Joker

Did You Know?

• Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal of Arthur Fleck earned him numerous awards, including the Oscar for Best Actor at the 2020 Academy Awards.
• The film was inspired by Martin Scorsese’s films like Taxi Driver (1976) and The King of Comedy (1982), which influenced the film’s dark, character-driven narrative.
• Joker was a box-office success, grossing over $1 billion worldwide, making it the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time at the time of its release.
• Todd Phillips, the film’s director, co-wrote the screenplay with Scott Silver, aiming to create a grounded and realistic portrayal of the character’s transformation.
• The film explores themes of mental illness, poverty, and social inequality, drawing comparisons to real-world issues and sparking debates about the portrayal of these topics in film.
• The score for Joker, composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir, won the Academy Award for Best Original Score, adding to the film’s critical success.
• Arthur Fleck’s iconic Joker laugh was created by Joaquin Phoenix himself, and it was based on a medical condition called pseudobulbar affect (PBA), which causes uncontrollable laughter.
• Joker is set in an alternate version of Gotham City, without direct connections to the broader DC Extended Universe (DCEU), making it a standalone film.
• The film’s cinematography, particularly the use of close-up shots and long takes, plays a significant role in portraying the isolation and inner turmoil of Arthur Fleck.
• The film’s controversial themes and its portrayal of violence led to polarized reactions, with some praising its depth and others criticizing its approach to sensitive topics.