Hailed by critics and the Oscars, Joker is one of the most successful films of the end of 2019. Joaquin Phoenix shines in the role of the Man Who Laughs from DC Comics.
This is a new approach that Warner and DC Comics are offering us with Joker. After the more or less aborted attempt at a shared universe inspired by Marvel films, the production studio holding the rights to adapt DC comics is launching films that act independently of each other with Jokerfeature film directed by Todd Phillips. And the approach paid off. Joker received critical acclaim while amassing more than a billion dollars in revenue. Crowned with the Golden Lion, the supreme award of the Venice Film Festival, it also earned Joaquin Phoenix his very first Oscar for best actor.
However, the reception of Jokeracclaimed by critics and the public quite widely, was not without turmoil. In the United States, Todd Phillips’ film is controversial, with some critics accusing it of glorifying violence. Many believe that the reasons for the transformation of Arthur Fleck, a man suffering from mental disorders, into a psychopathic killer clown, can arouse empathy in the viewer, or even excuse his crimes. The film denounces the violence of American society and the way in which it treats minorities, which marginalizes Arthur until he takes revenge with bloody murder.
The controversy forced Warner Bros to react, assuring in a press release that “neither the fictional character of the Joker nor the film in any way supports real violence”. In interview at Point Popdirector Todd Phillips also protested: “How would we be irresponsible, when precisely in Joker, the violence has terrifying and realistic consequences? Our film is anything but a celebration of violence, that deeply upsets me. anger.” And to conclude, according to him: “by judging a work of art exclusively through this moral prism, you nip all creativity in the bud.” This controversy, however, did not prevent Joker to exceed $1 billion in global box office revenue in 2019.
Synopsis – Despised by society, Arthur Fleck is a broken man who will gradually transform into Joker, a bloodthirsty murderer characterized by his clown makeup and his insane laugh. Please note that Joker is not part of the shared universe of films adapted from DC comics. It is therefore not linked to Suicide Squad, Justice League or even Batman v Superman.
The success of the Joker film was so great that a sequel was logically ordered. Entitled Joker: Folie à deux, it features the character Arthur Fleck in prison, awaiting his trial. Between thriller and musical, Joaquin Phoenix reprises his role by playing opposite Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn. The film largely disappointed audiences and critics when it was released on October 2, 2024.
Directed by Todd Philipps, Joker won over critics, spectators, and even the jury of the Venice Film Festival, who awarded it its ultimate award, the Golden Lion. On Linternaute.com, our readers were rave about the release of the film in 2019: Joaquin Phoenix is “at the top” pat tells us. Gini confirms: Phoenix is a “genius, impressive actor”. Yoggy3 pulls no punches and announces that the film is a “marvel”. Anne, for her part, predicted that “the Oscars are going to rain.”
Beyond the jury of the Venice festival which awarded Joker the Golden Lion, the critics seem convinced. Libération does not mince its words, the film is “an inspired success in every way” where Joaquin Phoenix is “extraordinary” in this “disturbing and dramatically intense” feature film. For WidescreenJoker is an “earthquake”, “a dark, bloody, violent and relevant nightmare”. According to the website dedicated to screen culture, this is where the feature film directed by Todd Phillips (Very Bad Trip, Starsky and Hutch) clashes the most with current superheroic production, it resolutely moves away from the frivolity of films of the genre, often accused of lacking depth. The specialist magazine First is also very positive, evoking “a pure cinematic treat” which is due both to “the insane interpretation of Joaquin Phoenix” and to the “precise and never agitated production of Philips”.
Still in France, Le Monde is more reserved, evoking like all the critics the talent of Joaquin Phoenix but pointing out the essence of the matter: “Joker does not conceal much more than a collection of clichés”. In Belgium, Le Soir is convinced that Phoenix has every chance as a “contender for the acting prize” at the Oscars. Across the Channel, The Guardian is also blown away: Joker is “gloriously audacious and explosive”. The Telegraph asks a crazy question: “Is Joker the next Fight Club?”
A film dedicated to the biggest villain in the Batman universe, the Batman is in the minds of fans who have not yet seen Joker. Please note, however, that the Dark Knight is not present as such in the feature film by Todd Phillips who entirely dedicated his film to the transformation of Arthur Fleck into the Joker. The character of Batman does not exist in the film which takes place at a time when Bruce Wayne is still young. The Wayne family appears a few times in the film but the film mainly focuses on the character of Thomas Wayne, Bruce’s father who will one day become Batman.
Joker received praise from critics and spectators from its first presentation at the Venice Film Festival where the film won the Golden Lion, the ultimate award. Since then, Todd Phillips’ feature film has racked up nominations and recognitions, especially for its lead actor Joaquin Phoenix who won the acting awards throughout the 2020 Oscar race. Below, a list of the main awards won by Joker.
- Venice Film Festival 2019: Golden Lion
- Golden Globes 2020: Best Actor in a Drama Film (Joaquin Phoenix) / Best Film Score
- Critics’ Choice Movie Awards 2020: Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix) / Best Film Score
- Screen Actors Guild Awards 2020: Best Actor (Joaquin Phoenix)
- BAFTA 2020: Best actor / Best film music / Best casting
- Oscars 2020: Best actor / Best soundtrack
- Caesar 2020: Best Foreign Film (nominated)
Released on DVD on February 12, 2020, the video editions of Joker allow fans of the film or those who have not yet seen it to discover the sensation directed by Todd Phillips. According to the recommended retail prices, the DVD will cost you €19.99 while the standard BluRay costs €24.99. They are of course available for sale from the usual retailers such as Fnac Or Amazon. The steelbook version with 4K Ultra HD BluRay and BluRay is also sold for €34.99 at Fnac or at Amazon.
Is Joker too violent? Todd Philipps’ film dedicated to the famous DC villain caused controversy when it was released in October 2019. The American media Variety reports that relatives of the victims of the Aurora shooting have expressed serious concerns about the excessive violence contained in the film. In July 2012, twelve people were killed and 58 others injured during a preview of the film The Dark Knight Rises, the final part of the Batman trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan.
Seven years after the killings, victims’ families share their concerns about the Joker film in a letter to Warner Bros. CEO Ann Sarnoff: “We call on you to use your platform and your influence to join us in our fight to build a safer community with fewer guns.” If they are not calling for the banning of Todd Philipps’ feature film or its boycott, they regret that the main character is described as a depressed and isolated man who ends up falling into a spiral of extreme violence and violence. ‘anarchy. “Since the federal government has failed to pass measures that would raise standards for gun owners in America, large corporations like Warner Brothers have a responsibility to act. We sincerely hope that you will.”
Warner Bros responds
In response to the letter, a Warner Bros. representative said that “gun violence in our society is a real problem, and we want to express our compassion for the victims and families affected by these tragedies. Our company has has historically donated heavily to victims of violence, including those affected by the Aurora shootings. He then returns to the character played by Joaquin Phoenix : “Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex topics. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character the Joker, nor the film, is a validation of violence found in the real world, whatever its form. It is not the intention of the film, the director or the studio to represent this character as a hero.
Joker is one of the films at the end of 2019 to have succeeded in bringing spectators to theaters. In France, the feature film directed by Todd Phillips exceeded 5 million admissions (5.590 million admissions to be precise). Worldwide, the film led by Joaquin Phoenix has exceeded a billion dollars in revenue. In total, Joker has grossed $1.061 billion worldwide. A real goose that lays golden eggs since the film “only” cost 55 million dollars during its filming!