When it was announced that the sequel to Joker: Folie à Deux would be a musical, many raised eyebrows. After all, Todd Phillips' first Joker movie won praise for its grounded villain origin story, not for its musical. Marketing for the sequel leans towards the musical aspect, with early teasers showing Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck/Joker and Lady Gaga’s Harleen “Lee” Quinzel dancing and singing together. . Still, Phillips himself was hesitant to call Joker 2 a musical, and for good reason.
In an interview with Variety, Phillips explained his reluctance, saying, “I didn’t want people to think it was like ‘In the Heights,’ where the woman in the wine cellar starts singing and takes it out onto the street. ” he said. …” Anyone who has seen “Joker 2” probably agrees that it’s not like “In the Heights” in that it takes a more grounded approach to the songs. I would. But the elements Phillips describes are what make In the Heights a musical. Contrary to popular belief, not all films with songs are musicals. Joker 2 has a lot of songs, but they don’t meet the standard musical requirements.
Related: ‘It’s completely different’: Lady Gaga insists ‘Joker 2’ is not a musical Initial feedback that Joker would be a musical appears to have caused the team to backtrack.
Joker 2’s songs are mostly diegetic.
Arthur and Lee’s musical explosion is a product of their shared madness
As anyone who has studied musicals knows, songs in musicals are an essential part of the storytelling process and are necessary to advance the plot or expand on the emotions of the characters in a meaningful way. there is. Also, music is usually non-diegetic. That is, the characters are unaware that they are singing, and there is no in-universe explanation for it. Of course, there are some exceptions, especially when the main character is a singer or songwriter, but for the most part, the audience suspends their disbelief and assumes that at any moment people will start singing. Expected to be accepted. In other words, there’s no need to justify the fact that people are singing in musicals. That’s clearly not Joker 2’s approach.
Most of the music in Joker 2 is diegetic, and everyone is well aware that Arthur and Lee sing randomly when no one else is. Additionally, several musical numbers are depicted as dream sequences, in which Arthur retreats into a fantasy world to process his emotions. In other words, there is always an explanation behind the music. Considering how down-to-earth Joker was, even with its spontaneous dance sequences, it makes sense that Joker 2 continued to use this approach for its song and dance numbers. However, that is also a big reason why it clearly doesn’t feel like a musical.
The music in Joker 2 is mostly diegetic, so Arthur and Lee are the only ones acting like a musical. Rather than being part of the story itself, the songs seem to have a more symbolic purpose within the story. They represent the titular folie à deux, or the unique “madness” shared between Lee and Arthur that separates them from the rest of the world. This music also symbolizes the influence of Lee, who begins singing for the first time after meeting Arthur. Lee then learns that Arthur has been lying about his upbringing and sings to appease Arthur, and when the two go their separate ways at the end of the film, Arthur asks Lee to stop singing but… , she refuses. This use of music is interesting, but it doesn’t matter how the songs would work in the actual musical.
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Joker: Folie à Deux Song Doesn’t Advance the Plot or Deepen the Characters
Joker sequel wouldn’t be much different if the music was removed
Music is an integral part of the musical medium, and stories are told through the songs themselves. As a result, musical songs can be informative and enlightening, explaining to the audience what is happening and revealing what the characters are thinking and feeling at a particular moment. I’ll make it. In Phillips’ example, in In the Heights, the audience meets Nina in the song “Breathe.” Viewers have already heard from other characters that Nina has just returned home from her freshman year of college, but in her song they learn that she secretly dropped out. They also learn about her ambitious past and how ashamed she is for giving up not only letting herself down but the entire community. Again, there are some exceptions. For example, songs in concept musicals like “A Chorus Line” or “Cabaret” typically relate more to the central theme than the show’s plot, but they still deepen the audience’s understanding of what’s going on. Masu.
Unfortunately, the songs in Joker 2 don’t really accomplish this. It doesn’t center around a specific idea like a concept musical, and it doesn’t have much to do with the story. To be fair, the latter might be a little harder to achieve with a jukebox musical like Joker 2 (a musical that consists of pre-existing songs rather than original songs). Some might argue that the song reflects Arthur and Lee’s emotions throughout the film. , but still the connection is not that strong. Arthur sings love songs like “Bewitched” to express his feelings for Lee, and she sings “(They Long to Be) Close to You” to reiterate her feelings for him, but these are songs that viewers can Something that can be easily gleaned from their unrealistic emotions. musical interaction.
The only original song in Joker 2 is “Folie à Deux,” a short song sung by Lee during Arthur’s first musical dream sequence.
If there’s one song in Joker 2 that feels like a true musical, it’s probably Arthur’s key courtroom number, “Joker.” The lyrics are very reminiscent of his journey in the first film. From a beaten outcast who was “just wrong and funny” to a vengeful murderer. In this moment, Arthur fully embraces his Joker persona, pausing in the middle of certain lyrics with vicious attacks on those who seek to judge him. He feels powerful and has the undivided attention of everyone, who trembles in fear, and Lee supports him as the only person who dances with him. Although it ends up being a dream sequence, it reveals more about what’s going on in his head than any other song in the film. I can’t help but wonder how much more effective the story would be if the rest of the music was just as insightful.
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Joker 2 isn’t fully committed to being a musical
The first Joker movie made better use of musical moments
Joker 2 continues Joker’s commitment to gritty realism, and while it’s no surprise since it’s a direct sequel, this decision clashes with its musical elements. By making the songs diegetic and more symbolic in nature rather than a true extension of the storytelling, the musical numbers seem to be a detour from the story rather than a medium through which the story is told. You will be able to feel it. Most of the songs don’t enhance the story, so removing them won’t do much of a loss to the movie. Therefore, Joker 2 is not a musical, but a movie with music in it.
“Joker 2” is more of a movie with music than a musical.
Sadly, this lack of attention to musical elements also reveals Joker 2’s other flaws. Although Arthur has many musical songs of his own, the songs in the film are closely tied to Lee and Arthur’s relationship. This is an understandable choice given the symbolism it provides, but it becomes more obvious when the film veers away from that part of the story. The fallout from Arthur’s trial and eventual abandonment of his Joker persona feels very alien to Lee, as evidenced by the lack of singing during these parts of the film. From the way the movie is being promoted, how the plot begins, and the title alone, their relationship should be the center of the story. Instead, their twisted musical love story takes a backseat to Arthur’s personal journey, and with how disjointed these plots are, it feels like Joker 2 is trying to be two different movies at once. It feels like.
Phillips’ first Joker film has several effective musical moments, most notably Arthur’s impromptu dance in the bathroom and down the long staircase outside his apartment. Both scenes were very effective in depicting Arthur’s descent into becoming the Joker. Joker 2 attempts to use music in a similar way, but it doesn’t gel well with the film’s commitment to realism. As the sequel sought to keep the theme of duality front and center, it could have leaned more into the conflicting elements of Arthur being caught between two different worlds: musical fantasy with Lee and reality. do not have. Instead, Joker 2’s musical elements feel like add-ons that don’t quite fit in with the rest of the movie.
A sequel to the critically acclaimed and award-winning 2019 film, Joker: Folie à Deux sees the return of the Joker in a new chapter of madness and mayhem. Prepare for a dark and twisted descent into the mind of Arthur Fleck as he battles his inner demons and causes chaos in Gotham City.
Director Todd Phillips
Release date October 4, 2024
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, Harry Lortie, Lee Gill, Jacob Lofland, Sharon Washington, Troy Fromin, Bill Smitrovich , John Lacy, Ken Leung
Screenplay Todd Phillips, Scott Silver, Bob Kane, Paul Dini, Bill Finger, Bruce Timm, Jerry Robinson
Running time 138 minutes
Characters
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