We Have Been Fed a False Narrative!
Rewatching The Dark Knight last night, I felt something new about the Joker. He was not a bad guy per se. Joker had many flaws, like being a sociopath, but his philosophy is quite liberal.
Villains Represent Common People
Who is the main character? A wealthy man, a billionaire industrialist, owner of the largest technology and defence company. Bruce also fights crime in his city in the shadows and has a lot of political connections.
Surprise, he is the good one. Is he, tho?
Let me reframe him. Bruce inherited a massive business, never had to work a day in his life, people have worked for him since birth, and got his position because of his father. He lives in a city that is full of crime, and instead of fighting that crime with his face and money, he stays in the shadows. He gets excited about picking fights with random people with his gadgets, which makes the whole “fighting” unfair.
He basically hunts for people he doesn’t like. Bruce uses his money to control the city and also to destroy the same city for his vendetta.
Have you seen that insane chase? Is that how he fights crime?
Is this the guy we’re supposed to cheer for?
Sorry, I’m out. Batman and Joker are both assholes.
PPOV
I’m sick of the Hollywood narrative. The privileged point of view. Oh no, Joker and his gang are disrupting a private party. Yeah, well, that’s what people do when it’s too much.
Remember Jeff Bezos’ wedding in Venice? People tried to disrupt. All the protests are meant to disrupt. What about the French Revolution?
Why is every movie made by the same influential people?
Can’t we get a new perspective? I guess, the best projects get rejected because no one is a millionaire, ahm, billionaire in them.
Is there still a stigma around being poor in the movies?
Joker is an Outcast
Innocent people can turn into Jokers after there is nothing that can hold them together. No job, no family, no friends, no future. To quote him:
“Do I look like a man with a plan?”
Joker has an important purpose, tho. He provokes you out of your comfort zone and asks philosophical questions.
Is his response disproportionate?
What is a good enough response to a lawless, mad world where justice is a privilege for the billionaires?
How long can you shrug off or laugh off the world news?
Can violence be an answer to an unjust social order?
Joker tells different stories when talking about how he got his scar. I think it’s because he wants us to demonstrate, there are many reasons to turn to violence. There are all kinds of people with all kinds of reasons.
Joker probably just an asshole who dislike another asshole, or he might have had a disillusionment with authority, he might have other reasons.
I don’t know really, I’m pissed off.
Thanks for reading my rant.