Joker – trailer breakdown
“If you…just…smile.”
It’s been a little over a few weeks now since we got our first proper look at Joaquin Phoenix’s new Joker incarnation. Isn’t it about time we started some analysing?
The Joker trailer was a teaser, however it did show us a pretty clear narrative for character Arthur Fleck’s journey to being Batman’s greatest enemy. So, without further ado, let’s get to this Joker trailer breakdown…
Arthur at therapy
Our first look at Arthur shows him at, what appears to be, a therapy session from the body language and speech used by the woman sitting opposite him. Joker greets her words with a smile – probably not his actual reaction to her in the film, but editing to show a smile from the future Clown Prince of Crime.
Arthur cares for his mother, Penny
We see here that Arthur is bathing his mother, Penny Fleck – portrayed by Francis Conroy. We get this with a voice over from Arthur saying “My mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face.”
With mother and son enjoying their time together, and that line from Arthur, it would appear that he sees his her as his reason to smile. The fact he seems to be caring for her? We’ll get to that later…
Arthur wants to make you laugh, guys!
What better way to introduce us to our new Joker than showing he has a comic side?
In true 8 Mile fashion, we see Fleck noting down his material late at night at his desk. With earning money and taking care of mother dearest, it looks like this is the only time he gets to work on his passion.
Origins in the 80s
Arthur said it himself; his mother wants him to be happy and put on a happy smile. We’ve seen him scribbling away at those comedic lines. What better way to blend all of that together than to take up the job of an advertising clown? This would appear to also add to the inspiration for his future calling card make-up choice too.
This clip really starts to build on the idea of this new Joker movie being a true origin story set in the 1980s with involvement from Martin Scorsese himself who acts as the film’s producer.
You definitely get a sense of Raging Bull here with the smoke-filled streets and the strip joints. It’s gritty a perfect setting for a murky tale that tells the story of a sweet simpleton who turns into a chaos-driven maniac.
The city of Gotham doesn’t exactly spell ‘clean’ as usual with it’s gritty feel, but those smoky streets just give you sense of a different time from now. Making the film a period piece already seems like a stroke of genius just from looking at this short clip.
Arthur is at the bottom of the food chain
What would this Joker trailer breakdown be without showing the real dark turn?
That sign Arthur is joyfully spinning on the streets of Gotham City? It seemingly gets stolen by no-good baddies which leads into Arthur chasing them down and then being smacked and beaten up in an alley for his efforts (if only there was a caped hero to save him, eh?). This gives our first sign that Arthur gets a tough reception from society.
A disturbing figure
We knew that Phoenix was getting into chopstick-thin shape for the role to give an accurate representation of the Joker from the comics, and this is our first real glimpse of it.
It also gives a sense of psychotic issues. What is he doing here? Hurting himself? It kind of looks like his arm is dislocated – maybe from the beating he took in the alley? It does look like he’s in some kind of locker room so maybe he’s getting changed out of his clown get up/sorting out his popped socket.
Arthur finds love
Every origin story seems to incorporate a love story, even when they’re not necessary (we’re looking at you Solo: A Star Wars Story). In terms of Joker though, it seems so appropriate and makes a ton of sense. Here we see Arthur dancing with Sophie Dumond, portrayed by Deadpool 2’s Zazie Beetz. They’re in what I’m guessing is her apartment. Could this be Arthur’s love that helps to ironically make him turn his back on society?
In the The Killing Joke comic book storyline, it is the loss of The Joker’s wife and unborn child that helps to push him over the edge and into his pit of madness…well, pit of chemicals actually, but I can’t see director Todd Phillips going down that route here.
Showing a pre-madness Arthur falling in love could add a lot to the story. If she ends up turning her back on him for his wicked ways at one point, could it explain Joker’s irrational treatment of Harley Quinn? If she is killed could it explain his fall into complete and utter craziness?
A real look at Sophie Dumond
In a diner setting, we see Arthur and Sophie enjoying each other’s company. Sophie seems to find Arthur funny (I bet he loves that) and Arthur, well…he seems loved up.
The way he looks at her speaks a thousand words (a thousand words that I don’t have time to write though sadly folks, so you’re left with the expression). Nothing else in this teaser trailer needs to tell us that Arthur is in love with this woman thanks to this one exchange between the two.
A new kind of Arkham
A new Joker seems to mean a new form of Arkham Asylum. This film seems to be giving the classic home for the criminally insane a new name: Arkham State Hospital. On the surface, it looks like a simple name change for a new interpretation, but maybe there is more to it.
This film is showing the Joker from a new angle. It is showing him as the one to sympathise with by the time the credits roll. They’re flipping everything on its head. So, if we’re showing Joker as the hero of the story, wouldn’t it make sense to show the insane asylum with a bit more of a lighter touch? Maybe not such a bad place? ‘State Hospital’ sounds a lot lighter than ‘Asylum’.
It is worth noting that we are not so sure on why Arthur is headed to Arkham. Is he going to therapy sessions there? He seemed to be caring for his mother, maybe she eventually winds up here? Descriptions of Penny Fleck do describe her as having a sort of obsession with billionaire Thomas Wayne, the father of Bruce Wayne/Batman. So…if the shoe fits…
Dealing with wildness
A truly crazy shot. Arthur is in an elevator as a mental patient at (we’re assuming) Arkham writhes around intensely. What does he do? Just stands there. He almost seems soothed by it. However, look at those clinched fists. He’s forcing himself to be soothed. Arthur is respectfully restraining himself from screaming at this guy to cool his jets like, I don’t know, an insane maniac. We’re getting more and more of a sense that Mr Fleck has grown up learning to push his feelings deep deep down…which always leads to an explosion.
A New Joker Laugh
Here we see Arthur at what appears to be a comedy club. Maybe he’s scoping out his *ahem* competition. But, that’s not what is important here.
Listen to that laugh of his. That is a Joker laugh. That’s our new Joker laugh…and it sounds pretty damn good.
Continuing to evolve
Here we see Arthur applying his make-up, presumably for his clown/advertising job. Something about this shot – the absence of the green wig and big red nose – gives a sense of Phillips wanting to show us a closer look at Fleck’s future look.
It also seems to give a sense of us watching Fleck as he actually puts on the make-up. Kind of in the same sense as the opening credits of Chaplin starring Robert Downey Jr.
Having to force a smile
A voice over from Fleck earlier said his mother always wants him to smile and be happy. But, looks like he’s now struggling with that notion. Arthur’s life is getting harder and harder, and its about to get worse…
Arthur is ready to snap
Arthur is shown on a train in absolute despair, screaming. Businessmen on his carriage see him and proceed to pretty much take the piss by interpreting his howling for laughing due to the clown costume. One of them then punch him to the floor.
What is Arthur upset about? Well, we’re assuming his mother is now in a ‘state hospital’ potentially. We’re assuming he’s finding it hard to keep on smiling. Is it far fetched to assume something has happened to her? And these Wall Street yuppies have picked on the wrong clown on the wrong day? Don’t forget comic fans, all it takes is one bad day…
Time to cause mayhem, Arthur?
This few shots would appear to be Arthur giving in to his mental state. It is kind of hard to notice where he is exactly. Is he in a police interrogation room? The large mirror gives off that vibe. But aside from that, I’d say he’s made it home and has just about cracked. Think Selina Kyle returning home after Max Schrek pushing her out of the window in 1992’s Batman Returns. Enter The Joker…
Meet Thomas Wayne
This shot is an interesting one and adds up with the shots that follow. We get out first glimpse of Thomas Wayne, played by The Dark Knight Rises‘ Brett Cullen.
As mentioned earlier, this film will seem to flip everything on its head. Good becomes bad, bad becomes good. Thomas Wayne is traditionally a philanthropist and even a doctor, but in this film he is described as Donald Trump-type character.
With his mother having some kind of obsession with Wayne, could it be possible that Arthur has some kind of grudge against him? There are rumours that Wayne is the reason for Penny Fleck being the way she is. Maybe Arthur is out for blood.
Joker or Pennywise?
Arthur seems to be starting off his joyous mission of mayhem around Gotham here. He aren’t sure where he is until…
Arthur meets Bruce Wayne
That kid? Yeah, that’s Dante Pereira-Olson. He’s supposed to be playing some kid called Bruce Wayne? You might have heard of him.
This appears to be the first interaction between the two people that are destined to be sworn enemies. Its almost poetic. Imagine if an adult Bruce learned who that creepy man was that forced a smile on his face. Joker literally made Batman smile.
As to why Arthur is showing up at Wayne Manor? I’m guessing this is him beginning to torment Thomas Wayne, firstly by targeting his son. It is also worth noting that Arthur is rumoured to be the illegitimate son of Thomas Wayne himself. Adding yet another layer to the film, this shot shows Arthur maybe taking a sort of interest in a possible half brother. Joker and Batman…half siblings. Are you buying it?
Arthur killing his jokes *insert wink face emoji here!*
So it would appear that Arthur will get a comedy gig, and at the same comedy club we heard that new Joker laugh in fact.
However, it is unclear if this is real or a dream sequence of some kind. If they want just a little inspiration from The Killing Joke, then it’s legit.
Meet Murray Franklin
As a clever nod to Scorcese and Robert De Niro’s collaboration in The kind of Comedy, the latter portrays a talk show host named Murray Franklin who is apparently a major key to Joker’s rise and actually appears to be introducing Fleck onto his show in this scene.
Is it just me who can see Joker playing dumb and then killing Franklin plus most of the audience? Why? Well, maybe Franklin plays some form of part in making Arthur’s life hard.
Joker’s influence
It would appear that Fleck will cause quite quite the uprising in Gotham City. We get multiple shots of fellow clowns causing mayhem. They cause it in a subway and also here at what appears to be a rally of some sort.
This just resembles today’s society (even though it’s set in the 80s); one sheep follows a left field trend and the rest will follow.
Fleck will make enemies
This is giving the feel of a real 80s gangster film. I can already hear the words ‘I’ve got a hit out on Joker: X amount for him dead or alive’.
Fleck is really going to show people that they shouldn’t judge by making some powerful enemies.
The transformation
What would Joker be without his initial green hair? We know that the costume in this film is not exactly traditional but nonetheless it is still nodding at something we are at least familiar with.
This shot just gives a troublesome look at Fleck as he begins to fully form into a nutcase.
I give you…The Joker
Our first full look at The Joker as he walks through a hallway with a bouquet of flowers.
What is this symbolising? Well, the Arthur we seen at the beginning of this trailer seemed weak and frail. Here? We see confidence, so much that he’s probably just off out to give his lady some flowers even though he is probably a wanted criminal at this point. Now that’s a Joker.
This entire trailer gives its own narrative. A kind yet mentally-injured man who is pushed so far into the dark that he loses his mind and unravels a plot to crush the city that hurt him and the individuals who directly effected him. Pumped for this film as much as us?
You can view the entire new Joker trailer below:
Joker hits UK cinemas October 4.