The 360 | Could 'Joker' inspire real-world violence?
What's happening:"Joker," a gritty, violent origin story of one of the most iconic villains in comics, hit theaters this week. The film follows a lonely man named Arthur Fleck as a series of incidents gradually push him to become Batman's criminal nemesis.
These concerns are heightened by memories of the 2012 shooting in Aurora, Colo., which took place during a screening of"The Dark Knight Rises." Parents of some victims in that shooting have expressed their unease with a film that gives a villain like the Joker a"sympathetic origin story." Police departments are increasing their presence at screenings of the film as a deterrent.
Story continuesWhat's nextEarly indicators suggest"Joker" will be a box office hit and may attract attention during awards season. Director Todd Phillips has said there are no plans for a sequel but suggested he may be open to one if Phoenix were interested in reprising the role.The film validates the anger of potentially dangerous young men"'Joker' is an attempt to elevate nerdy revenge to the plane of myth, which is scary on a lot of different levels.
"Joker" could be seen as providing a rationale for violence"...the movie plays right into advance fears that it could act as a kind of incel manifesto, offering not just comfort or understanding to disaffected young men angry at the world but a playbook for striking back at it." — Sam Adams, Slate "Joker" doesn't treat its main character as an aspirational figure"...the film itself is clearly not intended to function as a depraved call to arms for the world’s villainous clowns." — David Sims, the Atlantic
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