Joker is the traumatic story of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a psychopathic middle-aged man with a borderline personality, a traumatic past, and a codependent bond to his depressive mother. Fleck works as a rent-a-clown, hired out to twirl signs or sing for sick children. His mother, Penny (Francis Conroy), is an emotionally crippled shut-in with a delusional story of a past love affair with Thomas Wayne — father to the inevitably orphaned Bruce Wayne, destined to become Batman.
This Postmodern Realities episode is a conversation with Journal author Correy Latta forthcoming online-exclusive movie review article, “Getting What We Deserve: What Joker Gets Right about Human Depravity: ”.
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