Joker as Metaphor

after seeing Batman the Dark Knight once ive come to realize that im going to have to see it again just to catch all the philosophical ideas that were touched on in the film. politics, game theory, crime, social darwinism, human nature and being a real leader as opposed to just a hero are some of the topics introduced in this comic book film. but the one concept that has stuck in my mind is the actual character of the Joker. now, its not just that Heath Ledgers performance was a tour de force or that the character was all covered in a sadistic clown makeup that causes him to standout. its that the Joker comes off as a metaphor for all those who oppose civilization, especially western civilization - the bane of the easily offended. if you look at everyone through out history that has opposed those who are good and the civilization that they represent they all have qualities of the Joker. they are irrational, sometimes unpredictable, bitter, envious, emotionally driven, angry(in the Jokers case apparently he had an abusive childhood and family problems is a common theme among the perpetually angry.), frequently isolated, many times narcissistic and in many ways socially dysfunctional. also sometimes they feel left out or cheated by society and therefore seek to exact revenge on those who have caused their pain.

judas was greedy for money, lee harvey oswald was angry about cuba(supposedly anyway), manson was just plain nuts, the washington dc sniper and the seattle synagogue killer were angry muslims, and osama bin laden was offended by the west and its presence in the middle east(among other things). al gore feels betrayed by the bush administration, michael moore is angry at bush about 9/11, john stuart and colbert dont have what it takes to lead or run for office so they engage in childlike anger driven satire. none of the behavior is constructive its all destructive. nothing about democracy, debate, objective journalism, or the lefts dreaded concept - faith. its all about them and their perceived need to get back at all of us - to make us pay.

these Jokers all have the same thing in common they are on the outside, they don't want to participate in society in a constructive way, they want to bring things down and replace them with...better leadership? state control? carnage? anarchy? in many ways the Jokers sidekick clowns are the michael moores, the john stuarts, the colberts. self destructive, bitter, angry, envious, unwilling to participate in the real world all they can do is joke and mock and side with others who do the same. and todays real Joker, the real madman, is Osama Bin Laden - an angry, desperate irrational person who "just wants to see the world burn" who can't be reasoned with, negotiated with, or placated in anyway. remember nick berg i think, who had his head cut off on video? remember those US army soldiers who were captured and tortured by terrorists in iraq? remember daniel pearl? what madness Bin Laden has perpetuated.

no i take that back, Osama is history. his Al Qaeda crime organization has been stopped cold in Iraq. his plans for a caliphate have been thwarted and his desire to acquire nuclear weapons have been foiled. Gotham (AKA the west) will not burn by his command. it will come at the hands of that small man from Iran, mahmoud ahmadinejad, who like Napoleon has an inferiority complex and like hitler he hates the jews and the west. he is the real Joker of our times now and it remains to be seen if the world will burn because of him.

i think its up to us the civilized ones to try to build a society that upholds what is noble and good and gives everyone a fair chance at participating. its up to us who believe in western civ to uphold its values. to protect the weak, educate the ignorant, reform the criminal or punish him, and to maintain the laws that have allowed for free elections, a free economy, freedom of religion, and a free people. its up to us to root out corruption and deny the Jokers of this world an opportunity to strike at our way of life.

The Joker is a metaphor for terrorism(and unresolved anger) and he is very scary to watch. Lets see it as an incentive to do good.

Batman Dark Knight - great movie and deep social commentary

i went to the friday night standing room only showing of Batman and came away satisfied for once that i paid so much for a movie ticket. although i had to put up with the usual goofy mothers bringing their infants and toddlers to a serious movie and the occasional numb nuts who flips his phone up to text his mom to tell her that hes having fun(note to the clueless: a glowing cell phone screen is just as annoying as a ring!!!!) the film was intense enough to make me forget the rest of the crowd was there in the theater - and thats an achievement.

heath ledger was of course brilliant, he definitely puts the crazy-get-back into the jokers character and makes other portrayals of the joker look pathetic and anemic. it really is to bad he had to die because i think he would have explored other roles with great intensity like the jokers and maybe even have wanted to do other characters or villains....but who knows. RIP. Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman(i heard his accent come out at one point i wonder if anyone else caught that), and Maggy Gyllenhaal all do great jobs as well but because of Ledgers performance and death i think most of it will be overshadowed.

the movie dives into several deep areas about life that you would think would be reserved for stage theater or a serious novel. how many films can you think of that touch on human nature and all of our competeing plans, terrorism, and game theory decisions? what choices would you make if each choice came with a cost? what do you do when life gets gray and no option looks good? how far do you go when confronting terrorism without sacrificing your own moral integrity?...these are some of the questions that the films raises i think.

i also came away fearful of terrorism, i know the director didnt intend for the film to be statement about the war on terror but there sure are strong parallels to be made, especially with the joker representing the irrationality of radical islam. it makes a person appreciate the sacrifices that have been made to protect our civilization from people who, "just want to see the world burn".

the dark knight was not without a dash of comic relief though. the joker at times is genuinely funny, especially seeing him dressed up like a nurse, man that was hilarious. and when he is being interrogated batman slams his head on the table...that brought chuckles to the whole audience. overall i give the film an A-. it could have earned a plus if it dared to show how dark things could actually get because i thought for sure that someone in the real world would have pushed the button on that detonator on the ferry. i think the director, nolan, was making a statement in that scene which wasn't wrong. there are people who do choose to do right. but on any given day you never know who might just have to make that decision and i guess that what game theory is about. google the 'prisoners dilema' thats a classic that will shed light on the ferry scene.

where on earth do we place this film? its darker than the hulk, deeper than spiderman, and more serious than ironman. its definitely close to the spirit of our times. this film would not have resonated prior to 9/11. i think it would have scared people away. but for some reason it just fits at this time in american history. 10 years from now what will people think of the dark knight? another 'dances with wolves' that people just kind of watch and scratch their heads? who knows, i think it will have a timelessness about it.