Joker, a symbol of social manifestations

A man with a white face, an excessive red smile and green hair who became famous for his figure and particular behaviour; the Joker. After the release of the successful film Joker by the director Todd Philips recounting the life of his protagonist, Joker favored the becoming of this character into a symbol of social manifestations across the globe.

Since its release this October, 9th the films Joker with Joaquin Phoenix as the main character has created polemics after polemics. Known as the worst enemy of Batman Joker was only known for his outrageous side and his iconic figure. A superficial facet that the film tried to erase by making us immersing ourselves deep down into the Joker’s life and psychological transformation.

And if Occidental societies accused this film of promoting deviant individual behaviour they didn’t have the capacity to prevent the various raising of manifestations in the underprivileged places.

More and more Joker in manifestations…

Lebanon, Hong Kong but also Chile has all been witnesses of serious demonstrations led by their people

against a measure set up by their government. In every one of them, the features of the Joker have been borrowed by people eager of being heard and striking. But why do they use the figure of a fictional character known for his craziness and crimes?

This is when the film Joker gains in importance and permits us a real awareness of today’s social issues of society.

In the cinematographic work directed by Todd Philipps the Joker is before everything Arthur Fleck. A man whose only goal is to give joy to the population around him by putting on a clown costume in a dull society worn out by the routine.

But despite his good intentions, he will only know hatred and treachery. The society, represented by different characters throughout the film, will mistreat him without any reason. Unlucky or the indicator of a lost society?

Suffering from psychological trauma Arthur Fleck will only see in this various mishaps hatred from others. And he will decide to become the mocking avenger of society by making it more absurd… and dangerous. A story in which the spectator doesn’t really know if he has to feel terror or pity for this tragic and pathetic character filled with a desire for justice.

And this is in that same goal of justice and equality than demonstrators see in the Joker a symbol of demonstration and disapproval. Against the increasing prices of tube ticket in Chile, to the Chinese revolt against the extradition law (= permits the transfer of an individual considered a fugitive by the Chinese government in China), or even in Lebanon (which has known its most important events for four years) against the taxes on Internet calls.

A young protestant whose face is hidden by a Joker mask during a riot in Barcelona,

in October 2019

This is a rise of the mass of the population that aims at expressing their freedom of expression and their ways of justice against the establishment of measures judged against the people’s will. Movements which find as inspirations works of art in which they can identify themselves, and works of art which speak to the society nowadays.

The French historian of revolutions Mathilde Larrière who took an interest in these demands declared that ʺThese are movements (…) which develop their own culture. Under the French Revolution it was the same schema with the pop songs that were sung in the evening. ».

The people’s will to claim their rights is then a history which seems to continue over and over again through ages; regardless of what the context is and what their inspirations are…

Sources images :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mamemoria/48884260151/in/photolist-2htJBrz-4XZEvZ-5XpVhg-4NLban-6S4eTA-54HU1P-2dT5D5u-Ms8Tp3-5zo2H4-zrCupc-qDBqVc-H2ryon-R1Utgp-Aq2SZo-dBVjzY-2dSLLzP-oDbfkK-6YPkyv-26Rq8Mj-MjjxKo-5EJ7ic-XZVD8-6BXX6q-bAt94F-qaEE8g-DfGqCP-bFaxKh-9xUxH1-HjywYA-7Sa2HV-96AiP8-dsF1QQ-8qxaNC-Sbdhma-GSX6P9-H2EU1E-8GCiTx-2cVBwPa-euUGKm-fBn6fC-2i3Ybnw-6uD6k6-ebdioB-7kg1C6-62U4eB-79vmMn-58AiUh-a7pokT-YAMA6D-9S6s1f

https://www.shutterstock.com/fr/image-photo/barcelona-spain-18-october-2019-young-1541058848

https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-vector/joker-face-on-white-background-vector-1523926103