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Joker: Folie à Deux is an absolute masterpiece. To call this film anything less than extraordinary would be a disservice. It masterfully explores the idea that the Joker persona transcends Arthur—it’s a spirit, an idea, something far more profound than just a man. From the opening cartoon short, we’re shown that the spirit of anarchy has taken on a life of its own, with Arthur merely serving as a tool for its manifestation. The musical sequences, unsettling as they are, aren't happening in reality. They’re the delusions of a madman, projections of how Arthur wishes the world could be if it only heard the music in his head. This makes the singing feel jarring and uncomfortable, which seems to be the point—it heightens the overall sense of unease. The lines between friend and foe, particularly among the psychos and guards in Arkham, are intentionally blurred, adding to this off-kilter feeling. The use of color is especially striking when the spirit of chaos shines through Arthur. In one scene, as he steps out of the prison surrounded by guards, the rain hitting his face briefly restores his spirit. The guards' umbrellas momentarily flash with color—symbols of the spirit's influence—only to fade back to black as grim reality returns. Lady Gaga delivers an unexpectedly brilliant performance. Initially, I thought I wouldn’t enjoy her portrayal, but she captivated me. Her character isn’t in love with Arthur; she’s drawn to the spirit of chaos he represents. Once Arthur casts the spirit aside, she loses interest in him. One pivotal scene, where Arthur symbolically blows smoke into her mouth, seems to represent the transference of the spirit. By the end, Harley has embraced chaos, adopting a new look with fresh makeup and cut hair, while Arthur becomes nothing more than an empty husk in her eyes. Spoilers In the end, Arthur throws away the spirit of anarchy, but it’s too late. Joker is no longer a man but a philosophy, a concept that lives on. The man who kills Arthur at the end slashes his own face, hinting that he might become the next Joker. But more significantly, Arthur has a son, and the spirit of chaos now survives independently of him. Arthur dies a legend, and the story could easily pick up in modern times, where he has become a folk hero (I place the film in the late '70s based on the technology shown throughout). In conclusion, Joker: Folie à Deux is a deep and thought-provoking film about the spirit of chaos, which, once unleashed on network television for millions to see, lives on without Arthur. The story is about how he is used and discarded by the very forces he helped to birth. In the end, Arthur is killed by the spirit he created yet the spirit lives on with ever growing strength, madness, and unpredictability. The Joker is immortal. TL;DR This movie is about the spirit of chaos that was born when it was broadcast to millions, using Arthur as a pawn. By the end, he is murdered by the very force he gave life to.