THE REFLECTION OF LIFE IN FILMS.
Empathy: A Dialogue Dissection Of The Film Joker
The film Joker, showed what can happen to a person when he is deprived of empathy. Joker is more than just being a psychopath.
2019 Oscar-nominated film “Joker” underlined some important aspects of society. If we look beyond the controversial criticism of the film, this was indeed a remarkable depiction of what is happening around us today. One of the key points of the film that particularly hit me was the portrayal of a lack of empathy in today’s world. Notably, this dialogue struck me the most:
“Everybody is awful these days. It’s enough to make anyone crazy. If it was me dying on the sidewalk, you’d walk right over me. I pass you everyday and you don’t notice me!”
In the film, Arthur Fleck (Joker) is a recluse since his childhood. He is pathologically inflicted with a neurological disease called involuntary Emotional Expression Disorder (IEED), also known as pseudo-bulbar affect, where he unintentionally laughs. Though in medical terms it might look like a condition, I interpreted that more like an expression of pain that Arthur already went through. As humorist Terry Pratchett once said “Sometimes you laugh because you have no more room for crying”, Arthur’s medical condition was more of a reflection of his life than a mere disease.
The film also showed Arthur as a naïve and credulous character. In a callow manner, he got convinced by his co-worker to keep a gun with him for safety. His character seemed to be harmless in the bus scene when he tried to make a baby laugh, though his attempt fell flat. In most parts of the film, Arthur tried to keep the people around him safe and happy, no matter how broken he was from inside. Arthur was a person who was cursed with a disrupted childhood yet his only hope was his sole emotional protector, his mother. Amongst all his grieve and pain, was he able to express his sorrow? Was he able to cry on a shoulder and open up about his flawed life? Did he find EMPATHY?
So, what made him ‘The Joker’?
The way I see it, Arthur expressed his reasons to be Joker in the interview scene with Murray. Apparently, I was convinced the way he revealed the ignorance of the people towards the weak. Even though the tonality of the dialogues was of anger and revenge, he unknowingly told the truth about society. He seamlessly put forward the mirror of hypocrisy, bias, and prejudice in the community, yet it might be hard for us to accept because Joker is an anti-hero. Joker is an apt representation of what regular depressed people suffer and how this might lead to a dark end. It is easy for an average person to label the murderous actions of a down-hearted as a psychopath, but the worst part is yet to come.
As the film progressed, we saw that Arthur’s life was only going toward downhill. The Psychologist, who was the only person to listen to him was taken away due to a lack of government funds. His comedy, for which he worked hard was insulted by Murray. He got to know that he was adopted, depicting early childhood attachment issues, and killed his mother. In this series of events, did we find any indication or scene where he was able to seek empathy or solace? So what happens when you bottle up all the setbacks and is pushed against the wall? The result is JOKER.
Before I conclude, I want to remind all that we are going through tough times and the world is becoming darker as each day passes. In this grim place, our humanity is the light. Sympathy and good behavior are free and let us not make our intent costly because of ego and materialism to go over one another. Maybe you do not see someone like Joker around you, but I can assure you there are people around you who are silently going through trauma. The best that you can do is listen to them with patience and love. Suppress your instinct to be judgemental and treat people with care. Only in this way, we can bring the best out of people. Eventually, we can make this society a better place with no heartbroken people like Arthur Fleck. Let’s dream for a better world.
Cheers to Life!
