William Beck

When I was in my mid 20s, and leaving the Marine Corps, I transitioned into a career in the LAPD. In the academy, they warned us about burnout, and gave us various strategies for coping with dealing with violence, death, and the dark under-belly of society without letting it consume you. I stuck with those ideas (like not following cases through the courts, etc). After five years, I came through it ok. Similarly, as much as I wanted to leave the Marines when I did, (also after 5 years), I found civilian life unsettling. As difficult as the Corps was, it was orderly, sensible, and purposeful. The USMC has a solid set of principles. I almost sought to return for the principles. As it would happen, the principles of discipline, and instructors I could trust shielded me from burnout in the LAPD. It took seeing “The Joker” to fully understand the effect of burnout. Phoenix portrays it masterfully. The script is well conceived. Alienation, and the random cruelty of Gotham create Arthur Fleck as the distilled essence of burnout in our society. Gotham is Arthur’s antagonist, or perhaps his missing father, giving rise to this demon who finds himself by “remembering not to smile”. I don’t admire the character of the Joker, and you shouldn’t either. The film, and Phoenix’s portrayal, on the other hand, should be admired. The film is rich with allusions, like Deniro as Arthur’s inspiration. It hints about Travis Bickle in a previous life or parallel universe. I don’t recommend dark films to everyone, and I am not a fan of darkness for its own sake, but “The Joker” is the reason darkness exists. I highly recommend this film.

Some films are worth seeing more than just once. And by that, I don't necessarily mean in rapid succession for its entertainment value, although this one can serve in that way also. No, the way I mean it is with time and life experience between the viewings. This film came out 2 years after I left the Marines. It had the appeal of an action adventure film then. Now, 28 years later, it has a different sort of appeal. Now, I relate to the characters differently. Originally, I related to the younger, more ambitious characters. That's where the story is. Then you get a little life behind you. You see everything differently. You're not opposed to your previous view, you just acquire a more leathery, earthy taste, like a good cigar. You acquire a well-worn cynicism, and began to relate to some of the older characters. If you're a Willem Defoe fan, and you have not seen this film, you should not miss this. If you're not a Defoe fan, and you think you don't want to see this film, see it anyway. "Do it Sandy. I'd do it for you."

I'm not a fan of the horror genre, and would have avoided it based upon that alone. However, some of the early press made me curious. If you're a fan of the genre, by all means, watch it. It wont disappoint. If you like allegory, and issue oriented projects, watch it! The film is brilliantly acted, directed, and the screenplay is truly unique. For me, the film is cleverly allegorical for one, possibly several currently pressing issues in 2018. Think of Alfred Hitchcock, and crank the knob up to eleven. Maybe you're not afraid of heights, or birds, or have mom's body in a spare room, so those are just entertaining. This film will apply to you.