Can a movie be taken too far? The new “Joker” movie seems to be testing the limits of this question, as it has incited multiple controversies following its release. On the surface, it seems like a harmless movie telling the tragic story of how one man became the most notorious super-villain in the DC universe. Warning: spoilers ahead
One of the problems that society has with the “Joker” is the violent scenes. There are a lot of killing scenes, as expected from a villain origin story. Many are afraid that the movie and these particularly violent scenes can be triggers for people and motivate them to act violently.
According to Thrillist, “The U.S. Military sent an email to service members warning of a ’potential risk’ [in the U.S.] based on social media chatter.” Addressing issues with the “Joker,” the email read, “Posts on social media have made reference to involuntary celibate (‘incel’) extremists replicating the 2012 theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado, at screenings of the ‘Joker’ movie at nationwide theaters.”
On July 20, 2012, during a movie premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colo., James Holmes opened fire. He had left the theatre through a rear door, propped it open, and came back dressed head-to-toe in protective gear. He released tear gas canisters and began shooting with an AR-15 rifle, a 12- gauge shotgun, and a .45 caliber handgun. He killed 12 people and injured 70.
People are afraid that the “Joker” will motivate another shooting like the one that happened in Aurora, Colo.
Not only does the movie attract controversy for its supposed motivation of violent behavior, but it is also being heavily criticized because of its development of the Joker’s backstory. Some critics say that the Joker’s backstory creates sympathy towards a false perception of him. They believe his tragic backstory makes him more humane and is used as justification for his evil.
According to Variety, a group of family members of the victims of the Aurora shooting spoke out and said, “When we learned that Warner Bros. was releasing a movie called ‘Joker’ that presents the character as a protagonist with a sympathetic origin story, it gave us pause.” They hope that Warner Bros. would use their massive platform for good such as spreading the message of gun control rather than making the villain sympathetic.
Warner Bros. responded to the Aurora families, saying, “Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero.”
It is important to define the line between fiction and reality and to remember that movies don’t hold the power for our actions.
America has had a long lasting struggle with addressing mental health. The “Joker” helps explain these issues through scenes like when the Joker is made fun of because of mental conditions he can’t control. The movie emphasizes the struggle of a man to be accepted in society because of his mental illnesses. This is important because society needs to work on not criticizing those with mental illness but rather encouraging them to seek help.
James Holmes suffered from mental illness and before committing his gruesome crime, he mailed a journal to his psychiatrist explaining how he felt. He wrote, “So anyways, that’s my mind. It is broken. I tried to fix it. I made it my sole conviction but using something that’s broken to fix itself proved insurmountable.” He felt hopeless. He felt broken. His actions are evil, and he doesn’t deserve anyone’s sympathy. But his situation is a prime example of the dangers of mental illness.
We can’t ignore the mental health epidemic any longer. In order to ensure that as a country we avoid more violent shootings such as the one in Aurora, we must unite in spreading mental health awareness. The “Joker” is not the true problem that needs to be addressed—instead, we should be focusing on the mistreatment of those with mental illness and how society can be less ignorant on the topic.
