⚠️Warning: Contains spoilers⚠️
As if my general ideas about life needed further stimulation, Todd Phillips’ Joker: Folie à Deux further justified them. I never expected to go in a full-blown philosophical direction with this take, but this one is heading there. I’ll leave other angles to those with more expertise than me.
Let me say this. No matter what lens you use to analyze it, this new musical psychological thriller isn’t “bad” as a standalone film (and perhaps as a sequel to 2019’s standalone film Joker).
There’s a lot to unpack about how this film revisits the complexities of human emotion and mental illness. Of course, it still takes place through the titular protagonist, the Joker, or Arthur Fleck. Not only that, this movie makes you rethink your reality and life in general. If it’s not clear yet, I’m focusing on these aspects.
For the most part, Joker: Folie à Deux is relatable once again. Fleck’s experiences growing up helped shape him. Being nurtured by nature itself may be a good thing. But the exact opposite can happen, as happened to Fleck. This was further emphasized in Joker: Folie à Deux.
Backtracking a bit, you don’t need to be an expert to logically understand why the Joker did what he did. Fleck’s unfortunate upbringing led to his current condition, as well as the brutal acts he committed as a result of triggers that may have flashed his trauma.
beautifully set up
And three-quarters of the way through Joker: Folie à Deux, we were convinced he had dissociative identity disorder (DID). In other words, Joker’s personality was separate from Fleck’s. It was the former who killed late-night TV host Murray Franklin and three subway bullies. Fleck, on the other hand, was an outcast but a loving and caring person who could do no harm.
The plot of the second film covers Fleck’s trial for such a brutal act. And from the beginning he wasn’t even sane, so throughout we thought we had a strong case to prove he was innocent.
Everything was so beautifully set up that one could already predict a not guilty verdict. His defense had solid arguments to back it all up. The shocking final statement would have left a lasting impression on the jury that heard the case.
Still, Fleck admitted in a moment of danger that the Joker personality did not exist and everything was done by him alone. He is found guilty, and chaos ensues once again, albeit from a different point of view.
What Fleck has done is incredible, to say the least. It’s confusing at first, but it makes sense. More on that later.
Even Lady Gaga’s Lee Quinzel ended up asking Fleck why he quit Joker’s Masquerade when it was doing so well. Ironically, it was also Lee who told Fleck (as shown in the trailer) that he “wanted to meet the real thing.”
What if the “real” guy really didn’t have the Joker personality we all thought he was apart of? It’s so paradoxical. And the open-ended nature of the film makes it an even more fascinating work of art.
Are there any other options?
Perhaps for Fleck, it was the only way. He chose to stop delaying the inevitable. He thought about dropping the pretense and finally waking up to reality. Besides, what other options did I have? Not everything else still mattered.
Naturally, in real life it’s even more complicated. When it comes to mental health issues, there is no silver bullet. Scientifically speaking, improving your overall well-being requires therapy, medication, a support circle, and developing healthy habits. But “healing” and getting to a “better place” requires an ongoing process. Sometimes it can last a lifetime.
And sometimes suffering from such illnesses can hurt those around you. It can alienate those around us. We may notice it right away, or we may not. It’s not our fault. But at the same time, people suffering from mental illness themselves will come to realize that they must play an important role if progress is to be made.
To some extent, by the same logic, Fleck sees those gathered behind him committing acts of violence, and even sees Lee affected by the Joker’s appearance, and stops and eventually realized that he needed to take responsibility for all his actions. That’s even considering his upbringing and the trauma it caused him.
Unfortunately for him, there was no escaping his situation after everything that had already happened, as he was eventually killed inside Arkham Asylum. It’s purely sad. It’s tough. But it’s also a reality for most of us.
unfair and paradoxical life
Under Fleck’s transcendence, one might wish there was a level playing field from the beginning. The truth is, most of us don’t have the same luxury either. Furthermore, most, if not all, people who suffer from mental illness do not have a mental illness.
Fleck came to understand reality. I also don’t say “accept” or “accept” because both sound forced in this context. No matter how unfair it was to him and how he knew he was already in a no-win situation.
And for most of us, it takes a while before we realize how unfair this world is and how paradoxical it can be. For some, it can be a very tough situation from which they can’t get out, as was the case with Fleck. Just imagine how many real-life Arthur Fleck’s there are.
It doesn’t mean you can’t win at life anymore or live a more ideal reality. It also doesn’t mean that someone with a mental health problem can never “fully” heal or overcome it.
But that’s not a guarantee either. And “Joker: Folie à Deux” confronts us with this truth. Strictly defined, this is neither a musical nor a comic book/superhero story. This is an unfair and paradoxical way of looking at the reality of life. Sometimes you have no choice and run away.
If so, how do we accept life? Maybe I shouldn’t have seen this movie.
But what options do I have?
look? It makes me think.
