Student Film Reviews

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1. Paris White 07.30.20 / 3pm

   This was a wonderful film and it was a different take on the Joker franchise. I really liked your review and you were right about the energy of the film, that it brought out a sadness and depressing feel after watching it. You were able to summarize the film well and mentioned the later plot points which were very good. Like you said in the review the mental illness progressed throughout the film and it showed the main character decent into madness. The visuals elements, the sound, and the mise-en-scene captured the downfall of the society and the mental state of Arthur. This was a great and very intruinging film and it kept th views engaged the entire time. Great review!
2. Gabrielle Jose 07.31.20 / 10pm

   This was a very mind opening and unique film. Many people went in expecting to see the Joker and Batman go at it, but this film is the Joker’s backstory. This film brings to light the topic of mental health, which I admire. The mise-en-scene in the film is outstanding, especially in scenes involving multiple clowns and the riots. Lighting plays alongside the other visual elements accurately portray the mental health decline of Arthur.
3. Anthony Bui 09.05.20 / 11am

   Joker was an amazing film that is also an eye-opener for many people. We get to see the growth of Arthur and understand why he eventually is pushed to his limit and becomes Joker. I think this review was spot on, especially with regards to Fleck’s motivations.
4. Elena Marcovici 10.01.20 / 12pm

   The Joker was an amazing film and I agree with what you said about it being dark, depressing, and a study of character. This movie brings awareness to mental health and the effects it has on an individual. The mise-en-scene and editing in this film is incredible. It turns the Joker, a murderous and dark character into something unimaginable. I had such high expectations for this film and it definitely exceeded those. While this is the same character that has been played in many Batman movies, the way Joaquin Phoenix portrayed this character and the way it was directed gave it a very different and deeper perspective than I have seen from the past.
5. Daniel Juan 10.04.20 / 6pm

   The Joker was one of the best films that I’ve seen and I agree with your statements about how dark, depressing, and the construction of one of the most well known villain’s was displayed. The mise-en-scene of this film fits the comic description very well with a gloomy, impoverished Gotham setting run by corrupt rich people. The costume of the joker also fits well with the origin of the villain which gives us a traditional feel. And the summarization of the plot points from the film give us more context on the transformation of Arthur Fleck to the Joker. I enjoyed your review for Joker and I also want to applaud Joaquin Phoenix for doing an amazing job on playing Joker.
6. Allana Baker 10.14.20 / 6pm

   The film Joker was one of the most memorable films I have seen. With Batman being such a huge franchise, it was about time the Joker got his spotlight, however this was not the way I would have expected it to go. With that being said, I think the backstory of the Joker with little to no ties or mention to the Batman franchise was smart and what made this movie its own story. This was not the action movie I would expect, but rather focused more on the psychological and critical perspective. Joker looked at corruption in society, mental illness and injustices. This movie was a heavy topic and not exactly a pleasurable movie to watch. It tore at your heart strings, twisted your mind and created a new perspective for the Joker. In a way, it helped the audience understand why he is the way he is. Overall I think this film is not an easy watch but if you can get through it, you will appreciate the production and Joker much more.
7. Ulises Flores 10.14.20 / 8pm

   The joker performances never disappoint, Arthur fleck aka the joker was a great character. I enjoyed this film especially because the plot had a real message, the film was spreading mental health awareness. The joker in the film did a great job using body language to make his traumatized character feel real. The director appeals to emotion through the joker by showing the audience his life struggles. The joker struggles with mental illness when he is suddenly cut from his medication, his problems only get worse. I was sympathizing with the joker although he murdered someone in the film because of his life struggles. This film showed me a different side of metal illness and will have a life long impact on how I view mental disorders.
8. Zach O'Hara 10.15.20 / 7pm

   I have personally watched the Joker and I would say the same thing that you did, in that it was a really dark and depressing movie. I found a big part to the create of this movie that you didn’t include was the music. I find that you gave a lot of information about the movie more than you broke it down on what techniques were used in the making of the film, now looking back having this knowledge of films now gives me a different view on the film. It was really well filmed with different techniques and aspects that captured the viewers attention. The film also had small twists in it, throughout the changes in how the Joker acted in public and changed throughout the film which was really affective in keeping the narrative interesting.
9. Cody Madewell 10.16.20 / 12pm

   This movie is one of my personal favorites. I recommend it to everyone who likes film as much as I do. I totally agree when you talk about Arthur going after the system instead of just one person. I agree that its a dark twisted take on depression. Phillips did a great job of portraying a world that doesn’t care about the weak and will prey on you if you show any weakness. I also agree that the cinematography was spectacular.
10. Sheyenne chavez 10.24.20 / 2pm

    Hello Kaio,
    I agree with the setting of Gotham, a depressing, dirty, and rundown place to live. I do have to argue with one thing though, and that is you said at the beginning he seems happy in his work as the clown up until the teenageers steal his sign. I feel personally he was instead sad and broken all along but his power to hide that behind his face paint and costume is something many people do today. Just without the paint and costume we rehearse it on our own time. This I feel is a way the director chose to show a relation from the audience to Fleck’s character. Your description of Fleck’s rage against society is very true tho and I feel this is yet another way the director tries to make this fiction story and dictionary character feel more real and relatable, which is a different approach to the other joker and batman movies.
11. Matti Vahtola 10.29.20 / 9pm

    I really liked your observation of how Arthur starts to “notice something weird in [the] city, rather not the city, but the people who live in it”. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what makes him initially start to view the world in a different light, but this is exactly why he turns on the society as a whole rather than an individual or distinct group. I certainly agree that Joaquin Phoenix delivered one of the best performances ever, which added to the greatness of the film.
12. Becca Armstrong 03.04.21 / 11pm

    I watched the Joker about two years ago when it came out in October of 2019. After reading your post I got a flashback of the way I felt walking out of that theatre and I remember how sad and empty I felt. The film definitely was dark and brushed up on mental health so I think a lot of people had a deep connection to it in different ways. The lighting of the film always seemed to be dull and not very bright signaling the sadness in the city and the dullness in the characters and in the overall story plot.
13. Morgan Haughey 03.05.21 / 6pm

    Kaio I also really felt the need for a hug as soon as I left the movie theater. It was an incredible film, but the darkness in the Joker and the city left me feeling almost sad for the Joker. I agree that the way the film perceives him almost tries to justify the murders and his changed attitude. His laughing disorder caused him a lot of pain physically and mentally, which led him to act out against those in power. The unconventional Joker plot was indomitable and not at all what I had expected walking into the dark theater. All in all, the filmmaking was unbelievably created and is a great watch.
14. Cody Madewell 03.05.21 / 6pm

    Hello Kaio,

    I absolutely loved your review of the film Joker. This to this day is still one of my favorite films to go back and watch, and I remember writing my final paper in Film and Media studies on this film. This film will make the viewer really think about how they live their own lives. I remember the feeling I got after seeing this film and I’d say anyone would have felt the same. Todd Phillips makes the viewer feel bad for this broken man. I would say this film especially coming out in 2019 was more of a bit of an experimental film. I say this because it was kind of the first of it’s kind that went that deep with depression. In this course we’ve seen many different ways that film has been presented to the viewer and This film would be apart of that category.
15. James Ashheim 06.12.21 / 1pm

    This film was a fantastic telling of the iconic Joker character’s backstory. The design of the film gives it a sense of verisimilitude that can make you almost forget that this film is set in a world full of superpowers and mighty heroes. I agree with what was said about the film being dark and depressing and the use of low-key lighting in several scenes supports that feeling. The way this film tackles some difficult topics such as mental health does make it challenging to sit through at times but it is worth the watch all the same.
16. Bowen Li 06.16.21 / 10am

    The life of a clown is a tragedy. The reason why he is a tragedy, because he believes in life, that there is goodness, friendship, justice. But he discovered that a place like Gotham was hell. Rich people can laugh at and abuse others, and even beat others. But when the underclass rebelled, they were accused of being hostile to the rich and were subjected to a great deal of condemnation. In the end the clown thought he was a comedy. This is because he has come to the realization that the best option for the world is revenge. He was going to destroy the world as he had been treated. If the clown had been born into a good family, he could have realized his dream and done what he loved to do. But just because he was at the bottom of the ladder, he had no money or connections. So his ideas, his pursuits, his philosophies of life, are worthless. No one likes to be the ultimate villain. Everyone wants to live a normal life, to be respected, to achieve their dreams, and to pursue the things they love. Unfortunately, life and social class do not give opportunities to those at the bottom. The clown who represents the underclass can only change the status quo and free himself from the unjust environment through rebellion and revenge.
17. Anchal Malhotra 07.17.21 / 10pm

    I personally really enjoyed this film. I know it had a lot of mixed reviews when it first came out, however I thought the story line and character development was fantastic. There were so many layers to the story. Just when you thought you knew what was going to happen, another twist occurs and leaves us on our feet guessing what’s going to happen next. I really enjoyed your analysis of Fleck’s rage and anger, and how It is towards the society as a whole instead of specific individuals. Although this is a movie that relates to superheroes (batman), it creates a somewhat relatable setting for the viewers.
18. Jesus Velazquez 07.23.21 / 9pm

    I haven’t really watched any other film with Joaquin Phoenix other than the Joker. Personally I thought this film was really good and I’d rate it a ten out of ten in my opinion. You are completely right about this film having a really dark and depressing feel to it. The director does a great job appealing to the audiences emotions through the joker and how is bullied and completely ignored by the upper society. I felt like this film was somewhat concerned with class through some main characters. Joker was trying to point out the gap between classes and how the upper society did nothing for the lower society and he was fed up about it.
19. Daniel Murguia 07.24.21 / 3pm

    I first want to start this comment with Joaquin Phoenix undoubtedly deserved his Oscar for Best Actor, I mean his body transformation did not look healthy at all. For him to go months looking like that takes a certain discipline that many of us lack. When I walked out the movie theatre I felt somewhat lost, I kept reflecting back to the score of the movie that couldn’t escape my head for sometime afterwards. This movie and portrayal of Joker was much darker than Ledgers portrayal in my opinion. You can kind of relate to Arthur, especially when you believe society and the system are against you.
20. Jonathan Menjivar 09.27.21 / 3pm

    This was the first Movie I watched with Joaquin Phoenix and I enjoyed every single moment in it. from the dark grimy lighting to the eery sounds and well written script. It wasn’t so much of a super villain movie it was more about mental health in society. After that movie came out it got so many people discussing mental health issues in our society which I think Is great. A great scene is when Arthur decides that he’s going to kill himself on live tv and he starts dancing on the stairs. That symbolizing that for once in his life he’s actually happy, he’s thrilled about the idea of finally dying. So the movie is not afraid to take a dark turn. Another thing I liked was the cliff hanger they left on the end where Arthur is talking out and you see blood on his shoes. It’s just amazing that the director of the Hangover trilogy was able to make this movie.
21. Elsa Callahan 10.10.21 / 5pm

    This was a wonderful review. Joker, directed by Todd Phillips is a great watch. Joaquin Davis acting is amazing. It left me with quite an eerie feeling after watching. Not only is the storyline great, but it is fun to watch another movie portraying The Joker and spotting the differences in the character or a minor change in the storyline. This film has an overall dark feel to it and is pretty creepy and disturbing. However, when I watched this film, I found myself having so much sympathy for Arthur Fleck(The Joker), watching his life in the beginning is almost so sad it made me extremely uncomfortable. Joaquin plays the character perfectly and his appearance in the film is so impressive. Overall, fantastic film and 100% worth a watch.
22. Nichole allan 10.15.21 / 10pm

    Joker was produced in 2019 and is a crime drama film. The production companies of this movie is Warner Bros. which happens to be in the big 5. This movie also received multiple academy awards such as best actor, film editing, director, etc. Worldwide, this movie made about $1,074,419,384 so it would be considered a large industry film.
23. Bonifacio Sixto 10.15.21 / 10pm

    This film has the look that relates to the common person which best describes your point of having the audience root for Arthur Fleck as this perspective helps the viewer understand why Arthur commits these terrible acts. This film also takes heavy inspiration from taxi driver and is shot very similar putting it more in line with the time period its set in. One aspect about this film I love is how sound is used to create an uneasy feeling, specifically the musical score as its purposely made to feel very uncomfortable and adds to that depressing fell you talk about. overall a fantastic movie.
24. Lizbet Santos 11.12.21 / 3pm

    The film Joker was actually pretty good. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Usually I’m not a big fan of Joker movies just because they don’t catch my attention but I decided to give this one a try and ended up liking it. The film shows how Arthur (Joker) story unravels and the obstacles he had to overcome to become the person he is now. The film went at a good pace explaining more of Joker’s traumatizing moments. I ended up sympathizing with him throughout the film, but just because he went through very difficult situations does not justify his actions. Overall I recommend watching this if you’re into “dark” psychological drama.
25. Neidy villegas 11.14.21 / 2am

    After watching this film I was very impressed with the acting. The main character, the Joker, had a development from the beginning to the end of the film. He was this nice man in the beginning and then soon enough his problems started catching up with him. I found myself at some points feeling pity for the main character because of the trauma he went through and the disorders he had. The film as well follows the classical Hollywood narrative where there are different acts in which the main chapter develops into who he is at the end. The film had this feeling where you were full of excitement and couldn’t wait for what was next.
26. Brigg Busenhart 11.30.21 / 7pm

    Hello,

    To start, your response to the film Joker was great. I loved the detail you brought into it, and you showed high interests and passion for watching this film. I think this film is so important for people to watch, as it spreads awareness to the topic of mental health illnesses. The acting of Arthur Fleck, by Joaquin Phoenix is incredible. He makes the audience believe that he is living the life of someone full of rage, talent, sadness, and of course mental illness. I was blown away by his performance, truly. I really enjoyed how you brought up how Arthur begins to notice that is city is going bad, and that no one cares for the people who are like him, let alone anyone below the high class. The darkness of this movie is really saddening, and it in times can bring you down, as well as keep you interested. Overall this movie had my attention the whole time, and I even watched it two nights in a row to get a further understanding of what happened. Coming from someone who has never really watched the batman movies, or is familiar with any Joker type films, this one made me want to watch all the other ones to learn about the character Joker more. 10/10, I recommend this movie to anyone.
27. Jared Hughes 03.05.22 / 11pm

    I enjoyed reading your review but I do not agree with all of it. What were the lies? Isn’t this movie about mental illness as well and how we need to handle mental illness a lot better? I would not call Joker a hero in any way, he is mentally ill. I do not think I ever seriously took his side in the movie. He was killing innocent people, he killed them because he had the idea that rich people didn’t care about people like him. That idea could be true in our society but killing an innocent person is not heroic. So I do not agree with The joker being any kind of hero. I think the movie did a good job with the topic of mental illness and how our society needs to get better with treating such cases. We see Arthur constantly wants to be seen. He is happiest when he is goes on Murrays show. I believe his a narcissist. He is in love with himself and he wants followers. I think he claims he is fighting the system but at the end of the day he is selfish and mentally ill.
28. Kate Solano 04.02.22 / 10pm

    This film was hands down a unique and eye opener film. I liked reading over your review and seeing your viewing of the movie, I can agree about the energy this film left you after leaving the theater… shocked , depressing/sadness and much more. I felt that the message to me to me was more about mental illness than anything else, I would say that it’s more about the people we forget , someone who has been struggling with a demon their whole life and not once gets a helping hand for it because they are seen different or “crazy” and I felt this hit hard because it wanted the audience to know it’s more about showing the effects of someone’s trauma and their fragility which makes us human. This film was so touching it made me realize that it’s basically saying how sometimes the real world is unequal and cruel sometimes with others just because they are better than them and think they can walk all over the person but at the end of day treat others kindly and help others to be treated. Overall great movie and excellent review.
29. Peter Martinez 09.10.22 / 11pm

    this was definitely one of my most favorite films i have seen by far. the feeling this film gives its viewers is quite amazing the feeling of sadness, emptiness, and sympathy. I’ve seen many DC movies and this one definitely stands out from the rest and that’s for a reason. this was not your preppy superhero movie, this was a film of a mentally ill man whose hatred grows for citizens in his city. this was an excellent review, well detailed and overall well written. i wanted to touch on a topic where you said how this movie made you feel uncomfortable, that’s exactly how i felt after viewing this film. i thought it was amazing how a film can make you feel so many emotions just like this film. that’s what this film was intended for and i think it was well succeeded.
30. Denise Tovar 09.11.22 / 11am

    This has definitely been one of my favorite films I’ve seen! I agree that the Joker is going against the system and society, not individuals in particular. Also, I feel like as the audience one really is on the jokers side, not just because of everything bad that has happened to him, but the design of the film which creates certain moods. The film has a lot of top lighting indoors and it’s always cloudy or gloomy outdoors. I feel like this lighting connects to the Joker’s mood in the film. Overall, this is an amazing film where everyone should definitely watch it at least once.
31. Harrison Meisel 09.24.22 / 9am

    The Joker was a unique and welcome surprise to me. With the only Batman movies I’ve seen being The Dark Knight and The Batman, I could count the LEGO Batman Movie but probably not comparable to this, the Joker was a totally new direction. The exploration of what the Batman movies don’t show of Gotham, the state of corruption and how it affects the normal citizens of Gotham, including Phoenix’s Joker. The Joker is such a twisted yet sympathetic character, on the one hand, it’s clear that he has many issues, and with the right help, could be treated, but his actions on others makes the viewer unsettled and disturbed, from his first three murders to his mannerisms towards the middle of the movie. The ending is amazing, and showing the birth of Batman and Joker, and death of Arthur and Bruce, is truly poetic and cinematic, which is exactly how I’d describe this movie.
32. Luke Spencer 10.19.22 / 9pm

    This film was a real masterpiece. the directors truly did a great job of conveying a movie on how the beloved DC villain came to be a villain rather than just him causing havoc. Throughout this film, I often found myself sympathizing with the Joker rather than wishing for his defeat. Both the plot and the story of this film was just so well thought out and organized. everything was smooth and refined and as a result, it truly left me in awe by the time I left the theater (as you sort of mentioned). It’s strange to think that a film can be sickening and grousome but also empathetic and beautiful.
33. Rebecca Russell 10.29.22 / 5pm

    I thought your post was very interesting to read. I feel that the Joker is an extremely good movie that I think most people would understand. I agree with when you said that he is attacking the system of how the city works mostly with the society, rather than attacking individuals. He is trying to send a message by doing this, and ends up starting a movement by committing these murders. I think that the filmmakers did an excellent job at spreading awareness about mental illness and conditions people struggle with and how to approach and treat them. I also feel that they did a great job with the mise-en-scene and elements of design to make the film feel more accurate. The actor also did a great job and really made us understand where he was coming from. Lastly, I feel that the majority of what you said in your review was very accurate.
34. German Gonzalez 03.04.23 / 7pm

    Hi Kaio. You gave a very good description of the film’s tone and Arthur Fleck’s transition into The Joker. It is one of my favorite films simply because of Joaquin Phoenix’s astonishing performance. It is a very depressing film that gives a deep perspective on mental illness. I like how you mentioned that Arthur’s true enemy in the film is the upper class system and you truly do find yourself rooting for The Joker by the end of the film. The production design and costume design builds the perfect atmosphere for Gotham. Overall, I agree with your review of this great film and I think everyone should see it at least once.
35. Diana Martinez 04.19.23 / 11am

    Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in Joker is probably my favorite performance I have ever seen. He is an exceptional actor, and I believe he portrayed the role of Joker perfectly. There’s so much raw emotion in this film, we watch parts that make us uncomfortable and make us want to crawl in our skin. This film is interesting because it really reflects on things we weren’t thinking about before. Joker is not a movie about a villain, it is about who he is and what drove him to become a villain. In some ways, Joker is not even the villain, it is society that turns us into the people we are. The filmmakers did an amazing job capturing that during his film.
36. Gabriella Faramarzi 04.25.23 / 9pm

    In this film and short write up about the joker it is very interesting, I found the movie its self extremely interesting and sad. It made me sad watching and reading about the joker because everyone bullied him and he was so alone in his head. From a small age Arthur Fleck( also known as the joker) was physically and mentally abused by his adopted moms boyfriend. Later on fleck finds out about it and suffocates his mom Penny Fleck. Arthur had a extreme mental illness where you could just tell he saw the world different from others. He at some points had uncontrollably laughing symptoms even when he would cry. Overall this was a sad and dark movie but showed me a lot about society and people are selfish. one more thing I wanted to mentioned is when people where mean to Arthur such as Murray mimicking his comedian skills, and the coworkers bully him into saying he’s weird and crazy, Arthur had a urge to kill all of them, which he did. He even says to Gary “Gary you have been the only one who’s ever been nice to me” and let Gary go right after killing Garys friend infront of his face. Arthur also murders the 3 young men on the subway grain because they were being mean to him about Arthurs crazy laugh.
37. Mia Barrios 07.09.23 / 8pm

    I really liked this film it was very interesting. The Joker was about a man that got bullied and beat up a lot. I agree with the movie giving you a sad and depressing feeling after watching it. The message I got from the film was definitely about mental illness and how many people suffer from it. I really enjoyed reading your review and agreed with a lot of things you said in it.
38. Isabella Venger 10.16.23 / 5pm

    The Joker is one of those films that deals with multiple dark and possibly uncomfortable topics. Your review described the gloomy and twisted aspects of the film very nicely. Mental health awareness became more of a talked about topic following the production and release of this film. The Joker is a fantastic movie, the cinematography only enhances the viewers’ emotions. The mise-en-scene beautifully broke down the downfall of society. Arthur Fleck is the ani-hero. His redeeming qualities are demonstrated throughout. Mental illness plays a vital role in Arthur Fleck’s path of being an anti-hero. The obstacles he faces internally have a domino effect on the qualities he portrays externally.
39. Michael Avila 10.16.23 / 11pm

    I liked your view on The Joker and I got that very depressing and dark vibe from the movie and the setting. I think the darkness of it made the movie all the better kind of ironic what Arthur wants to do with the world Like how he gets jumped by the teens. These little events direct Arthur into becoming the Joker when he starts to realize the corruption and the neglectfulness of the upper class on Gotham citizens I like how your review points out that he is not facing a man but a system. I also like how the narrative is a straight path rather the viewer kinda has to piece together what is happening as we are in Arthurs’s POV and he’s not really the most sane person so it makes his narrative unreliable. I like that you said he tries to justify his killing and chaos because of the system.
40. Michael Avila 10.16.23 / 11pm

    I liked your view on The Joker and I got that very depressing and dark vibe from the movie and the setting. I think the darkness of it made the movie all the better kind of ironic what Arthur wants to do with the world Like how he gets jumped by the teens. These little events direct Arthur into becoming the Joker when he starts to realize the corruption and the neglectfulness of the upper class on Gotham citizens I like how your review points out that he is not facing a man but a system. I also like how the narrative is a straight path rather the viewer kinda has to piece together what is happening as we are in Arthurs’s POV and he’s not really the most sane person so it makes his narrative unreliable.
41. Michael Avila 10.16.23 / 11pm

    The Joker is a really good movie and the setting of the dark and raw Gotham streets feels more alive in this movie because we are not watching a superhero movie rather we are watching a mentally ill person in a bad world turning him into the villain. I like how you highlight that Arthur is at heart good because of what his mother told him but the corruption that he sees makes him change in the movie into the Joker. I like how the narrative isn’t really a straight path we kinda have to piece it together since Arthurs’s ill. The narrative becomes more unreliable throughout the movie sorta losing it in the end. Overall I loved the movie and its meaning that one event can change or break a person.
42. Sophia Baker 10.20.23 / 4pm

    This film really focuses on mental health and how it affects an individual, especially with society’s impact on it. I really enjoy this film due to the storytelling and the portrayal of Arthur (Joker) and how he battles with his mental health and his outsider spot in society. The music in this film really adds to the mood and tension and does a beautiful job at capturing Arthur as a person as well. I think Arthur’s battle with being a mentally ill person in society is also portrayed very well throughout this film and it really draws attention to the struggles he has to go through. I also like how the directors depict Arthur’s breaking point and how it affects him and eventually leads to his downward spiral.
43. Ava Hammon 11.04.23 / 5pm

    This film is my favorite version of the Joker. It shows a more realistic view of this cynical serial killer we have seen so many times before. I agree with what you say about how the movie really makes you feel for him and what has happened to him. Not only him personally but also the society which is around him. He and the world is in complete chaos. Arthur who is the Joker has suffered many struggles in his life and suffers from a laughing disorder from prior abuse. The film did a good job of showing the struggles with mental illness not only his but also his mother’s. You forget you are watching people act which is exactly what you want. The gloomy lighting and messed up environment were perfect for this film and the depiction of Joker in a psychological light.
44. Kevin Pantoja 03.23.24 / 12pm

    Hello Kaio,
    Very interesting review and I relate to the fact of how the film made you feel some kind of way in saying you needed a hug after seeing it. This emotional response to me feels largely due to the way Todd Phillips, the set design, and Joaquin Phoenix approach the film. The green tinted color grading and the trash covered streets hint not only on the current state of Arthur’s life but also the city in general. The way Phillips often shows Arthur in wide shots with emptiness on his sides convey the loneliness he is feeling. While Phoenix’s performance where he lost significant weight and often improvised created a compelling character. The infamous stair scene feels like symbolism for Arthur embracing his mental illness and accepting it. All these leads to that uncomfortable depressing sensation many feel while watching it.

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