Joaquin Phoenix has spoken out on the ending of Joker 2, as the controversial movie has ended up with some people walking out of the cinema before it’s even over.
The film is certainly a major departure from the first one, though it being a musical is proving to be an unpopular point for some, while it’s generally been given thumbs down from critics and audiences.
There are some who reckon it’s been specifically designed to go against a certain group of fans who formed around the first movie, and the movie does have some defenders who reckon those not enjoying it ‘aren’t getting the point’.
The film serves as a rejection of the Joker persona for Arthur Fleck (Phoenix), as he eventually casts it off and in doing so loses the support of his most ardent devotees, including Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga) who had fallen in love with Joker but not Arthur.
In the end Arthur confesses to his crimes and after the courtroom he’s in is bombed by Joker fanatics he leaves them to be recaptured and sent back to Arkham Asylum.
Once there he gets approached by a young inmate (Connor Storrie) who says they want to tell Arthur a joke, then stabs him to death with a shiv.
That’s it, Joker 2 ends with Arthur Fleck dropping the Joker persona and being killed, though the implication is that his killer will go on to be come the actual Joker.
Speaking to IGN about the end of the movie, Joaquin Phoenix said there was a ‘warmth’ to the ending scene where his character gets shivved to death in prison.
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He said: “There’s a warmth in that scene, which is nice.
“That’s all that I was thinking about that I was after, is here’s this young man who’s telling me a joke and he’s nervous to tell me the joke, I can tell that he’s nervous, and I’m going to hear him out.
“And it’s a pretty good setup.”
Joker 2 director Todd Phillips, who isn’t going to be returning to any DC properties, said he thought ‘Joaquin is so beautiful in that scene’.
He said: “I think Arthur has found peace with the idea, with the struggle that it’s okay to be yourself.
“And that’s really what he’s always struggled with, you know what I mean? I like to think he died at peace in a way being himself.”
Whether you didn’t like the film or thought some viewers didn’t get the point, there’s no doubt a lot of discussion around Joker 2 has been had.
