How "Joker" Butchers its Portrayal of Mental Illness
***Spoiler Alert: The following article is a discussion about the film Joker as a whole, and may spoil important plot points. If you plan to see the film, it is recommended that you read this article after.***
DISCLAIMER: Multiple scientific studies have shown that violent portrayals in film, television and video games do not have any correlation with violence in real life. It is incorrect to blame threats or acts of violence in real life on any piece of art or fiction.
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros.
Throughout its long and illustrious history, Hollywood has not addressed every topic of film with an appropriate amount of tact or awareness. Among these is the topic of mental illness. While some films (especially more recent ones) paint a sympathetic picture of those suffering from mental illnesses (A Beautiful Mind, Silver Linings Playbook, and even Inside Out), the history of mental illness in popular culture and film gets a bit more questionable. Some of the most popular films of all time including Psycho and Halloween use mental illness, or insanity, to push their characters to commit extreme acts of violence. The field of psychology is a relatively new science, which explains why these films don’t always age well, but 2019’s Joker feels at times like it is transporting audiences decades back in time when it comes to mental illness awareness.
To begin, it should be understood that stigmas and perceptions do matter. For millennia, individuals who suffer from severe forms of mental illness have been excluded from receiving any semblance of care often due to a society-wide lack of understanding. The first step in moving forward with treatments and innovations in mental health is simply understanding what mental illness is (any condition that affects a person’s thinking or mood and the ability to relate to others and function each day) and what it isn’t (psychiatric hospital patients terrorizing small-town America with chainsaws). A film’s misunderstanding of this important difference does not exclude it from being an enjoyable piece of entertainment, but filmmakers should consider how their portrayal might impact public perception at-large.
If you think that societal biases and stigmas only impact on an individual basis, think again. As with other biases, the way we view mental illness has a systematic effect on life for those suffering. As depicted in the film, individuals who suffer from mental illness may face harassment and physical violence, in addition to discrimination in employment, housing and education. At times, the prevailing culture may dissuade mentally ill patients from seeking help for fear of perceived repercussions.
The Joker first appeared in Batman #1 in 1940, as the antithesis to Batman, a morally just and consistent character who represented justice and order. The Joker has always been a comic example of criminal insanity, but the character has often been left with an ambiguous background, and is presented as a criminal mastermind with an ambition for chaos. Even though Joker could hardly be separated from the madness that drives him, his narrative purpose has always been as a foil to Batman, and a representation of evil in the world to be overcome.
This is not the case in Joker, where mental illness plays a central role in the story. Arthur Fleck, who inevitably becomes the Joker by the end of the film, suffers from a neurological disorder called pseudobulbar affect (PBA), which results in uncontrollable emotional outbursts such as laughing or crying. PBA can be caused by brain trauma and strokes, and is also common among patients suffering from a combination of dementia and depression. In addition to PBA, the film strongly implies that Fleck suffers from other mental illnesses (including bipolar disorder and depression), in part as a result of physical abuse he endured as a child. This is an important distinction to make because the film takes the Joker out of the vague category of “criminal mastermind” and moves him into the category of people suffering from very real afflictions.
Throughout the first half of the film, Fleck is constantly harassed and ostracized for his differences, and to its credit the film tries to engage the audience as sympathetic. Systematic failures result in Fleck falling through the cracks of the healthcare system, and social services often fail to meet the needs of someone suffering in such a way. All sympathy and credulity are lost though, as Fleck becomes obsessed with the idea that the world has it out for him, and takes his vengeance out on all those who “wronged” him; bullies on the subway, former coworkers and even his own mother.
Not only does the film fail to realistically address mental illness, it uses a classic cop-out to justify the violence depicted. Just as politicians can be quick to point the finger towards mental illness in the wake of recent mass shootings, Joker seems to condone scapegoating any low-hanging fruit as the alternative to looking for a deeper truth. In addition to the perceptive harm this may cause, this attitude definitively closes the door on searching for better solutions to societal issues.
This is certainly not the first film to portray mental illness in this light, but it is egregious in part because the film has no underlying philosophy to justify its existence. It is not about the failures of the healthcare system, or about wealth disparity and inequality. Joker, just like its main character, believes in nothing, and gives nothing to audiences but misconceptions and confusion. When Arthur Fleck finally finds the acceptance he so long desired, it is through violence and chaos.
The film seems to only further the misconception that when one suffers from mental illness all those around them are put at risk. The heartbreaking truth is that when someone with mental illness fails to get the help they need and deserve, they themselves are the ones who are most at risk. Rather than treat individuals with mental illness with reserve and caution, we need to look past the stigma that surrounds these afflictions and be ready to reach out to those who might be in need.
