Dark, Hard, Uncomfortable, Disturbing...Why?

Question:

Why is Joker (2019) a "dark and disturbing" film?

Answer:

In life, you're either a perpetrator or a victim: of bullying, of cheating, of adultery, of beatings; in short, anything that can be categorized under Physical or Psychological Violence that has caused major emotional scarring and trauma. Either way, you wouldn't want to see your real face, the one you keep hidden away from everyone around you, the one that's either filled with hate and cruelty or the one that has helpless, agonized tears streaming down the cheeks, blown up and projected before the entire world to see. (Ever wondered why people who cheat on their partners feel uncomfortable while watching movies or TV shows based on the theme of adultery and the ensuing problems? Yes, same reason.)

Disclaimer:

The above assessment may not fully apply to the real hardcore perpetrators. It may be noted that the higher your level of psychosis/sadism, the greater is your resistance to any discomfort caused by a representational depiction (of your action or anything similar) unfolding before you. This simply means that someone with an advanced case of psychosis/sadism would probably be at best only partially troubled while watching such stuff, and that too on all likelihood if she (or he) was watching it in the company of one of her (or his) victims. But by and large the assessment holds true.

Which is why Joker is a dark, hard, uncomfortable watch—because it is a stark reminder of who, or what, we are: either the monster that broke a helpless soul and turned it into a hate-filled nightshade, or the Crying Freeman that another monster has caused us to become.

[Image courtesy: Google Images]

x