After several films with mixed results, the DC cinematic universe looks like it might just get the last laugh.
Today, Warner Bros. released the first trailer for “Joker,” the new standalone film for the clown-prince of crime. The film is set to be released on Oct. 4 this year, but you can watch the trailer now:
The character
Thankfully, Joaquin Phoenix appears to be giving the Joker his own unique identity. He isn’t copying Jack Nicholson or Heath Ledger’s characters. He is also not taking something completely out-of-left-field like Jared Leto.
This Joker has an element of tragedy to his character, coupled with the growing negativity oozing from Gotham City.
For the first time since Tim Burton’s 1989 film “Batman,” the Joker will be getting a backstory on the silver screen. His true identity in this film will be a failing comedian named Arthur Fleck.
Fans may be turned off by adding a backstory to the character (shrouding him in mystery is the usual treatment). However, the Joker himself gave a bit of insight into his character in the graphic novel “Batman: The Killing Joke.”
“Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another. If I’m going to have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice.”
Basically, you should accept the film as one interpretation of how the Joker went mad, rather than the universal truth.
The story
The beginning of the movie looks like it’s gonna be pretty bleak for the Joker. From being harassed at work to being beaten on the subway, it’s not hard to see why the harlequin eventually takes his rage out on Gotham.
Along with beatings from criminals of Gotham, we get several other ideas of what might lead to Joker’s breaking point.
A scene featuring Joker washing his mother’s hair in a bath shows that he has a very close relationship with her. His mother doesn’t appear to be the only woman in his life, as Joker also has a female therapist and a female friend/love-interest.
In one iteration of the Joker, a contributing factor to his insanity was the untimely death of his wife. Though the trailer doesn’t hint at an ill fate for the women in Joker’s life, one bad day for them might be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
As Joker said in “Killing Joke,” “All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That’s how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day.”
Along with seeing a therapist, Joker appears to make an attempt to maintain his sanity. In one shot, we can see Joker walking towards Arkham Asylum.
The asylum is infamous for making the criminally insane even more insane. If you don’t believe us, there are several video games about the asylum’s impact on Gotham. We love them so much that the games topped our list for the best superhero games ever.
We didn’t get to see any footage of the Joker committing crimes. We did get a hint to the fact that the Joker will attract a following. This is shown in one scene where several Gotham citizens parade the streets in clown masks.
DC has recently struggled with dark storytelling. The dark tones the writers hope to capture have not fit the plot or characters in the films. The Rotten Tomatoes scores for “Suicide Squad” and “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” are evidence of that.
We hope that “Joker” finds the balance that DC has been hoping to capture. The trailer has shown that Joaquin Phoenix definitely has the ability to command the screen in every shot. We just hope that the writers make the story into the circus the Joker deserves.
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