As a cinephile who has had the pleasure of witnessing Joaquin Phoenix‘s transformative acting prowess, I must say that his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in “Joker: Folie à Deux” is nothing short of mesmerizing. Despite the controversy surrounding its ending, I find myself drawn to the complexity and depth that Todd Phillips and Phoenix have brought to this character.
The sequel to “Joker,” titled “Joker: Madness Shares Company,” is not receiving favorable reviews from both critics and the general public, especially due to its daring, contentious ending. Recently, Joaquin Phoenix has defended how the film portrays his character in its finale, stating that it underscores the movie’s primary themes. In essence, the climax of “Joker: Madness Shares Company” is a reaction to the original film and a challenge to viewers’ perceptions of the Batman antagonist, focusing instead on the true essence of Arthur Fleck. For those who haven’t seen the movie, beware of significant spoilers for “Joker: Madness Shares Company.
Joaquin Phoenix discussed with IGN about the heart-wrenching demise of his character, Arthur Fleck, at the hands of another prisoner in the movie “Joker: Folie à Deux”. Throughout the film, Phoenix’s persona gradually accepts and confronts himself and his previous deeds, ultimately renouncing the Joker identity in court. This narrative arc concludes with a young man approaching him to share a joke, which Arthur reciprocates. This significant moment signifies a positive evolution for Arthur, despite leading to the emergence of a new Joker character. Phoenix justifies this debated scene, stating:
There’s a cozy feeling in that moment, which is pleasant. What struck me was this young fellow sharing a joke with me, and his obvious nerves while doing so. I could sense his anxiety, yet I listened carefully as he told his joke. The build-up was quite amusing.
By the close of the day, Arthur Fleck has experienced the longing to bring joy through laughter, a feeling intensified by his struggles to do so in the movie “Joker” during most of 2019. The fact that “Folie à Deux” didn’t culminate in Joaquin Phoenix’s official crowning as the Criminal Clown King left many viewers disgruntled. Given the ambiguous nature of the sequel’s ending, this reaction is understandable, as it could be seen as a sudden, last-minute twist. However, the creators of “Joker” maintain that the unexpected conclusion was the most fitting decision for the film.
Joker 2 Director Backs Up Divisive Ending
Todd Phillips discussed Arthur’s final moments with IGN, revealing how they tie into his character’s identity beneath the Joker persona. When Arthur admits his crimes and abandons the alias, it represents a significant step towards accepting his true self. For Phillips, the death scene signified Arthur finding peace with who he truly was.
It seems to me that Arthur finally accepted and made peace with the concept of being true to oneself, something he’d struggled with for a long time. In my opinion, this acceptance might have given him a sense of tranquility in his final moments, allowing him to die contentedly as himself.
Instead of asking, “The kid says to him, ‘You want to hear a joke?'”, we could say, “The child proposes a joke to him.” Regarding the description, “We don’t even know what’s downstairs, but that sort of optimism that Arthur has, that’s still in him,” it can be rephrased as, “Even though we’re unsure about what lies below, Arthur’s optimistic nature remains intact.” The sentence “He’s like, ‘Well, yeah, okay, of course’ because he knows that feeling of wanting to make somebody laugh” could be paraphrased as, “He agrees readily, for he is familiar with the joy of making others smile.” Lastly, for the line “So he gives the kid that moment, right?” it can be rephrased as, “He grants the child the opportunity to share his joke.” The final sentence, “Obviously it goes bad because, again, everything goes bad for Arthur, but I always think that’s such a beautiful moment where it’s like Arthur still has hope,” could be paraphrased as, “Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse, as they often do for Arthur. However, I find this instance profoundly touching, as it shows that Arthur’s spirit of hope remains unbroken.
One major letdown in the surprising finale of Joker: Folie à Deux is the missed opportunity for viewers to witness Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker encounter Batman. This was always a long shot, given that Bruce Wayne is still a child in the storyline, and Phillips has often made it clear he disliked the source material. Yet, it’s a bummer for fans of superhero stories who were looking forward to this interaction, despite the movie’s unconventional and thought-provoking choice to end Arthur Fleck’s life, leaving him in a state of apparent happiness.
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2024-10-10 20:31