The Iconography of Batman and Gotham City, Reconstructed

Movies like 'The People's Joker' don't come around often, and that's a damn shame.

Apr 25, 2024

Dear Moviegoers,

The Joaquin Phoenix starrer Joker, that twisted adaptation of Batman’s crown prince of crime, for sure had its share of detractors and had caused much chaos among critics - applause for that accomplishment. No matter what though, it did make for at least one very interesting development of the character: comedic dissonance. The man’s understanding of jokes and what made them funny was the stuff of disconnected nightmares and sad attempts at being “average.” He was an alien witnessing humanity, and cracking under the pressure of figuring them out.

While there is almost no proper way to begin describing director Vera Drew’s take on the character in The People’s Joker without starting from a point of controlled anarchy, allow me to suggest that the film doesn’t just have humanity figured out, it does so with anti-comedy. With an edge. Yes, it has something in common with a Todd Phillips movie. Something in common that also surpasses the initial intention. Where Phoenix’s Joker doesn’t know that his comedy isn’t right, Vera Drew’s Joker the Harlequin knows the jokes are more righteous than anything. Both are aggressive, one on purpose.

My interpretation of The People’s Joker is that it’s a most intimate journal entry dressed in comic book panels, using and reforming the pop cultural icons and symbols of D.C.’s Gotham City, to fever dream its way into crafting an incredible coming of trans revolution. Vera Drew, who faced many obstacles from certain corporate entities in getting this movie seen, makes no apologies or concessions in achieving this one-in-a-million vision, going so far as to cast characters with computer-animated avatars. Like a puppet master. THE puppet master.

I’m reminded of the long-since dropped #OccupyGotham remix video project that was proposed by the great visual essayist, the Pop Culture Detective himself Jonathan McIntosh. It would’ve been a socialist turn of the knife on The Dark Knight Trilogy and how Batman might be (or is indeed) more protective of the wealthy status quo than real change for real people. Bad guys from across the Rogue’s Gallery would join in the protests, flipping Gotham on its head. This is now the legacy of The People’s Joker, though the film doesn’t need or have use for that. Indeed, its “Rogues Gallery” is featured, but they’re either well-meaning residents and dreamers or misfits with pained yesterdays and todays, just trying to make a life for themselves.

Oh, and Batman is a _*spoiler*_ grooming _*spoiler*_.

Provocative. Challenging. Confrontational. Hilarious. Daring. Personal without being esoteric. The People’s Joker is a one-individual presentation with some great community support, and that’s very difficult for a very small independent film of this kind. It’s such an open book of a story that just attracts everyone to it, and not just because of its true underground nature, the semi-likes of which haven’t been sort of seen since Escape from Tomorrow kinda took on Disney. The People’s Joker goes for broke and ends up with riches beyond expectation. Hopefully, for Vera Drew, that’ll mean high recognition and bigger budgets for future projects.

Dare I not proclaim The People’s Joker as being vulnerable? For me, in no way does intimate and personal, in this cinematic example, mean that Vera Drew and Gotham’s finest citizens are somehow starting, telling, and ending their tale from a place of harmed powerlessness. Vulnerability can have a power inside its wounded nature too, but I still don’t think of this film as vulnerable. It’s very open, sure, but there’s an uncanny confidence it has in finding itself and reconciling with the trauma of past and potential failure of a future that’s associated with coming out as a trans individual and trying to carve out a career for oneself. This confidence translates into power, which equals a story told on the filmmaker’s terms alone. That’s incredible. That’s brilliant. That’s strong.

It’s all so scary, and it’s not a joke. Not normally a joke anyway. The People’s Joker makes comedy from such uneasy emotional places while being serious about it. Why so serious? Why so funny? Why not. 5/5

The People’s Joker is coming to independent theaters near you and is currently playing at Zeitgeist Theatre & Lounge in New Orleans - support the venue with a membership.

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