Glamorizing Mental Illness and Violence in Joker (2019) through Non-hegemonic Masculinities

Abstract

[eng] This paper examines the representation of mental illness and violence in Todd Philipps’ popular film Joker (2019) and how audio-visual techniques in relation to modern perspectives on masculinities may magnify them. The growing popularity of postmodern films over the past few decades has encouraged many controversial debates within the academic community, which allowed topics such as mental illness, violence, and masculinity to be reinvented in contemporary movies. Since its inception, Joker (2019) has been scrutinized by scholars within the psychological and sociocultural academic fields. While most academic discussions covered the film’s important signalling of the ever-increasing mental health issues in contemporary society, not many have considered how Joker (2019) may be advocating for the normalization of unstable mental health behaviour. Through the portrayal of similar postmodern movies and an in-depth audio-visual analysis of key scenes, this paper aims to illustrate the film’s tendency to promote and normalize mental illness and violence. Drawing on Michael Foucault’s reflection on madness, as well as reinterpretations of R.W. Connell’s notions of non-hegemonic masculinities, this study will argue that the film embraces these concepts to justify and glamorize Arthur Fleck’s mental health condition and criminal activity.