Name: Amal Hussain Syed

ERP: 26758
Course: Eng. Gram. & Comp.
Class: 6154

TWO VOICES ESSAY

The Joker when it came out in 2019, was deemed problematic by many viewers for the gore
and violence shown in it. A lot of people came out of the theatre saying the movie was horrible
and completely contrary to their high expectations. The Joker is originally a DC Comics
supervillain and fans were disappointed to find out that the movie had little to almost no link
with the original character. They said that the movie justified violence and the killing of people
in the name of childhood trauma and mental illness. Many viewers with a traumatic past were
left triggered than finding it relatable. Some even said it wasn’t scripted well enough for the
violence to fit right in the scenes for example the scene where he’s invited as a guest on the TV
show. Why was he invited in the first place when he clearly was a madman who could pose a
threat to people around him? Skeptics of the film also argued that in the recent past school
shootings in the USA have been on the high rise and media like ‘The Joker’ only legitimize such
incidences instead of shedding light on what could be done as a society to curb such mental
disorders and their consequences. One of the most objected scenes in the film was where
Arthur kills one of his two coworkers who visited him to offer their condolences to him on his
mother’s death. Many viewers detested the ending of the movie too. They said the movie itself
portrayed the negative impact of Arthur’s behavior on people around him when one of his
followers kills Thomas Wayne (the antagonist in the film) and his wife in front of their young
son, Bruce. Just like his followers in the film, there might be people watching the movie taking a
similar negative impact and thinking to themselves that it is justified to kill anyone who has ever
wronged them.

However, it could be seen differently too. I think ‘The Joker’ touched upon a very sensitive
subject through a very powerful story. It depicted how people who have constantly been
beaten down end up sensing danger from everyone around them. While a large majority of
people disliked the idea of graphic or violent scenes in the movie, I think they were used as a
device to raise a rhetorical question within the audience about society’s role in subjecting
people to trauma, harassment, and bullying which has grave consequences like the ones shown
in the film. Arthur’s character development from just a disturbed yet sane man into a vicious
maniac was gradual and supported by events throughout the movie. If analyzed keenly Arthur’s
violent actions were initially out of self-defense until he became a menace because of powerful
and affluent people like Thomas Wayne constantly labeling him as one. Some of Arthur’s violent
acts could also be seen as somewhat heroic like the one where he shoots three Wall Street
goons on a subway for harassing a woman. This scene revises the fact that Arthur was just an
innocent happy joker with a neurological disorder, however, the cruel and harsh world that
refused to accept him the way he was, made him a vile joker. The helplessness one feels when
faced with dark overwhelming thoughts is a major issue this film addresses. This piece of fiction
is one of the best cinematic works the world has seen because of how well it incorporates a
fictional character with the harsh and dark realities of today’s world.