it seems as though theres some history to Arthur having to pay back Randall, and being referred to as his boy. A major theme in the film is the power that the wealthy have over the lives of the poor; a man like Thomas Wayne could easily cover up something like that. Through the information he saw on the medical record - and he kills her after seeing that record - it turns out that she had let him be abused and beaten up since a tender age, which would probably be the cause of his mental and physical issues. Edit, Arthur's therapy and medication are paid for by the city government. Garry was always nice to him. He lets fellow clown Gary (Leigh Gill) escape his apartment after Arthur stabs Randall in the eye and bashes his brains in. The Sophie twist puts into question just how much of the events depicted on screen are taking place inside of Arthur's head and how much are real. Archived post. Nevertheless, it works brilliantly as a metaphor for being born again. Besides acting a bit strange, people tend to pick on Arthur Fleck because of his laugh. Edit, Without corroborating evidence, such as eye witness reports, security camera footage or the murder weapon itself, it would be difficult to convince a judge to issue a warrant. Edit, Unlikely as his Joker would be too old by the time Bruce grows up and dons the cape and cowl. When Arthur confessed to the clerk in the Arkham State Hospital that he killed three people, the first reaction wasn't to call the police. (C) Even if his lawyer could arrange some kind of plea-bargain deal to get his sentence for the third killing reduced, Arthur's using a gun he was not legally allowed to own (due to his being mentally ill) would also earn him some further prison time and civil penalties. 2) It's meant to be deliberately ambiguous, him being locked up for his crimes. Couldn't he tell the cops he killed them in self-defense? It's possible he was incapable of any human emotion anymore, besides, it would seem, glee at destruction, mayhem, and homicide. as I try to mention in every answer. He was going to be the "joke" to everyone. What Randall didnt think would happen, however, was that Joker would bring the gun into a childrens hospital. Edit, In preparation for his role, he only lost 15 pounds (as revealed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon) by eating an apple per day according to director Todd Phillips. And that in that case, he made up the story that he's been adopted? All rights reserved. In a chat with /Film . When Arthur suffocated his mother in hospital and her pulse flatlined, there was no one around to intervene (assuming this murder did take place and wasn't just in Arthur's head). Edit, More importantly, we could build an entire series of films based entirely on this concept. Just when he thinks he's caught up to them in an alleyway, they smash the sign over his face. Would you ever say "eat pig" instead of "eat pork"? At the time, it would not have been unusual to allow Arthur to enter without frisking. Viewers have offered several possibilities:1.) By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Why did Arthur do the suicidal self-shooting gesture to Sophie in her apartment? No copyright infringement He could've been stalling you can see his producer motioning to him indicating that they called the police.2.) Few characters are wearing flared Jeans,Bright suits or have long hair ,these were very much Out Of Style by the '80s Setting an alarm on the heart monitor is standard medical protocol in a hospital, especially in an ICU which is where she would have been with her serious condition. Also Murray had no way of knowing Arthur had his gun on him. He cuts a terrifying figure and he quotes the Joker from the comics when he says "Ive had a bad day." Brett Cullen and Joaquin Phoenix have an age difference of about 20 years, so this could realistically be true.However, it would imply a large deviation from the comics by making Arthur Bruce's brother. Also on several occasions, the sounds and facial expressions he makes are indistinguishable from uncontrollable sobbing. NEXT:Joker's Arthur Fleck Might Not Be the Villain's Final Incarnation, Joaquin Phoenix Wanted Joker To Have End-Credits Footage, Joaquin Phoenix's Joker: 5 Times He Was Sympathetic (And 5 Times He Went Too Far), Joker's Arthur Fleck Might Not Be the Villain's Final Incarnation, Who Created The Hunger Games? His death or being dead would make more sense to him than his own life of living, OR He is one of the lead factors to the Joker going insane. One thing I didn't quite understand in Joker was why Randall betrayed Arthur so quickly when the gun was found. He didn't know that Arthur brought a gun with him, and there were several other people in the studio. Copyright 2020 Mothership. Share. But there is something a bit off with this scene. I saw Brett Cullen in this movie as Thomas Wayne and as a character in Dark knight rises. Joaquin loves the Joker. Arthur Fleck finally gets his chance to be on the Murray Franklin show when a video of his dire standup gets mocked by Robert De Niros character. Did Murray intentionally mean to make fun of Arthur or no? Can someone explain what the red footprints were at the end along the corridor and then the running about at the end of the corridor? The scene has led to debates over whether or not the entire film is Arthur's fantasy. Some fans might disagree with Sher, however, since Sophie's reaction to Arthur being in his apartment could be viewed as wronging Arthur. If Arthur had been abused so badly as a kid by his mom and her boyfriend, then why doesn't he remember, and why wasn't he taken away from her by child protective services? Edit, Four possibilities:1) It's to show how escape has become hard for Arthur. She reminded Arthur that her young daughter was sleeping in their bedroom and the film reveals that Sophie and Arthur, in fact, barely know each other. It's possibly him, but it could be someone who inspired him, or someone who wants to be him, or any number of possibilities. Edit, "comedy is subjective", It is sort of a truism but it does fit, some people like a certain kind of humor that can fall completely flat for others. But in reality, he is painfully inept and even repulsive. The Joker sends death threats pinned to the chest of two corpses whose last names equal the threatened (Harvey Dent). Sher continued, "In terms of what we did visually to play with the real and not real, there are callbacks and scenes that mirror each other. Metacritic Reviews. This is the only time we see Joker without his make up, but the scars on his face are clearly visible. Or different Batman characters who eventually become a Joker? Why couldn't the police find Arthur after the subway shooting? Edit, She was real, but only his first meeting with her in the elevator, the stalking and her final scene in her apartment (when she questions him about his name) happened. A broken and frustrated Arthur apologizes for his intrusion and leaves Sophie alone, storming out of her apartment. 1) He is likely still sore from the jumping he took at the beginning of the movie. By Alex Leadbeater. This is where we need to look at Arthur's murders sequentially. He showed up to make sure Arthur wouldn't incriminate him in the subway murders. At the beginning of the film they're both shown to be good enough friends that they joke together. That's the true end to the story. RELATED: Joker's Backlash Ended Up Being A Marketing Trick. After his stand-up act, Arthur and Sophie's little romance was the only heartwarming part of Joker - but none of it was real. Director Todd Phillips has been very vocal stating that he and his team would be taking liberties with the character's mythos, so it could be open to interpretation. More broadly speaking, Wayne's publicly stating on television that Gotham's underclass were "clowns" like that guy who murdered those three brokers from his company (referring to Fleck, though Wayne didn't know he was that guy at the time) certainly made him seem "rude" in their eyes as well. When Arthur gets assaulted by a group of teenagers, Randall offers him a gun to defend himself, but when Arthur gets fired for possessing the weapon, Randall gives no help to him and demonstrates his true colors and gets killed by the newly turn nihilistic criminal Joker. He instead ruthlessly murders the talk show host on live television and proceeds to address the citizens of Gotham, whipping them into a rebellious frenzy as a direct result. He has expressed his interest in playing the Joker again stating that there is a lot more to explore with that character.But aside from him, Leonardo DiCaprio was considered by WB to play the Joker but he wasn't available at the time. He lifts Bruces mouth into a twisted smile in a similar way he does when putting his clown make-up on in his dressing room at the start of the movie. and our Edit, Two possibilities: But all this ends up being in his head and Arthur breaks into Sophies apartment. Edit. Comments Fincher made shows that he did not like the film, criticizing it as another Hollywood franchise film that steals from more original films, namely Taxi Driver and the King of Comedy. Edit, When Arthur gets his mother's records from the hospital, where it can be seen that she was involuntarily admitted at the age of 25 on November 2, 1952. When Arthur's boss fired him over the gun, how come Arthur didn't mention Randall giving the gun to him because he was told to have it for self-defense? He lives a lonely and tortured existence, suffering from a mental illness that only alienates him further. The first is that his revolver only holds 6 rounds maximum. Also - and this may seem like a cop-out, but - unreliable narrator is at play here. Joaquin played the role perfectly. Should we treat this as such a choice? Answer (1 of 3): No. Advertise with us ** Use in-universe knowledge, rules, and common sense to answer the questions. Edit, If Arthur didn't drink alcohol, they probably wouldn't have brought him wine as a present. On whose turn does the fright from a terror dive end? Edit, Awards In his mind, Arthur comes off relatively normal and even heroic (Arthur is proud that he takes care of his mother), but in real-life he is awkward, gangly and unrelatable. Joker doesnt flinch as he drives a pair of scissors into his former boss eye and proceeds to repeatedly slam his head again a wall before he bleeds out. Thomas, Martha, and Bruce Wayne are exiting the theater. They would have arrested him regardless of whether they believed him or not. User Ratings A key point of the movie is that it gradually becomes clear that we cannot entirely trust anything we've seen. Gotham is already a powder keg, and Arthur unknowingly lights the fuse that sets off others to take up violent action, inspired by Arthur's actions. You could say it matches the Christopher Nolan trilogy but this film is intended to be on it's own. "You've always been nice to me." After all, Arthur's delusions invent an entire romantic subplot that turns out to have only been in his head. Edit, The movie appears to be set in 1980's Gotham City, which is heavily inspired by New York in that time period. Singapore has seen over 50 years of major road projects, from the PIE to the North-South Corridor. But this only serves to bring out the blandness and correctness of Murray Franklin, who as a consummate showman, also pulls off terrible one-liners. He could have gotten them through a visitor of another patient, or perhaps even through a cigarette vending machine at the hospital. Cookie Notice Was Sophie actually a real person, or was she just all just in Arthur's head to begin with? Privacy Policy. Why does Robert De Niro's character not scream for security or run off set when he realizes he is sat next to a psychopathic killer. | He was an 18th-century military captain in charge of His Majesty's Eighth Dragoons. Phoenix revealed that is the standard way he loses weight for a role.It is not uncommon for dedicated actors to go through seemingly extreme weight loss for a part (former Batman Christian Bale in 'The Machinist' for example) .Because of the costs involved with making these films ,insurance requirements & partly due to Heath ledgers death after previously playing the Joker, the Physical & mental wellbeing while under contract is monitored very closely by the production companies involved. Randall is shown to be so concerned for Arthur's well-being after he gets beaten that he gives him the firearm to defend himself. Poor Gary wanted to get the hell out of there and couldn't reach the lock and he had to ask Arthur for help. WARNING: Major spoilers for Joker. He asks several times to get Arthur to confirm that he's the killer. How to combine several legends in one frame? Arthur gets away with it, too, with it presumed that doctors believed she died as a result of her stroke rather than anything much more sinister. The Joker famously said in "The Killing Joke" that his origin story is "multiple choice," and this movie certainly upholds that claim with a vengeance for Arthur Fleck (mostly by making him an unreliable narrator and leaving the audience to guess how much of what it's seeing is real and how much is just hallucinatory or a self-serving memory). What Randall didn't think would happen, however, was that Joker would bring the gun into a children's hospital. Edit, It's unlikely. Just like no one thought his comedy bits were funny but him. | His "girlfriend": He most likely did not kill her and just left the apartment. Like Arthur said at the end "I could tell you a joke - but you wouldn't get it. Edit, This Joker is a completely standalone non-canon take on the character. She may also have been gifted it as a way to work from home or a parting giftEdit: She worked for the Waynes 30 years before the events of this movie (although in the flashback, she doesn't look like she's living in the early fifties). Edit, The film's script clarifies that while his producer tries to end the interview, Murray refuses because he believes that it's making great television and that he may win an Emmy or a Peabody for it. Sometimes, the episodes may switch between emotional states, resulting in the patient crying uncontrollably before dissolving into fits of laughter. The Event's Origin Explained, We Still Haven't Seen Dune's Weirdest Creature, From Yoda To Huyang: The 10 Oldest Star Wars Characters. If it was reality there is no way ( after killing all those people ) they would have allowed Arthur to be in the interview room at Arkham just sitting opposite his counsellor. He . Edit, This Question, like many others, is answered by the theory that - None of it was real. Edit, Enough to make a sequel, or at least the money. Going to the police might only make things worse. Accepting that, it's easy to accept that any nurses who'd be required to step-in were just busy or neglectful/incompetent. Who is never mean to Arthur and is treated rather mean by by everybody (even (maybe unintentionally) Arthur). Here, we see Arthur struggle with his rattling laughter, trying but failing to control it as it tears through him. Joker 2019 movie scene HDFILM DESCRIPTION:Forever alone in a crowd, failed comedian Arthur Fleck seeks connection as he walks the streets of Gotham City. Fans imagine that he was hoping that Arthur could defy the studio audience's expectations, have a successful (or even semi-sucessful) routine, and have people cheering for his bravery at taking the stage. Why is the film just called "Joker" and not "The Joker"? This also goes to show Arthur's unstable psyche: He would lie about bringing a real gun to the children's hospital (he told his boss and the detectives it was a prop for his clown act), but he would confess without probing to triple homicide. If youve ever wanted to shoot your shot at being an influencer, nows your chance. Hung was a bad singer, but his bravery at taking the stage and his good spirit about the audience's reaction soon won them over.