The Joker's Musical Madness

[@neushataherian6300]

There's also the fact that the cello in these scenes is played without ANY vibrato. I know that might not sound like much, but devoiding a string instrument of vibrato is devoiding it of it's warmth. It's intentionally played cold, empty, and that to me is beautiful choice that Hildur Guðnadóttir to better fit the character.

[@Loweene_Ancalimon]

*coughs in baroque cello* I'd argue that this is true only for modern technique on metal strings. There are plenty of ways besides vibrato to add warmth to strings instruments, mostly in the bowing technique (which is something highly explored in historically informed performance), but they aren't used much in modern technique. Thank you for drawing attention to the fact no vibrato is used, though, I hadn't noticed !

[@frownyclowny6955]

Haha cello strings go bwbwbbwwww

[@ficere5192]

@@frownyclowny6955 noooooooo you can't just sum up hundreds of years of musical history 5 words!!!!!11!!!!!!1!!!!

[@paulm.6818]

Wow! Great job!

[@shlecko]

​@@ficere5192 "vibration frequency in specific timing" would like to speak with you

[@hectorvalverde5044]

“And those who were dancing were deemed to be Insane by those who could not hear the music”

[@Milan-db3uy]

Literally me when I'm alone

[@supersaturno122]

Yes, but don't forget that we are talking about an agent of chaos and a mass murderer and one that the film states as truly mentally ill. This film has a problem when it referes to theme

[@erinmac8787]

That gives me 1518 dancing plague of France vibes

[@mons3020]

Silent disco

[@nicholasleclerc1583]

Aaaah, Friedrich Nietzsche... I see that you're a man of culture as well...

[@e.d.5766]

If he's hearing the music in his head, maybe that explains why his comedic timing is so terrible at the comedy club. He can't speak with good timing because he's not hearing himself, he's lost focus.

[@gingerpi93]

I have trouble with public speaking (like many people lol) and sometimes when I'm extremely nervous it feels like my mouth is on autopilot and I'm just sitting in the back of my mind wondering what I am saying. I can see what you mean that he's likely not fully present in his performance in the club bc of his nerves and rough start.

[@e.d.5766]

@@gingerpi93 Add to that the fact he believes his girlfriend is watching him.

[@Wolta]

@@gingerpi93 Same. I got mad social anxiety. It helps when I can listen to music though. But then in my head I'm like "man I hope these guys don't think I'm rude for wearing headphones while talking to them" and then I end up taking them off and not contributing to any conversation.

[@TheTlay101]

One of the more odd Joker theory is that he's a kind of super sane or for lack of a better term meta aware. In the comics he has more than a few nods to the audience combined with a sketchy hard to diagnose mental illness where the only person who figured it out was Harley Quinn. He can hear the soundtrack, *he can see YOU*

[@tristankeech4070]

i would go mad if i constently had music playin in the background. what if it effects his sleep

[@Kitinelli]

The main clues that I got for him imagining his ‘girlfriend’ is that you never see her daughter apart from the first time.

[@allendrake6960]

I don't know how I never picked up on that. That's an excellent point.

[@miguelandresforerodelgadil3059]

With _that_ first time, are you refering to the elevator scene or the one where she's leaving her daughter at (presumably) school?

[@whodat4310]

The one clue for me was when he looked at the newspaper and she totally agreed with the killing. I was like, “um, you alright?” It felt like she said the exact thing the joker wanted to hear.

[@hyperbolicraider4848]

Horror Harpy idk to men that’s a funny joke

[@Shadow1Yaz]

😮 good eye!!

[@zanaekendall459]

My jaw literally dropped when it’s shown that the riot THE JOKER STARTED ended up with BATMANS PARENTS BEING KILLED. I absolutely loved that

[@zarinaa1135]

It's perfection! Cause you can have Joker being the one who killed his parents AND it be a random dude, Joe Chill, at the same time! Joker caused the riots that caused the Wayne's to be killed by a random dressed as a joker! The Wayne's death could be as meaningless as pocket change or as huge as SOCIETY. It's brilliant. Bruce gets to kill the man who killed his parents AND let the man who killed his parents go free. It's spectacular. And it explains in a modern context why a criminal psychopath has minions who dress like him.

[@rkt7414]

"I don't think anyone was walking out of the theater humming this cello line" ... First of all, how dare you

[@AcontheWebHead]

Stole my line, glad I'm not the only one

[@Ebonzai]

Hummed it the whole way then saw who out it on youtube

[@tuttosalve8352]

i was gonna say yeah i literally do hum it its good

[@xulula7035]

I literally still hum it after months

[@sometimesidontunderstand0029]

Right every theme I hummed

[@SirRebrl]

Arthur remarked to his mother, in the hospital, that she was wrong about his laughing. That she'd told him it was a condition, but actually that was the real him. He transitioned from thinking that the laughing was an emotionally incongruent compulsion to believing that when he laughs it's because he does find something funny. Whatever he was thinking at the end, it might have been something he would previously have characterized as an intrusive thought accompanied by inappropriate compulsive laughter. But since he changed his perspective, he sees it as a joke he was thinking up - he was laughing, so it must be funny. But he knows he doesn't have everyone's sense of humor, so just says she wouldn't get it. TL;DR - He has a reason for his laugh at the end (a reason that isn't "I have a condition") because he doesn't believe he "has a condition" anymore unless that condition is just a very unusual sense of humor.

[@SnookPhlop]

🤯 i like this

[@frienda7736]

bro those were my exact thoughts

[@RacingSnails64]

SirRebrl YOOO good thoughts!!

[@RacingSnails64]

SirRebrl YOOO good thoughts!!

[@exzyyd392]

Given we see him run away with blood on his shoes, he was likely thinking up ways to kill his therapist but knew she wouldn't understand why

[@scifino1]

13:00 ish: Knowingly using a famous piece of music that was made by someone who later turned out to be a horrible criminal for the scene where Arthur finds out that he is the Joker arguably is exactly the right choice.

[@magnushmann]

Exactly my thoughts as well...

[@danielpedraza6455]

True

[@TacoKhan]

hes a oser has to virtue signal for good boy poinfs

[@silobobus3268]

@@TacoKhan and this why you need to proof read your comments, people.

[@5ilver42]

"he's a hoser---has to virtue signal for good soy boin ffs"

[@d.lan3y]

Unpopular opinion: I actually kind of like how Joker handled the death of the Waynes. I mean, this movie is kind of an origin story for Gotham, as much as for the Joker, right? We watch Gotham become progressively more chaotic and violent throughout. So I like the decision to kill the Wayne family in the way it did. Randomly, for no reason, by a random clown we hadn't seen before. Because Arthur still indirectly caused that. He created the situation in which the Waynes were killed. He brought Gotham to this boiling point. Arthur created the Gotham that made Batman _necessary_ . That scene feels like a way of demonstrating that. The parents' death just _happens_ . No motive, no preamble, as a demonstration of the indiscriminate violence in a city that Arthur remade. The sort of city which both necessitates and creates the Batman. But idk, that's just my personal hot take.

[@dariankaltenbach8062]

More like a spark that set off a powder keg. Political movements, no matter how structured, always point to underlying issues that every member deals with, even if those issues are ideology.

[@themedia1271]

And it also explains why they went down that alley way. You gotta wonder, why would a rich couple wearing expensive clothes go down a dark alley way in a dangerous city? Because of the riots. So their choice makes more sense

[@woofwoof8146]

I liked the ending too, even if the other Wayne appearances I thought were distracting. Just a random psychopath taking an opportunity out of the chaos to commit a heinous crime and never get caught. I think any other wealthy/influential name could have been a placeholder and the Wayne's could have been in the background or mentioned for being socialites present. You could even have the same fence scene with Arthur mistaking a different boy for his half brother, and Bruce steps up to sound the alarm against a "creepy stranger" and toss a few rocks his way, till he gets his hands off the other kid. A throw away line of "you did the right thing, Bruce" would have sealed that story line until the ending. The Wayne connection from a lying NPD mother is sadly plausible, I just think having it be the Wayne's took too much focus off Arthur for me, because there's an established connection to Bruce as a character so the priority is always him when he's on screen.

[@SaBasAbA-dn1xh]

@@themedia1271 and their car was on fire

[@myonlyfriendtheend4958]

personally I liked the cut line for that scene you still think we're all clowns?

[@ignazachenbach5406]

Regardless of whether you like this film's scoring, one thing's for sure: we live in a society.

[@headhomegamer6024]

You just summarised the whole video

[@jerusha4jesus]

The most radical idea of the century, congrats

[@FalseFlagAmerican]

I don’t

[@senza4591]

@@FalseFlagAmerican come back! We have popsicles and baby pandas

[@robertthompson7059]

I just wish more people acted like it at least.

[@SSJfraz]

In the comedy club when he's bombing, then everything suddenly starts falling into place with people laughing in the background. I think he just imagined the positive reactions. Probably no one was laughing at any point throughout his time on stage. If he can imagine that girl sitting there laughing and smiling, then what's to say he wasn't imagining everybody else doing the same thing? So much of this movie is "did that really just happen or not"?

[@nickybakes]

Honestly that’s a really great point! When Murray showed the clip on TV of Arthur telling a successful joke, no one laughed. So it’s entirely possible that he hallucinated all those laughs.

[@dylanwagher7213]

The take ive come to have is the more positive a reaction appears or the less out of place and uncomfortable Arthur appears, the less real the situation is.

[@GellertTV]

@ We all know it was a fantasy ._.

[@SSJfraz]

@ No, it was pretty obvious that it was a fantasy. He was watching the show with Penny then fell into his own imagination land. Once the scene was over, you seen him back in the room again still watching the show with a smile on his face. It's probably the most obvious one in the whole movie tbh.

[@SSJfraz]

I also have reason to believe that he imagined much of the train scene. I still think he killed the 3 men, but it probably didn't unfold in the way he perceived it to. One of the biggest clues is when one of them suddenly starts singing the Frank Sinatra song 'Send In The Clowns'. It becomes clear over the course of the movie that Arthur is a fan of Frank Sinatra, probably due to the Murray Franklin Show theme. It's more likely that he just killed them for intimidating the woman and they probably didn't try to attack him at all.

[@katlovedart]

At 8:02 , the loud metallic percussion personally sounds like madness to me. The intense repeating droning sound of just beating metal.

[@shards-of-glass-man]

Sounds like these instantly flash my mind back to Silent Hill and tracks like Don't Cry, Ain't Gotta Rain, or Die. Panic and insanity and urgency.

[@bakoe7604]

Yes. Like there’s always noise in his head. Like constant banging

[@chelseangum700]

makes me think of slipknot

[@bakserswagger]

Who the fuck invited Lars from Metallica?

[@mgthestrange9098]

It also reminds me of when your heart is racing so much that you can hear your pulse in your ears.

[@noctoutcold7878]

The thing I really love about Joker’s “leitmotif” (the one at 5:33) is that it’s not _just_ sad sounding, and that it doesn’t really sound like any traditionally “sad” music I’ve heard before in a film. It has a sort of distorted and unsettling feeling to it with how the cello’s dynamics slowly creep in and out while the pitch changes _ever so slightly,_ to the point that I thought the cellos were intentionally tuned to be a bit flat. It almost sounds like it’d fit more in a horror movie at times than a thriller like Joker. Considering Arthur’s character is meant to not _just_ be pitiful and depressed but also mentally ill, or “off”, I think the fact that Joker’s leitmotif is also “off” to reflect Arthur’s mental instability is fucking genius. It’s so different, and a breath of fresh air from the typical “sad” film music that feels dramatic, clean, and crisp. The high pitched, soaring orchestra or soft piano you hear so often in “sad” movie themes aren’t present here. Just distorted, groaning cellos and a slow timpani that honestly sound like a limping march to despair and insanity when put together. It’s the true musical equivalent of someone who is mentally ill, and has no hope of the future but to dance further down the steps of madness.

[@sophiemason8444]

It's unsettling to people because it represents constant anxiety. You associate the music with Arthur's suffering and, by doing so, you end up feeling the anxieties Arthur has in certain moments (the train for example). But then the cello never stops. You notice it, everywhere. It follows Arthur everywhere. And because the cellos never stop, or appear to never stop, the viewer never stops feeling anxious...because Arthur always feels like that. It's unsettling because most people don't have that constant level anxiety that Arthur feels prior to becoming the Joker, and most have not sat with constant anxiety for nearly 90 minutes.

[@troyjohnson2137]

bioshock but it's a person

[@sydneyd2094]

For me, it sounded sad in like you're trudging your way through life. Throughout the you can see Arthur dragging his feet and looking at the ground in the way he walks. I think the cello suits his mood alot because it sounds as if it's been ignored and tossed aside much like him.

[@FelixWheatfield]

The answer to the "diegetic or non-diegetic?" question is this: Yes. Since Todd Phillips has stated that Arthur "has music in him", and the weird thing about Joker is that you're watching it from two different perspectives, both from Arthur's perspective of the world around him and its perspective of him, so you have this sort of creepy hyper-awareness that the music is both diegetic in that it's playing constantly in Arthur's head, and non-diegetic in that he's the only one who can hear it. In a weird sense it can be interpreted that Arthur is sort of controlling the soundtrack of the movie from within, which I'm certain has happened before in other movies but none that I know of exploit it as much as Joker did.

[@ThungStudios]

i'm schizoaffective with psychosis, and I can vouch that music plays in my head often. It isn't like having a song stuck in your head, it's like I have headphones in that are playing music behind the rest of my thoughts. It's like having a built-in ipod, except i can't turn it off lol. often times i will hear a song (or even see or hear something that loosely reminds me of a song), and it starts playing without me even realizing, it's like it slowly transitions from real life in the background, into my thoughts, and then into the foreground. And I don't realize it's playing until it's in the foreground, but then I realize it's been playing in the back the whole time. it's really fucking weird, and when you started talking about music and the diegesis, it actually kinda started to freak me out because it's like real for me lol

[@lapis8183]

I used to hum songs, any kind of songs that went in my head when I was falling asleep, and I had this same experience of it going in the background and slowly coming to the foreground as I fall asleep, and I immediately thought that the film's case would also be similar to that

[@horrorspirit]

As an autistic person - i do this too. It feels like my life has a soundtrack that only i hear. And when he started talking about dietetic music... it got weird

[@juicebox7372]

This use to happen to me at school when it was quiet. I don't really understand why

[@aleklopez2001]

"Pretty sure no one walked out of the theater humming this theme" Always knew I was a no one

[@lindholmaren]

Same

[@zubrowska9017]

Can you change faces too?

[@BlueTemplar15]

"That's Life" on the other hand....

[@adintyaannasaidhiakharisma5202]

i was literally hoping to be skinny as arthur after watching

[@BlueTemplar15]

@@adintyaannasaidhiakharisma5202 If you *were* skinny as Arthur, you would want to be less skinny...

[@yuvalne]

"I don't think anyone was walking out of the theatre humming this cello line" You underestimate my power.

[@vetarlittorf1807]

It's not a cello though. It's a halldorophone.

[@racheldumas1459]

I play cello, so you bet your ass I was humming this and non stop talking about the score.

[@starrynightsleep]

riiiight when he said that I was like "oof... I definitely was humming it as I left" LOL

[@anava7030]

Doooo doo doooooooooo doo dooooooooo....

[@stanletters]

While the whole “the music is in his head” bit is a brilliant read of the score, I don’t think that the ending scene is a jumping-off point for the diegetic v non-diegetic discussion. He’s humming the song “That’s Life” because he has it stuck in his head from years of watching The Murphy Show, and then it keeps going through his head as he runs from the guards. The music is purely diegetic in this scene to show that Arthur is completely gone. He doesn’t need to focus, all that’s important is this one tune and the irony of it being an ear worm in a time like this. He’s the Joker.

[@Vesohag]

You meant "non-diagetic", because even though he is capable of listening to it, there's nothing that it's producing that music (like a radio, etc). But yes, I agree with you.

[@Barzhan13]

Vesohag isn’t diagetic that the characters are aware of the score playing? Arthur is aware because we are listening to what is playing in his mind. I believe this is proven when he starts singing along to what we have been listening to. Edit: english isn’t my first language so I may have misinterpreted diagetic, correct me if I’m wrong.

[@Vesohag]

@@Barzhan13 no worries. English is not my first either. Diagetic would mean it's coming from a known source (a radio, a band playing live, etc.) but in this case is coming from his mind, maybe, or he is just singing while the song is played for us. So it would be non-diagetic.

[@pietzsche]

@@Vesohag Diagetic means it exists within the world of the narrative, it doesn't have to be music, non-diagetic means it's for the audience only. (you're correct, this is just a more concise way of puttin it)

[@Vesohag]

@@pietzsche thanks!

[@Hoebafett]

It’s so annoying how people are so critical of the Wayne’s being included in the movie. The Wayne family is the most wealthy in Gotham, which the movie obviously takes place in. It wouldn’t make sense to have a movie about Batman’s greatest villain without adding Batman even subtly, it didn’t feel forced to me in any way at least. Obviously the Wayne’s would exist at the same time as the joker coming in to the story, and this connection they made did help to set up the jokers famous obsession with Batman

[@bluesolace9052]

There are so many Batman movies too I think that added to the criticism

[@invictus_1245]

The only thing I don't like about the scene is why are they out during the riot? Even before the play people knew there was a scheduled protest, why would the Wayne's go out in public during a gathering of people who hate them?

[@Murdock_the_Pooch]

Invictus _1 The way the movie was talking about the Clown Protest seemed like it was just going to be that, a protest. And protests don’t usually end in a riot, especially not on the scale that the Gotham riot ends up being. But your criticism highlights what I think the movie’s telling us about the Wayne’s, specifically Thomas. He’s a man who doesn’t think that the protest will affect or even inconvenience him, because why should it? “That’s over there. This is just the further clownery of those who can’t see the big picture. Me and my family, and the others who matter in this city, we’ll be fine.” That’s why he’s so dumbfounded coming out of the theatre. That mental image of There vs Here is shattered & he’s stuck in the thick of it.

[@speccysquaregolike9629]

Wasn't the main problem of the whole movie/city based around the wealth of the Waynes? Like Arthur thought they were corrupt, rich assholes or something and wanted justice for people who didn't have the luxuries the Waynes had idk

[@rsfilmdiscussionchannel4168]

Also, people complained about Venom not including Spider-Man. If the Waynes weren't included in this movie then people would complain as well.

[@nightowl8477]

16:00 so if he's imagining the girl and he's imagining the music, he's probably imagining the audience laughing too. I'm guessing the implication here is that wherever there's soundtrack instead of score, Arthur is imagining almost everything we're seeing.

[@katiezellers7106]

He is definitely imagining the the laughing because when Murray plays the clip of his standup later, no one laughs, its just a moment of silence while Arthur holds the pose.

[@pedriinhopedriinho299]

Omg

[@donalddarko5807]

It's so weird to hear people say that having a Wayne/Batman story in a Joker movie was forced

[@thunderhammer7]

The Batman and Joker characters are so closely thematically linked that it was brilliant to have them both be 'born' at the same time.

[@dojokonojo]

I think its having Joker's mother being romantically involved with Thomas Wayne that feels contrived, but I will suspend my disbelief because the acting in this movie is so damn good

[@panonymousbloom5405]

@@dojokonojo But... She wasn't? That was the point lol.

[@dojokonojo]

@@panonymousbloom5405 We don't really know for sure do we ;)

[@panonymousbloom5405]

@@dojokonojo I mean we don't but I'm pretty inclined to believe it since he found documents and Wayne family also denied it and Arthur seems to hallucinate happy things as a coping mechanism.

[@shybandit521]

I think the fact that Gary Glitter is a villain, and it plays while Joker fully transitions to villain, it's not much of a Yikes and more of a Hmmm

[@marshallemmet1366]

Oh yes definitely

[@enriquepenanieto4398]

but wasn't joker supposed to have been abused by his mother and her boyfriend?

[@shybandit521]

@@enriquepenanieto4398 what does that mean that literally changes nothing about what i said idiot

[@slanguagefreak2388]

Exactly.

[@enriquepenanieto4398]

Guido Mista that Garry Glitter was convicted for abusing and molesting children, like Joker was abused.

[@florbengorben7651]

I think the final scene is incredibly important to Arthur’s character arc and the movie would be less enjoyable and less fulfilling without it. We start the movie and the story with a restless pushover who controls nothing about his life, not even his own laugh. Throughout the story, for better or for worse (depending on the perspective), he slowly becomes more confident in himself and starts to take back aspects of his life that he didn’t have control over. He starts to fight back when people beat him down, he stops taking his medication, and he starts to really control his own image and makes himself into something that he likes, including his rejection of two father figures, both Thomas Wayne and Murray Franklin, and even his own mother. The absolute pinnacle of his character change is in the final scene. He’s been taken back, he’s been locked in the hospital, he’s been beaten down again. But he doesn’t feel that way. He still owns himself. And what’s more... He owns his laugh. Edit: I accidentally said Bruce instead of Thomas Wayne

[@Missjunebugfreak]

I agree completely. It shows that he's truly given himself over to the madness and now accepts his uncontrollable laughter.

[@MSLcorp]

Thomas Wayne* But yeah. It clearly shows arthurs point of being himself in the end. Not being over shadowed by others

[@florbengorben7651]

@@MSLcorp yeah, I realize I accidentally said Bruce instead of Thomas :(

[@mons3020]

"If I have a past, I prefer it to be multiple choice."-The Joker

[@larryolive4829]

ok now when the fuck did he say that ?

[@bocobzaperle1637]

​@@larryolive4829 "The killing joke" Alan Moore

[@bryanseenath5717]

@@larryolive4829 It’s one of his most famous quotes, too.

[@melonpanfkdrv83]

"If the Joker does have a theme, I'm pretty sure it's this" * Sounds of Joker getting beaten up *

[@alfafa1058]

10:18 I personally think that Arthur was laughing at the irony of the whole situation, in the sense that none of the events would have happened if the government didn’t cut his medicine supply and his therapy with the lady. The fact that all of the major things that happened throughout the movie, like the clown movement and the murder of Thomas Wayne, could have been avoided shows how Arthur is right and that it all boils down to money and how the government treats the lower people in society. I think it also perfectly mirrors the beginning of the film too where all he wanted was someone to talk to to share his problems with, and how in the end, in some weird way, he got what he wanted. I also believe that him saying “you wouldn’t get it” is because the lady he is speaking to doesn’t fit in with his class in society. He is of a lower class, and as he stated earlier in the film he believes everyone walks all over people like him, so there is no possible way in which she could understand what he is going through or thinking about.

[@IamBHM]

@Stellvia Hoenheim Alfafa didn't say the therapist couldn't have understood, he said he thought Arthur didn't believe the therapist would have understood; that he didn't trust her to be able to see things from his perspective. That's not an indictment of the value of education, but rather of Arthur's ability to trust other people.

[@Moeller750]

I wasn't actually aware the Joker composer was Icelandic, but now that I know, I understand the way it made me feel a lot better. There's something so super Icelandic about it. It's like a full vulcanic landscape on it's own - barren, but burning at the same time

[@jameson1239]

Yeah I can here it

[@dr_birb]

X, but Y implies that X is opposite, or at least diffrent of Y, while barren and burning is quite similar, especially when the barren iceland was made by burning.

[@Moeller750]

@@dr_birb barren and burning are* quite similar 😘

[@Wolta]

I was like "that's stupid, how come it sounds good just because it's Icelandic". But then you described it perfectly for me :D

[@Moeller750]

@@Wolta maybe it's a scandi thing, but you can always tell if music is Danish, Swedish, Finish or Icelandic

[@ehco7573]

I remember watching a video about how Jokers illness is that he knows about the fourth wall, he knows he's a character and that drove him crazy. The idea that he can hear non-diegetic music fits in so well with that idea and would explain several points in your video about the blurred lines between diegetic and non-diegetic music. Especially as we are seeing (and hearing) the movie through Jokers perspective.

[@eadlynjune]

I so wish they'd use that as an idea for the Joker. I feel the Joker is a writer's villain playground and he seeing a villain who knew he was a villain in a story is really interesting. I'm sure it exists already but this is a different scale.

[@thatlemonadeguy6742]

Do you have a link to that video?? It sounds like an interesting theory

[@ehco7573]

@@thatlemonadeguy6742 kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn-xqYZ8oMyqh7c I believe it's this one.

[@egg_bun_]

Oooooooooh I LIKE THIS A LOT

[@rinkat669]

I love that you always sound frantically passionate, like you're so excited about the implications of the score and you're struggling to pace yourself and put them into words and concepts that we can understand. It really makes me love hearing you talk. You're an amazing creator!

[@GetBaked2421]

Sideways: **Ends the video while playing “That’s Life”** Everyone: **looks around nervously**

[@thunderhammer7]

The Bruce angle is critically important to the Joker. They are polar opposites, and having both the Joker character and Batman being 'born' at the same time is a thematic masterpiece, or at least it was in this movie (it can be overused or done poorly in other instances).

[@VertigoDefinitivo]

It's a bit soap-opera-ish. They did the same thing in the Burton movie, and it works better in that one because that movie feels more like a cartoon. It works better in a less realistic setting.

[@bakoe7604]

VertigoDefinitivo It’s based on a comic books along with other things. Comic books are quite cartooniwh if you didn’t know

[@VertigoDefinitivo]

@@bakoe7604 Thank you for responding to my comment without reading it.

[@BlueTemplar15]

They used the Joker as an excuse to make a popular movie. (Not that I'm complaining, was worth it.) The comic-book Joker is a "super"human criminal mastermind. This character definitely isn't.

[@Erik-zd2oi]

@@BlueTemplar15 why would you think that?

[@CyberneticCupcake2]

The Joker's "theme" of a few notes somewhat reminds me of the music philosophy of Mischa Bakaleinikoff, musical director for many a B-picture, including monster movies. He would give each monster a leitmotif of two or so notes repeating as long as the monster's on screen.

[@RustinChole]

Her other scores (the sicario films really stand out to me) are very similar, but I loved it.

[@octagon7732]

JAWS was 2 notes. Besides the chromatic flourishes or whatever

[@ceeryle]

Did anyone else really love the batman tie-in when his parents got shot? I thought it was very thematically relevant.

[@darlalathan6143]

I did! I thought, "Shoutout!"

[@jaytheartman610]

I thought the batman tie in wasn't forced because it gives the Thomas wayne plot closure.

[@hiimchrisj]

I totally agree. Even if you were completely unaware of anything involving Batman that scene can easily just be looked at as Arthur imagining that the rich asshole that's supposedly his father getting his comeuppance for being a terrible person (at least as far as we're led to believe from Arthur's telling of the story) and an acknowledgement of the consequences of that in that an innocent child just had his parents murdered right in front of him because of it. The only way you can look at that scene in particular as being shoehorned in is if you think the Thomas Wayne plotline in its entirety is shoehorned in which frankly it isn't.

[@MakiPcr]

I think part of the point of Joker is to redefine Batman; you know the joke "rich guy becomes a furry to beat up poor people and the mentally ill", this movie kinda agrees with that and makes sure to break the image of Thomas Wayne, even if he isn't Arthur's father (and I'm not sure, there are holes on Penny's story) he is very much a rich jerk who only pretends to care about the lower classes. I think the movie might be making a point about how Batman is as twisted as anything else in Gotham

[@Sasuga_Skky]

I think its supposed to show the movement he has created. The stirring he has inspired. How one mans story can affect others etc. I like the throwback to 'thats life', makes it seem like one big cosmic joke. That all this was meant to happen exactly as it did and all Arthur did was play his role, the role of the clown. One thing follows another, follows another, and we just keep going because thats life.

[@trekgreenwood6743]

Something I noticed about Arthur’s theme is that it’s two notes of a Db & E. Tune that up a half step to D & F, and that’s literally Hans Zimmer’s Dark Knight theme.

[@ochuspin]

I love when villain themes contrast to the hero theme in some way, like the Prowler’s theme versus Miles Morales’ theme in Into The Spiderverse

[@HollowHimself]

The metallic drum/trashcan thing is easily one of the eeriest and most unsettling pieces of music I've heard

[@SpongeyTheEditor]

Something something society

[@thedistinguished5255]

^ couldn't have said it better myself

[@ghoulbuster1]

bottom text

[@tuttosalve8352]

something something complete

[@najrenchelf2751]

Spongey444, how’d’you get 60 likes for this comment? 😂

[@trevorrogers95]

Naj Renchelf It’s a robot chicken Star Wars parody quote. Or family guy I forget.

[@Dylanking10]

5:56 But even if this was the jokers theme, I don’t think anyone was walking out of the theater humming this cello line... Me and the boys walking out of the theater: 🕺🕺🕺🕺

[@lucastark1784]

I was never bothered by the Waynes being involved.

[@GabiBrooks]

So that's why they want Joker 2 to be a musical. I was intrigued by the idea before, but now I can't wait.

[@grunionshaftoe6239]

Actually "send in the clowns" by Sinatra went gold when in 1973, so it would have been available to the wall street bros.

[@cricat3776]

For future reference if you’re gonna talk more about Hildur or other Icelandic people, we use only first names! We don’t have surnames/last names. Like even the president we call him by his first name! So just calling her Hildur is the proper way to talk about her :).

[@awaken_the_dreamers_8475]

You learn something new everyday.

[@JohnathandosSantos]

Wow, never knew it

[@JeRMRellum]

Yeah, it's like calling Jaden Smith "Will's son".

[@surgrus4367]

Simp

[@IolcanPK]

What do you mean you don't have last names? You don't use them, but you do have them, right? Or are they just part of your first names?

[@ShatteredGlass916]

I love how Arthur sings with the song at the end. It feels like the reverse Miles Morales in Spiderverse. In Mile's case he sings as if he's inviting us to his warm house and bedroom, while Arthur felt like we're being pulled in by force into his insanity. This is backed by how this part felt like a short recap to the killing of Wayne's family.

[@Squantle]

1:21 I’ve watched this review before and public warning don’t waste your time. It is a terrible critique fuelled by a hatred for the people who got enjoyment from Joker. This clip you show is especially funny- Ralph calls Thomas Wayne “cartoonish” for hitting a guy who literally touched his kid and strangled his employee and then confronts him in the bathroom, unwilling to accept the truth. I know this has nothing to do with the score, but damn that video sucks.

[@darlalathan6143]

It would be more realistic for Thomas Wayne's bodyguards to beat Arthur up, at the men's room door.

[@GellertTV]

@@darlalathan6143 I mean his bodyguards won't go to the bathroom it's T.W

[@flyhard3388]

A review of a review

[@FrahdChikun]

Did he happen to praise the movie "Cuck" by any chance?

[@IsaiahReitanFilm]

Honestly Ralph's channel is terrible. He's just that teenager who hates everything because he's upset he's never done anything except the guy is in his 20s

[@Rhi.katsuki]

Ok, OR everyone is looking into the ending scene too much and the joke is when Frank Sinatra's "that's life" Plays the specific lyric "some people get their KICKS, STOMPING on a dream' that's exactly what Arthur does. He stomps her dead and goes running away leaving bloody foot prints.

[@ggundercover3681]

I like this movie because of all the possible interpretations. all of what others said, and what you said are valid and I like it.

[@HuyVo-gd2cj]

Dead comment but in a sense, it could also be interpreted that Arthur himself is getting the kicks stomping on his own "dream", meaning the whole story was mere delusion that he manifested in order to indulge himself.

[@Mcf4742]

The use of the hey song isn’t cringe for me, number one, it matches the tone of the scene, a happy colorful performer being triumphant while hiding a dark secret, Glitter being a predator and Arthur planning to blow his skull open on live television. Number 2, people still listen to Michael Jackson and everyone and their mother knows the allegations against him. It’s not hard to separate music from the creator

[@lily91109]

It's a shame that Glitter is getting royalties, but I agree that the sinister undertone really adds to the scene.

[@travisash8180]

@@lily91109 Glitter sold his rights to the song and so does not receive royalties.

[@lily91109]

@@travisash8180 yeah! good fucking news. :-)

[@jay_mw]

Most people don't know any details about the allegations against Michael Jackson. They just hear that there were allegations and assume he's guilty. However, when you actually look at the facts there's a strong argument to support Michael Jackson.

[@shaindarkart5412]

MJ was proven Innocent....get over it.

[@---rt5fj]

Honestly I feel the use of "Rock and roll Pt 2" was fantastic because of how ive gone seeing it. When it plays on arthurs dance down the stairs it is a victory. This scene IS Arthurs victory in finally embracing who he is the "Joker". He proudly dances down the steps hes been drudging up through the whole film, its like a high for him. But when you break it down, you truly realise the monster thats been released. i did not personally know of the gary glitter case when i first saw the film until i came home and saw the headlines of the film. And when i re saw it. the theme that i took as a surface value victory for the character im following, became a reminder of what horrible tratedgies are to come from his actions. So i thought the use of it was great if that was the intention behind the music choice. tl;dr On the surface, Arthurs victory relating the cheery theme of the song. But when looked into, shows a mosnter that has been releases into the world the "Joker" so yh thats my two cents on the gary glitter usage. Awesome video that always teaches me more about music Edit: Id like to make it clear, i dont mean to make light of the situtation horrible things were done that cant be forgiven im jsut looking through a thematic viewpoint for why the song was used.

[@TheBeatle49]

Anyone else love "White Room" by Cream as the squad car turns a corner to face the rioting crowd?

[@chris_stacey]

A bit of foreshadowing too. Surprised he didn't bring it up in this analysis.

[@lily91109]

I think that was my favourite scene...

[@princessmarlena1359]

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

[@NicoleFelker1673]

When you were just thinking Sideways should do a video on Joker's soundtrack...and 4 minutes later it arrives

[@laurooq]

On demand

[@jayviescas7703]

The Joker is a mash up of several different Joker "origin" stories, parts from the graphic novel The Killing Joke, parts from Tim Burton's Batman, parts from The Dark Knight movie and sly references from the animated series. It's a good analog of 1970s NYC and captures the existential crisis the city was going through at that time. Kind of reminded me of The Deer Hunter. Really good movies that I never want to see again.

[@sarasaiti1755]

I'm curious,why don't you want to see them again?

[@ahsiartsy]

@@sarasaiti1755 yeah same question

[@moonwalkerangel7008]

Well if you remember the quote from The Killing Joke storyline (that most fans consider canon and Joker’s Origin story.) “Sometimes I remember it one way, sometimes another, If I am going to have an origin story, I’d rather it be multiple choice” and that is the essence of Joker, he is often viewed as dangerous and complex and with so many different versions, Joker’s origin story could have so many variations. Some think this is Joker’s origins and others don’t. But in this case, this version of Joker… or at Least Arthur sets up the events of the Waynes being murdered whereas previous versions just chose a random thug robbing and killing Bruce’s parents turning him into Batman, whereas in this story, Arthur (you can debate whether or not this is the Joker as he originally was nameless and a struggling comedian) was the reason that Batman came to exist.

[@komi___]

The tie-in with Batman was absolutely important to show the whole final was real and not a fantasy. In his fantasy only Thomas Wayne would die or the whole family, not just the parents and leave Bruce alive, why would he fantasize about that? Hence the scene is real and the people saying it wasn't important aren't right.

[@DanPurcell]

I think the "Send in the Clowns" moment would be more inspired by Sinatra's rendition of the song (which I believe is also used in a trailer at one point), which I think(?) would've been out by that point if this was set in the 80s? So it kinda clocks that a finance bro who thinks he's a hotshot might identify with Sinatra / his music and therefore know the song.

[@thehillisalive]

Im pretty sure they used the actual Sinatra rendition in the credits as well, but it's been a few months since I saw it so I could be wrong

[@Cobra-Commander83]

It the Sinatra version.

[@RustinChole]

You’re 100% correct, and a Wall Street guy listening to Sinatra in the early 80’s is hardly a crazy notion.

[@calliemyersbuchanan6458]

I thought this was 60/70s

[@mons3020]

"the guy couldn't carry a tune to save his life!"

[@lacamina]

OmG, I didn't catch that he's humming along the song in the end. I also loved that scene because it's like a frame that ties beginning and end together, looking at it as a storyteller. That he's humming could also be a sign that he's telling the story BUT that doesn't mean the story is not true. The overall growth/ downfall of his character is true. It's just a sign that Arthur as narrator is pretty unreliable and that there might be things that have happened differently or would have received differently by another persons. I wasn't aware how character focused this movie is to the point that it doesn't matter if the plot happened like this because the truth this movie tells is far beyond that. So thx for your analysis. As non-musician it helped me to understand this movie better.

[@lacamina]

@Ali Shabbiri Because I only watched it once an a theatre when it came out and I couldn't remember?

[@georgeofhamilton]

13:08 I don't get the problem for this. I think it's rather appropriate for Arthur.

[@reicalg3]

Cinemawins did a great job of pointing out how fitting it is as a symbol of him embracing his madness.

[@Morlock19]

its fitting for him thematically, but it sucks that a convicted pedophile gets any sort of notoriety, especially since this is probably the first time anyone has even THOUGHT of gary glitter in decades. they could have used something else i think, there are other songs that could have fit without the meta association

[@reicalg3]

@@Morlock19 as much as I do agree, this movie (mainly the reviews of it) are the only reason I know who he is, and what he has done. While it has shed some light on him, it is hardly a good light. Regardless of his mental instability, joker is completely guilty of his crimes (assuming anything in this movie happened, but that is a totally different discussion). Regarding gary glitter's disorder, (if you consider pedophilia a mental disorder, but that is a debate for those better educated than I) regardless of his mental state, he is still guilty of possession of child pornography, molestation, and sexual assault. As quick as I am to condemn gary, I am equally as quick to condemn the joker. For me, the parallel really lies in the fact that the movie seems to show that in spite of his disability, joker is fully aware of the crimes he is committing, just like gary glitter. Idk, I may be reading too deep into it, at the very least, it lends into good discussion about what to do with the art created by convicted criminals.

[@Bladavia]

Meh, I think it's an appropriate song just because of its tone and lyrics, it fits the scene. We shouldn't even consider who composed it, that sounds irrelevant in this case. Just the piece by itself.

[@georgeofhamilton]

@@Morlock19 I guess that's true. Criminals, potential criminals, and even just immoral people nowadays seem to crave notoriety, even if it's negative, more than ever. But really, it might be excessive to worry about notoriety that a pedophilic musician might receive by using his music in a context such as this. It's not really possible to judge the most effective way to punish each individual criminal, so maybe we should just not try to as a society and just live our own lives and take care when considering things that offend us.

[@cthulhus-baxtard]

Late comment but anyway. I think saying "the Joker has music in him" & the diegetic music thing can be summarised as simply saying that Arthur/Joker is so far removed from reality (hallucinating/fantasising/mentally escaping) that he imagines a soundtrack for himself in his mind in order to feel more important. I think some of the meds he is taking is generally prescribed for schizophrenic symptoms, so he's not entirely engaged in reality all the time. Sort of like how in the movie The Cable Guy, the antagonist mentions something like the problem with real life is that there's no soundtrack. Also.. I heard that the director sort of regretted making Arthur an unreliable protagonist because after the screening, alot of people believed that the ending indicated the whole movie was a fantasy. He denied that theory completely.

[@B-Roll_Gaming]

7:16 He wasn't hallucinating the relationship. He was fantasizing it. You know, like how he fantasized about being on Murray's talk show at the beginning and getting the kind of emotional validation that he clearly desired.

[@damicamarshall5255]

Pretty sure it was a hallucination bc it shows that he actually did go out to the places they showed, however he was by himself the whole time. It could be he was imagining that it was real and knew it wasn't, but from my perspective what showed that he thought it was real is when he went into her apartment. He felt that was a safe place bc he thought they had a legit relationship. Then when she asks his name reality set in again. But I can definitely see reasoning as to why it could've been a fantasy too, I just disagree.

[@bawoman]

@@damicamarshall5255 Not really, It could be g=him just imagining or daydreaming her being there in those exact moments

[@damicamarshall5255]

@@bawoman true. It's all interpretation

[@smile_jpg6673]

If it was a fantasy then he would’ve known that it wasn’t real

[@abishaipaul2298]

Very subtle distinction

[@KEVMAN7987]

Someone banging on a trashcan lid. "When you bring me out, could you call me the Grouch?"

[@gremlinshipperontheloose2488]

Underrated comment

[@Tekstar85]

Here's my favorite sounds from this movie: - The bathroom scene, I love the melody, so weird and slow. - The police chasing him, was really intense and could feel Joker's feelings. - The moment he realise Sophie doesn't exist, or when he kills Murray, sounds like all the demons from hell are clapping their hands for what he is about to do. Good video by the way !

[@xxsilentreatmentxx]

"There's no way she could know his name is Arthur" Sophie: "Your name's Arthur right? You live down the hall?"

[@WhiteTrash2993]

exactly lmao

[@ScaryMason]

Do you think a single mother in Gotham would leave her front door unlocked? Because Artie Flick, sorry, Arthur Fleck walks right into her home. He hallucinated the break up scene too! That’s how crazy he is: his imaginary friends are turning against him.

[@tonyt987]

In the scene where Arthur is in Sophie’s living room, she questions his name. As in, she isn’t sure if ‘Arthur’ was his actual name or not (though she has some recollection of it). However, in the fictitious world of Arthur’s mind, she undoubtedly knows his name. I believe this is the distinction Sideways was trying to make. In Arthur’s mind, Sophie confidently knows his name but in reality, she barely knows it.

[@ScaryMason]

Anthony Trujillo so, you think she left her front door unlocked?

[@xxsilentreatmentxx]

@@ScaryMason the apartment door being unlocked was unavoidable, it's the only way Arthur could sneak in so the film could smoothly do the reveal. It's not realistic but anything other than it being unlocked wouldn't have worked.

[@t3tsuyaguy1]

In the mugging scene, when we first hear Arthur's leitmotif, I started crying for the first time in this film. I was a man watching this movie by myself, in the theatre. There was a man, also watching this movie by himself just two seats over (no one in between)...I noticed him turn his head toward me, we made eye contact, and we cried together...it's one of the most powerful moments I've ever experienced with a man I don't know. We never spoke. We just cried together.

[@Wearysiren3]

Thank you for sharing this experience.

[@KaNoMikoProductions]

10:56 This... this isn't "out of character"... His compulsive laughter is a defense mechanism of sort, a result of his abuse. The reason he laughs in this scene is because he's ACTUALLY HAPPY. That's not "out of character," it's the evidence of his development, just like his dancing. He dances because he's happy, he's able to laugh properly because he's happy.

[@nuyabuisness7526]

The main criticisms with the scenes at the end have their reasons to be added. The scene with Bruce Wayne's parents getting killed I think is a kind of callback to a theme in comics. The hero often makes their own arch nemesis. In "The Killing Joke" it is shown that it was Batman's actions that led to Joker falling into a vat of chemicals. That scene flips it on its head and now joker, who is the hero in his own story, creates his own opposite. The scene in the psych ward was to show a fully formed joker at the end of his changes. Throughout the whole movie he was laughing without control but not feeling any joy about it. Now he has found his kind of place and purpose and is able to laugh honestly. I will say the scene with the Wayne's getting killed did feel a little unnecessary, but ultimately made sense in the story.

[@RobertStoll]

My perspective on the film actually more stems from the Killing Joke. Many say this film isn't Killing Joke, and to a good extent that's true. Arthur doesn't become entangled in the mafia, doesn't fall into chemicals, etc, and never "buys" an entire carnival just to make a point. However, this theory (which I wholeheartedly buy into) makes a penultimate tie between Joker and Killing Joke. In essence, the Joker's quest to make Batman and Gordon feel his "one bad day" is the same intent behind giving the entire film an awkward, harrowing, yet poetic overtone through not only the blur between realities but the music itself. It's not a good film from a conventional sense. The message is blunt. The acting, while good, is let down by a schizophrenic pacing that can't decide on what exactly is happening. Hell most of the film is designed to make you feel bad, from the lighting down to just how much the world seemingly hates a seemingly random down-and-out clown. But therein is the actual brilliance of it all. This is the Taxi Driver if taken purely from the Taxi Driver's perspective. And, in that way, it makes sense you not only see and perceive the world from Arthur's perspective but hear it as well.

[@duchi882]

The thing I dislike about your videos is that there aren't enough of them

[@JaldaboathIrghen]

Yeah that's freaking terrible.

[@graysonrogers-barnes6302]

I saw it in theaters and I was completely invested. I honestly adore it.

[@KevFrost]

That's life is an earworm in Arthur's head. He's just finished his show, and so like his hero: it's playing over his end credits. His therapist can't hear it, Arthur can. It's non diogenetic, it's psychological.

[@MusicbyWordPlay]

I know this comment was at least a year ago but screw it I feel like responding. I think you are overlooking the real question that was brought up in favor of answering a simpler question. The therapist cannot hear the music, and obviously Arthur has the music playing in his head. The real question is how can Arthur hear the music? The term diegetic means everything that exists in the world of the story, non-diegetic means it does not exist in the world of the story. A song playing on the soundtrack of the film (intended for the audience) that isn't coming from any perceivable source is firmly on the side of non-diegetic. It DOES NOT exist in the world that Arthur lives in. So how is it that he is singing / humming along to a soundtrack that DOES NOT exist in the world he lives in? How can he slow dance to a soundtrack that doesn't exist?

[@KamikazzeCole]

Isn't it good that they used the rock song for the stair scene? I mean all in all Joker is a predator and a villain, not for children of course, but there is all this talk about arthur being too sympathetic and they're putting him in a way too good light, he turned into a villain at that moment, you can use music made by big well known rockstars, but I actually liked that, cause you shouldn't celebrate that scene even though it's made so awesome

[@JakeTalksGamesYT]

Yeah... He's coming into his own as the psychopathic clown prince of crime... Its vindicating for the character, but spells the deaths and destruction of lives to come. I hope that the creep who wrote it got no money (unrealistic) but its a fitting theme for the reasons it is condemned. Its a bad thing thats happening on screen, with music from a bad man.

[@ferrik1675]

Xenophyter Exactly. When I realized about the song and its writer, it hit me about the chances that their selection may have been intentional for the very reason of it being a triumphant song from a terrible individual, just as it’s a triumphant song for a terrible individual in the movie. It’s completely fitting with the background.

[@Inressa]

Just by the nature of the character you're supposed to be distanced from his actions. Sure you can understand why he would do some things, maybe re-evaluate how you may have treated some people, or even feel like you could be doing the same things he's doing in some alternate universe, but that doesn't mean that the music is made to make you be one with his character. You're along for the ride with him but none of the things shown are endorsements of his actions, they simply show reality as it is. One of my favorite things in any media, from games to movies, involves the product actively making you think and disentangle yourself from the main character. In most any media you're entangled with the main character in some aspects and its designed to use their perspective as a means to draw you into the world and keep you grounded with them, but with movies such as this you are not supposed to be entangled with the main character and they distance you from him at every step of the way _while_ still making him totally sympathetic and understandable, which is really a massive achievement. It encourages activity in your watching and stops it from being a totally passive medium and it's really awesome, in my opinion, that the music choice at every step of the way both pulls you into the character and makes you distance yourself.

[@sydneyd2094]

it was more like his sense of self was finally aligned. He broke free from the constraints and finally experienced control and confidence.

[@shorewall]

@@JakeTalksGamesYT I'm pretty sure Glitter gets no money from the song. It's just moral pandering, like the Simpsons banning the episode with Michael Jackson in it. Well, not exactly, because Jackson was never convicted and Glitter was, but...I just don't like book burning. Use it to spread awareness. I agree with everyone's point, that it works for Joker even with that knowledge, because he is evil, even though he is our protagonist.

[@vinslungur]

Makes me proud of being Icelandic seeing all of these Icelandic composers sharing our love for music and becoming successful.

[@tyrannapusandfriends6254]

**Me, who was humming that cello line during and right after the movie** Hmm, yes, yes, not recognisable after the movies finished.

[@ggundercover3681]

I don't think he was saying it wasn't recognisable. it definitely was. it just wasn't that typical catchy tune. it wasn't a catchy "theme". It could pass as a background sound. I think that is what is so great about that "theme". It fits with the background sounds of the movie, sets up that atmosphere, but also is clearly recognisable and effective in what or who it represents. that being said, I am very surprised you felt like humming it afterwards. I don't tend to hum stuff like that, but I will surely recognize it if I ever heard it outside of the film.

[@AlexIsModded]

The Joker was PHENOMENAL on the big screen. I wish you had gone to see it. The way they used sound effects throughout the whole film, gave the story an intensity that was absolutely disturbing, in the best possible way.

[@blackosprey2219]

Ohhh, THAT'S why I got so much Chernobyl vibes from Joker's score...

[@josefodium8888]

The thing with “You would not get it” scene in the end. Rewind back to the last time Arthur met that doctor, his last words to her are “How am I supposed to get my medication now?”. So “You would not get it” was probably her response that was left/cut out. As a result, this line can be used to point the 180 flip (in Arthur's perception of himself) that happened between these two scenes. Because nothing really changed in his situation (it got worse if anything), but it does not strain him any longer. In fact one may argue that he found himself and a semblance of joy in life, even if a highly destructive one. So the joke from Arthur's perspective can be in refusal of help helping him. Just as one of possible interpretations.

[@damicamarshall5255]

That's actually really good, I never thought of that

[@JakeTalksGamesYT]

inspired!

[@alexandramorenoxx5853]

Once I saw it in theaters I knew somebody had to analyze the music of it because it was so moving and interesting. Thanks!!

[@starscythe2099]

Semi-related I remember he references the 3 wall street men, “not being able to hold a toon to save their lives.” He makes a joke about the one poorly singing “send in the clowns,” but it would be completely lost to everyone but the movie audience. No one has any idea what he is talking about.

[@christakyriae435]

congratulations, now joker 2 is a musical. curious what they'll do

[@NeverlandSystemPunkGirlChloe]

I LOVED Joker. It was amazing. The psychological aspect of it was so well done, the slow descent into madness and breaking... WOW... and the music was incredible, too.

[@rummagingchaos]

this probably isnt my camp because i’ve never been super into batman but personally i LOVED this movie. it was a masterpiece to me. the ending scene with him dancing on the car was epic. i actually liked how they tied in bruce wayne

[@YGhappyvirus]

can I just say that this whole thing about joker having music in his head is that it shows that he's literally SUCH A PERFORMER like he's always performing he's always making a show he's always putting on a happy face he's always trying to make people happy and it's so poignant and it's so like you feel like he genuinely loves performing even though he completely bombs but he loves the feeling of it so much like the chance to perform is such a gift to him that even if he effs it up, he relishes in that moment so much bc he loves performing OH MY GOD I LOVE IT

[@sophiemason8444]

"Batman is a huge franchise spanning 100 years or whatever" I know that Batman was first publisher in 1939....but I still had to google this because it sounds made up

[@KaNoMikoProductions]

"you can tell it's fake because she knows his name" His name would be on the address... Heck, even the REAL her knows his name is Arthur, because she asks him that when he breaks into her place.

[@Cmbtsnpr]

Better proof that she is fake is that after his first kills, he goes and kisses her, but the room he's imagining has the rwong number.

[@LichlordP]

The music from Joker gave me a strong Impressionist vibe personally, like it was trying to help you feel what Arthur was the whole time. I really liked this video :D

[@heathsmog]

5:58 "I don't think anyone was walking out of the theater humming this cello line" *profuse sweating*

[@sandile13809]

I like how the musical motif in joker was the same as the one in Chris Nolan’s dark night trilogy. Both motifs are just playing a minor 3rd interview and I noticed that immediately while watching the film

[@reicalg3]

Both my roommate and I noticed this as well, I kept waiting for him to mention it in this video. The slow, saddened version of the same leitmotif really added an extra layer to the film for me

[@octagon7732]

Thats one hell of an interview

[@bertvsrob]

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music”. The music clues us in to when Arthur is hallucinating and marching to the beat of his own drum. As his external world tends towards chaos, his internal music moves toward flowing concordant strings

[@aviatorcap]

I had always interpreted it as whenever the music is prominent in a scene (ie, not background noise) it's signalling that Arthur is having a break in reality. I also liked the Wayne's being killed at the end. In the comics, the Joker is obsessed with Batman as he believes that Batman created him, in this movie it's a nice mirror that instead the Joker created Batman.

[@sandermartens7790]

Bro predicted the sequel being a musical

[@stevendeboer6921]

5:58 I'm humming it, I can't stop humming it. Everytime I'm alone I hum it. Everytime I need a little quiet around my friends I him it. shit...

[@harveyjones6419]

Wow you are so cool and damaged what an epic gamer moment not sad at all

[@shofiulislam6344]

I hum it almost every day

[@onee]

12:38 As a non-American, I personally considered this song to be the song of the movie. I haven't heard the song before. And I also didn't know the story behind the artist. PS: It could also be a deliberate choice that they chose that song of that guy specifically.

[@prettyspectrum6371]

I just noticed this but I already love this detail. When you said which song was Joker's theme, was the cello one and went through the scenes to prove it. When he is being kicked at or is at a low state the song is sad and melodramatic, but in the last scene shown where he starts to make his stand it becomes strong and chaotic

[@olivialovelle]

The reason they chose ‘Rock and Roll part 2’ for the staircase scene was to essentially have the villain become the villain with a real life villain’s song. (If that makes sense)

[@davidkonevky7372]

The music in this film reminds me of a lullaby, but it's weirdly corrupted, like something impure has tainted it.

[@janhrovat7585]

"This video is brought to you by viewers like you" is the right way to start a video...just sayin

[@CVerse]

Well LOOK who won the Oscar for Best Score and Best Actor

[@vortexshift5146]

There was a specific line I heard while watching the movie in the first half. Joker said “only music understands me.” Idk I just thought it was interesting considering the psychological elements and the musical soundscapes in the film.

[@lillyvalley2277]

Idk if you read your comments often or at all but I wanted to say is thank you for making videos like this. You've opened my mind to the incredible analyzation of music in movies. Ever sense I watched one of your videos for the first time I can't watch a movie without noticing how detailed the score can be (depending on the movie). Please keep making video essays/just videos in general. ❤️

[@miserable6623]

Rock and roll II being by Gary glitter I think carries a villain theme into the joker bc hearing it subconsciously tells us “oh so he’s a bad person too”

[@AlaLoupeQC]

"That's Life" is also heard when he first put the "Joker" make-up. Much like the final scene (or Carnival), it's heard in both ways. He seems to be dancing on it as he's dyeing his hair but it's obviously slown down much like the final shot. He literally said this: "My mom's dead. I'm celebrating." Anything that is wrong on a moral point of view, Arthur (or Joker) is dancing on it. Dancing is the ultimate release of whatever Arthur has left. He even dances on the police car before he turns around and realizes that "people love him". Dance has been everywhere in Joker. My favorite one is obviously after the train pursuit when the detectives are cornered by the rioters and get brutalized. Arthur... Joker laughs it up with a dance (dark comedy) and moves on, giving place to my favorite shot in the movie: Joaquin Phoenix walking out the substation and the haunting score from Hildur making the rest work flawlessly.

[@pigeon1178]

Watching this movie was wild because I always thought of "that's life" as a quintessential joker song. Like it always reminded me of the character for some reason and I had it on old fan playlists for Dc villains. It fucking threw me for a loop when they included it and featured that song so heavily

[@MarcoDotIO]

Are we going to see a Joker 2 analysis?

[@Lieutenant_Dude]

The metallic percussion I think was perfect for his realization that his sanity is slipping. It reminds me almost of a clock ticking, but broken sounding, like the gears are crunching against each other. A metaphor for his own psyche.

[@MrEffectfilms]

Here's my take on the ending. Maybe it's just me but Arthur looks a bit older during the final scene, like at least 10 years older. I think that by this point Bruce has already become Batman and the reason for the flashback to Bruce standing over his parents bodies is because Arthur just realized who Batman is and finds it funny. That's why he told the doctor "You wouldn't get it".