Unanswered Questions in Joker

Unanswered Questions in Joker

When it comes to the Joker, nothing is ever clear-cut. Welcome to WatchMojo and today we’ll be discussing the lingering questions in Todd Phillips’ “Joker.” It should go without saying, but the spoiler meter is off the charts for this one!

When it was announced that a standalone “Joker” origin story was in development, diehard fans weren’t without their concerns. Many would argue that the Clown Prince of Crime is better left as an ambiguous figure whose backstory isn’t spelt out. But what makes Phillips’ film so ingenious is that it delves deep into the Joker’s origins while still keeping the character clouded in mystery. The same can be said about Alan Moore and Brian Bolland’s “The Killing Joke,” in which we learn everything about the Joker and yet learn nothing about the Joker. Likewise, this film functions as a character study that ultimately lies in the eye of the beholder and leaves a lot for audiences to think about.

Character Fates

Arthur Fleck racks up a sizable body count by the time these credits roll, although a few characters remain hanging in the balance. For one, when we last see the two detectives pursuing Arthur, they get caught in the middle of a riot after one of them shoots a protester. Since everyone is wearing clown masks at the time, Arthur’s able to slip away leaving the rioters to beat Detectives Burke and Garrity to a pulp. And while news reports say that both are in a critical condition, we’re given little closure as to whether or not they survive.

The fate of Arthur’s neighbor Sophie is even more vague and disturbing. For much of the film, Arthur merely envisions that Sophie is by his side, laughing at his jokes and holding his hand. It isn’t until he breaks into Sophie’s apartment that we learn just how obsessed he is with her. Channeling Travis Bickle at the climax of “Taxi Driver,” he puts a finger gun to his head as the audience lays eyes on Sophie for the last time. In the next scene, Arthur laughs in his apartment while police sirens are briefly heard in the background.

Like Carla Jean in “No Country for Old Men,” Sophie’s fate is left open to interpretation. Perhaps Arthur spared her, but the more likely answer seems that he killed the object of his affection in cold blood. When they first met earlier in the movie, Sophie put a finger gun to her head in frustration… so maybe Arthur felt that he was doing Sophie a courtesy by ending her life? Or it could just be because he’s a psychopath. And if Arthur did murder Sophie, then her young daughter could’ve met an equally grim end.

Arthur’s Condition

Throughout “Joker,” Arthur can’t hold back his spine-chilling laughter whenever he’s in an uncomfortable situation. He often hands out a laminated card explaining that he has “a medical condition”, but what exactly is his diagnosis? Could Arthur be suffering from the pseudobulbar affect (or PBA), Tourette’s syndrome, or a form of PTSD brought on by the abuse he endures during childhood? We know that Arthur has spent time in a psychiatric hospital and needs to see a social worker, but what led him there? At one point, a detective asks Arthur if his condition is “for real” - in a scene which arguably demonstrates why Arthur becomes the Joker.

People underestimate the severity of his mental illness, allowing him to go off the deep end and wreak havoc in Gotham. While there’s no denying that Arthur is unhinged, it’s possible that the card he passes around wasn’t given to him by a doctor. What if Arthur made the card himself and started distributing it as a joke? His laughter isn’t necessarily uncontrollable either, as Arthur restrains himself at least once, after exiting the room in one scene. If he was faking his laughter then, he could’ve been faking or embellishing other times too.

Arthur’s Parents

One of the movie’s biggest curveballs comes in the form of a letter that Arthur’s mother Penny writes to Thomas Wayne. Penny claims that Arthur is Thomas’ illegitimate son, which would make the Joker and Bruce Wayne half-brothers. Thomas denies these accusations, though, asserting that Penny relentlessly harassed him when she was working for the Wayne family. What’s more, he says that Arthur was actually adopted, and Penny isn’t even his biological mom. Thomas’ claims are then supported by the files that Arthur steals from Arkham Asylum, which also reveal that he was abused by Penny’s boyfriend as a child.

Then again, Thomas is a powerful man with friends in high places. What if he really did have a love child with Penny and had the adoption papers forged to sever any parental ties to Arthur? Since Arkham isn’t exactly the most revered establishment, the doctors quite easily could’ve been paid off to paint Penny as a deranged stalker. Whether he really was adopted or not, the identity of Arthur’s parents remains up for debate.

The Future of Bruce Wayne & Gotham

Although “Joker” takes numerous creative liberties, one crucial detail remains intact: Thomas and Martha Wayne are gunned down in an alley, with young Bruce present to watch his parents die. There have been countless variations of this iconic moment before... In Tim Burton’s “Batman,” it’s a younger Joker who pulls the trigger. In other interpretations, it’s just a random thug. In this film, it’s a combination of both. The rioter who kills Bruce’s parents is hidden behind a clown mask, never revealing himself. The identity of the shooter doesn’t matter, however, as he was at least inspired by Arthur.

Even if Arthur didn’t set out with a political statement, others viewed his actions as an excuse to rebel against the wealthy… and we last see Bruce kneeling by his dead parents. While the film doesn’t clarify what’s next for Bruce, anyone who’s read a comic knows that he’s bound to one day don a cape and cowl to restore order to a chaos-ridden Gotham. Not only does Arthur inadvertently kill Thomas and Martha, but he also inadvertently creates his future nemesis. Instead of Batman creating the Joker, however, it’s society that creates the Joker in this story.

The Last Laugh

The film ends with Arthur in Arkham Asylum, sitting across a table from his doctor. As he chuckles to himself, we briefly cut to the clip of Bruce mourning his parents in an alley. When his doctor asks what’s so funny, Arthur says that she wouldn't get it. It’s all very ominous! And seconds later, we see Arthur walking through the halls of Arkham, leaving behind a trail of bloody footprints. It’s safe to assume that Arthur either beat or killed his doctor, getting her blood on his soles. Whether or not he manages to outrun or kill the rest of the hospital orderlies is another matter.

The real question, though, is why the Joker was laughing? On top of that, why didn’t he think his doctor would get the joke? Was he laughing because the doctor didn’t realize that he was about to break loose and kill her? Was it because he unintentionally caused the sequence of events that killed the Waynes and left Bruce orphaned? Maybe it’s because none of this actually happened at all. Maybe the whole movie was in Arthur’s head and this is just one of infinite origin stories for the Joker. After all, if the Joker is going to have a past, he prefers it to be multiple choice. In that case, the joke would be on the audience. Whatever the reason behind Arthur’s laughter may be, it’s a joke that only his warped mind can find the humor in.