Making Sense of Joker: Folie à Deux’s Baffling Surprise Ending
As a cinephile with decades of movie-watching under my belt and a soft spot for the darker corners of the DC Universe, I must confess that “Joker: Folie à Deux” left me feeling rather perplexed. The first film was a gripping origin story that captured the essence of chaos, while this sequel seems to have lost its way in a labyrinth of courtroom drama and musical numbers.
It’s not quite clear who the movie “Joker: Folie à Deux” is intended for, as it deviates from the formula that made the original 2019 film, “Joker,” a massive success. While “Joker” grossed over $1 billion worldwide and holds the title of the highest-grossing R-rated film ever, “Folie à Deux” isn’t your typical story about a troubled loner enacting violent revenge. Instead, director Todd Phillips presents an unusual blend of prison/courtroom drama and Lady Gaga musical, which seems to undermine the central character’s purpose.
In the sequel to Phillips’ somber reinterpretation of DC Universe history, we find Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, confined at Arkham State Asylum before his trial for the actions he took as the Joker in the previous film. Time spent within this institution has left Arthur a hollowed-out figure, with guards like Jackie, portrayed by Brendan Gleeson, tormenting and assaulting the inmates. Arthur’s transformation is so profound that he can no longer find humor, but his world changes when he encounters another patient, Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga), who goes by Harley Quinn in this series.
In an interview with Empire, Phillips shared insights on Arthur’s character development in “Folie à Deux.” He explained, “Arthur has transformed into a symbol for many, an unwitting one who bears the burden of the crimes from the first film. Yet, amidst this suffering, he discovers something he yearned for all along – love. Despite being tugged in various directions, Arthur’s essence has always been about finding love. Our aim was to portray the most genuine interpretation of that journey.
Nevertheless, it might be the final minutes of the film that could potentially estrange even the most ardent fans of Joker. Although Phillips’ films were designed to be a self-contained project separate from the DC Extended Universe, the surprising twist at the end of Folie à Deux sheds light on an alternate origin story for this universe’s canonical Joker, who, as a spoiler, isn’t Arthur. In the aftermath of watching this much-awaited sequel in theaters this weekend, many viewers may find themselves pondering over it all to make sense of what they’ve seen.
A twisted romance
In this scenario, a woman named Lee, who turns out to be an avid admirer of the Joker and intentionally admitted herself into the asylum to meet her hero, manages to win over Arthur. This causes Arthur to stop taking his medications and rediscover his inner Joker persona. As the trial approaches, Lee, an amateur arsonist, stirs up the chaotic Joker fervor in Gotham City once more, while Arthur seems to have slipped even further into the depths of his own delusional belief system.
After a harrowing night filled with chaos at the asylum, I find myself compelled to address the jury. I wish to clarify that there exists no Joker, only Arthur. And I feel it’s necessary to share an unsettling truth: beyond the killings the court is already aware of, I also took the life of my abusive mother and another individual.
In the midst of a swift and unanticipated conviction, Arthur was given a brief respite when an immense car bomb detonated outside the courthouse, partially destroying it – a surprising event that also left Assistant District Attorney Harvey Dent bearing his iconic Two-Face visage. Fleeing uptown, I found myself on the staircase leading to my old apartment, where Lee stood unscathed, seemingly untouched by the car bomb explosion that had freed Arthur. His heartfelt declarations of love fell on deaf ears as she made it clear, in no uncertain terms, just how insignificant he had become in her life following his public denouncement of the Joker.
Joker vs. Joker
Towards the end, Arthur, found guilty of all charges in the trial, is seen returning to Arkham Asylum, possibly facing a lifetime confinement or, as suggested by the prosecution for his crimes, capital punishment. Shortly after, he’s summoned by a guard, who mentions having a visitor and guides him through an empty corridor.
Out of nowhere, an eerie prison inmate who had been subtly emphasized by the camera in several scenes throughout the film, steps up behind Arthur and queries if he’d like to hear a joke. Regrettably, the humor in this exchange turned out to be the inmate repeatedly attacking Arthur, while the guards were suspiciously absent during this incident.
With Arthur lying fatally wounded on the floor, his attacker stands casually against the wall, chuckling maliciously. Using a sharp weapon, he then gruesomely widens his mouth into a grotesque grin reminiscent of the Glasgow smile, a grisly act often linked to the Joker character. This macabre act seems to foreshadow that the attacker, Connor Storrie (known as “Young Inmate” in the credits), might evolve into Batman’s infamous arch-nemesis instead of Arthur.
It aligns with what Philips stated to Empire before the launch of Folie à Deux, hinting at whether Arthur would become Gotham’s Joker-like figure. “We would never go down that path,” he expressed. “Arthur is not a criminal mastermind; he was never meant to be.
In simpler terms, it seems that in the Joker sequel, the character who assumed the role of the Joker during the past two films is not actually the villain we’ve known and disliked/admired since 1940. Could Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal be a surprising twist to leave moviegoers in awe as they leave the theater? Or could it be an exploration of the dangers of idolizing disturbed individuals with violent inclinations? That’s what director Todd Phillips might be aiming for.
Whatever his reasons, I guess we finally know how the real Joker got those scars.
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2024-10-04 19:08