Joker movie: The one problem with Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker movie has been met with critical acclaim. Fans and critics have praised Phoenix’s acting and the movie itself. However, an exclusive chat with Professor Chris Murray, the UK’s only professor of Comics Studies, has revealed an issue which could befall the movie.

Professor Murray revealed how for many, origin stories for villains can be “a lot less satisfying” than when we find out the origins behind a hero.

Asked about origin stories for villains in relation to the new Joker movie, he said: “Origin stories for villains are usually a lot less satisfying and mythically resonant than hero origin stories.

“A story that sets up a lifelong mission and ethic of self-sacrifice is compelling, but supervillains rarely have a compelling origin story that works in a similar fashion.

“Plus, whatever course they have set themselves on has to be able to survive near continual frustration at the hands of the superhero.

“So, villain origins often benefit from ambiguity.”

Professor Murray, one of whom’s specialist subjects is the work of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland, also expressed why The Killing Joke’s ‘origin story’ for The Joker is instead an example of how the relationship between Batman and Joker should play out, as well as a way to help the reader better understand Batman.

He added: “What [Alan] Moore and [Brian] Bolland achieve in The Killing Joke is a vision of the Batman-Joker relationship as perversely co-dependant.

“In the relationship between hero and villain that is set up here the Joker becomes integral to Batman’s sense of self, and his world.

“That works well, especially the ’one bad day’ line, which really put its finger on what makes Batman tick, and uses his relationship with the Joker to underpin this.”

The Joker’s back story in The Killing Joke is believed to be the model for Phoenix’s Joker story, as it sees a failing stand up comedian who turns to a life of crime.

But in this version, The Joker turns to crime to support his wife and unborn child, who sadly die in a household accident.

Then, when one of his crimes goes wrong, he jumps into a vat of chemical waste to escape Batman.

As a result, he is disfigured so badly that, along with the trauma of his family dying, it leads him to become The Joker.

While this is not the story of The Joker told by director Todd Phillips, Professor Murray said The Killing’s Joke’s origin story for The Joker does not particularly help us understand him better.

He added: “The details of The Joker’s former life and the trauma that leads him to his life of crime don’t add much to a nuanced understanding of The Joker, as supervillains are still pretty odd in terms of their motivations, but it does add a layer of complexity to Batman’s origin, showing that he could have become a villain just as easily as a hero, but he took another path.”

It seems that Batman’s origins are the ones which really interest people, as they are regularly retold in various series and movies, including recent prequel series Gotham.

Even in Joker, the audience sees Batman’s origins right at the end of the film, when a criminal intent on chaos kills Bruce Wayne’s mother and father, Martha and Thomas, after seeing The Joker as inspiration.

Professor Murray is involved with the Comics on the Underground initiative that Marvel is running, where they are teaming up with Books on the Underground, leaving free comics in public transport and in public places across the UK to be found, enjoyed and shared by readers.

He added: “This celebrates some of the most historically important and influential Marvel stories over its 80 year history, with an emphasis on stories that emphasise inclusion, diversity and social justice.”

Marvel and DC Comics have shaped some of our favourite films – and hopefully there will be plenty more to come.

Joker is in cinemas now