The first Joker, released in 2019, was not everyone’s cup of tea, despite its huge success and its recognition during awards season. Personally, I found it to be a clumsy, confused, and unsuccessful imitation of a couple of Martin Scorsese films. The movie also conveyed a murky, ambiguous, and somewhat tepid message about hegemonic masculinity and mental illness. When insiders privy to filming revealed that the sequel would be a musical, it definitely caught everyone by surprise. At the very least, it piqued my curiosity.
However, it wasn’t a good sign when director Todd Phillips hesitated to label it a “musical.” Meanwhile, Lady Gaga, who stars as Harley Quinn, tried to avoid defining it as such. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is actually a musical. In a lot of ways, it’s very different. The way that music is used is to give the characters a way to express what they need to say because the scene and just the dialogue is not enough,” she said at the Venice Film Festival.
This suggests that the cast and crew may be worried that fans of the first movie’s raw approach to violence may not consider themselves musical lovers. Nonetheless, for better or for worse, this is indeed a musical in every sense of the word.
What is the rationale behind this decision, which seems to diverge from the rawness of the first Joker? Lady Gaga’s description isn’t off the mark. In fact, she’s describing what a musical actually is. The characters use the songs to enter a dreamlike state where they can express themselves more freely and convey emotions that are forbidden to them in the real world. The musical numbers sometimes symbolize the bond between Joker and Harley. At other times, they serve as complete escapes from reality, existing solely in the mind of one of the characters.
The key question is whether this approach works. Unfortunately, it doesn’t quite hit the mark. The songs feel like an addition that doesn’t contribute much to a plot that could have been effectively conveyed without them. Additionally, in all cases, they’re significantly inferior versions of the originals. While the songs provide sequences that wouldn’t make sense in a realistic setting, they’re ultimately just an extra element.
It’s Joker Night! The music choices in Joker: Folie à Deux are anything but predictable or mainstream, unlike what you might expect from a musical like Moulin Rouge, which the film initially seemed to be aiming for. The soundtrack includes some familiar songs like those by the Bee Gees; The Carpenters’ classic Close to You; Ne Me Quitte Pas by Jacques Brel; and For Once in My Life by Stevie Wonder. However, most songs are from musicals or standards from the first half of the 20th century. With this tracklist, it feels like Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the Joker, and Phillips are playing a trick on their own fans.
In essence, Joker: Folie à Deux is a musical with songs, many of which are typical of the genre. However, unlike the recent timid revival of this type of film with Wicked or the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic, the new Joker still has many of the problems of the original film. These include its bad portrayal of mental illness and some over-the-top performances. Additionally, the final third of the film includes some script decisions that are completely incomprehensible.
Does this sequel have any positive aspects? Yes, indeed. The musical elements add value by creating semi-fantastical spaces for the songs. This allows viewers to see a more exaggerated and dancing Joker, closer to the character in the comics. It momentarily moves away from the idea of dignifying and providing realism and drama to characters that were already perfect as unreal caricatures. And no, Phoenix and Lady Gaga’s portrayals aren’t comparable to the classic Joker and Harley Quinn from, for example, Batman: The Animated Series.
The healthiest approach to Joker: Folie à Deux is to take it as a performance in the style of the Joker. In the coming weeks, we’ll likely see both passionate and disappointed fans of the film share their opinions. At the time of publication, the box office results are completely unpredictable. Not even the Joker himself could have planned such chaos.
Image | Warner Bros. Pictures
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