Joker is undeniably one of the most iconic villains in cinema history. While the character of the Joker has been brought to life by many actors, Joaquin Phoenix’s portrayal as Joker in the 2019 film, directed by Todd Phillips is one of the most celebrated ones. However, even before the film was released, it faced backlash. The film was reportedly criticized for depicting an unhinged mentality.
However, the director defended the film by claiming that the film does not glorify violence rather it explores themes like childhood trauma and mental health. Phillips asserted that people criticized his film simply based on speculations and he got so frustrated by it, that he gave up on explaining others. When the film was released it turned out to be a great success, earning numerous accolades.
Director Todd Phillips expressed his frustration on the ‘Joker’ criticism
The 2019, stand-alone Joker film is one of the most iconic creations of all time. However, the criticism the film faced, before and after its release is no secret for fans. Due to its depiction of violent scenes, the film was rated R.
Moreover, the film generated controversy prior to its release, due to it’s portrayal of brutal content. During a roundtable interview with top directors with The Hollywood Reporter, the director of the film, Todd Phillips addressed the negative criticism his film has been facing.
When one of the direct presenters during the interview, asked Phillips about the moment when he felt like he was being professionally tested, he recalled the time when his film Joker was yet to release and even before it was released the film was surrounded by criticism. The filmmaker said, “Joker was pretty rough, as crazy as that sounds now.”
The filmmaker asserted that the media demonstrated his film in a way that it looked like it was “made to inspire violence or to all the things that really weren’t in there.”
Phillips claimed that people criticized his film simply based on speculations as the film was yet to be released. The director claimed that the period was no less than a test for him, and all he could do was wait for the film to get released. He said,
“That was a great test of ‘just alright we’ll just keep calm and let the movie speak for itself.'”
He further said that, when the film premiered in Venice, it received a positive response, and it also earned the Golden Lion Award. However, he got frustrated when despite receiving positive reviews, there was a fraction of the audience that still criticized the film for glorifying violence. Phillips defended his film by claiming,
“People come at it as a target and start talking about why it’s dangerous. And really, we made a movie about childhood trauma and the loss of compassion.”
However, despite being surrounded by controversies and facing severe backlash, Joker became not just a critically acclaimed film, but it also generated a mega fortune at the box office.
Also Read: Todd Phillips Reportedly Shot Multiple Endings for Joker 2 To Keep Fans Confused, Fight Back Leaks
Why did Joker face controversy upon its release?
Directed by Todd Phillips, Joker is a crime-drama film, based on DC Comics’s iconic villain ‘Joker’. Upon its release, the film faced criticism and was labeled as ‘dangerous’ due to the unhinged brutality depicted in the film.
During an interview with IGN, director Todd Phillips, defended the film by asserting, “To me, art can be complicated, and oftentimes art is meant to be complicated. If you want uncomplicated art, you might want to take up calligraphy, but filmmaking will always be a complicated art.”
Joker can be streamed on Netflix.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter, IGN
