A few weeks ago, it was a rainy, gross weekend, and since the stay at home order was in place, we decided to have a movie marathon. First was my pick, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Amazing). Next was Andrew's pick, Ford v Ferrari (also good), and last was a movie we both heard good things about and wanted to see - Joker. This post will talk about some details of the movie. I don't think anything I'm going to say will be a huge spoiler, but just in case, if you want to see the movie first, stop reading here, then come back. I knew that the movie was going to be dark and have heavy subject matter, so I'm glad I didn't watch it by myself. I don't know how difficult it would be to see alone if you struggle seeing violence and/or have any mental health conditions, so I would recommend using discretion.
Most of us know the fictional city of Gotham made famous by the Batman comic books, TV shows and many movies. I have never lived in or spent significant time in a city, so I have no idea if the depiction of life in Gotham is in any way comparable to life in real, large cities like New York or Los Angeles. I have to imagine that it is at least somewhat accurate. The movie shows us a lot of detail about the main character's day to day life and struggles as he tries to get by. I know that I have been incredibly fortunate in my treatment for my depression and anxiety because I am still able to hold a good job, I have a network of family and friends, and I have access to good therapy, doctors, medications and insurance. The main character, Arthur, has none of that, and I think he is a good representation of what a lot of people actually have to deal with. He does not have a good, steady job, he meets with what appears to be a therapist, but we aren't shown how often, or really how thorough his sessions are, and his only family is his mother who has mental issues as well.
In one part of the movie, Arthur steals copies of his mother's medical records and we see some flashbacks showing that she was hospitalized for her mental illness, and she had been in an abusive relationship where both she and Arthur were physically harmed. My first thought was, how did she ever get out of the hospital, and how the hell did she get her son back? Her symptoms were all pretty severe, and how she behaved in the flashbacks is not very different from how she acts now, so how was she ever able to leave the hospital? I remember back to my days on the mental health floor, I was told that if they can show that I'm a danger to myself, the court can mandate that I stay in the hospital whether I liked it or not. I know it's a fictional story, but to me, this showed a breakdown in the system that not only allowed her to leave the hospital but also to regain custody of her son even though she had put him in danger before. I am sure there are plenty of instances that are the same or similar to this in the real world.
I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist, so I have no idea if the mental illness depicted by Arthur or his mother are actually accurate in any way. I don't remember what the specific diagnoses if any were given. Of the articles I have read, there are a decent amount that are critical of the movie's depiction of mental illness. (See this article) However, it seems like most of the criticism is not necessarily related to HOW they show Arthur's illness, but that it is implied that he gets more violent and unhinged once he gets off his medications and plunges deeper into his illness. There is worry that people will come to the untrue conclusion that those who suffer from mental health disorders are more likely to be violent. If you want to read in more detail about this, check out this article, or this article.
I see why they are concerned if you look at it from that perspective. No matter what people say, there still is a stigma attached to mental illness, especially those with severe conditions. It can be dangerous to possibly create or perpetuate a stereotype that people with mental illness are more likely to be violent. I definitely understand that criticism of the movie, but overall, I thought the movie was excellent and really did show how low mental health is on the priority list. Arthur is the weird, creepy neighbor or the eccentric, odd guy you see on the street talking to himself. Most people look the other way, and those that do look at him are judgmental, grossed out, etc. For the most part, his coworkers picked on him and there were occasional times where one or two people were nice to him because they felt bad for him. It was uncomfortable to see how he acted, which is how a lot of us would be around someone with a severe condition. We don't know what they will say or do and that makes us not want to be around them.
Joaquin Phoenix, excellent job. Oscar well deserved!
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