Wei-Ting Lin
English 383
Dr. Nilsson
Response Essay 2
April 4, 2015
Batman & The Joker In Frank Miller’s work, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (1986), we discover that the relationship between the Joker and Batman is both a reflective and a homoerotic relationship. Around the 1950’s, there were anxieties regarding censorship within graphic novels. As a consequence, in 1954, the Comics Magazine Association of America produced the Comics Code Authority, which adopted values from both the Association of Comics Magazine Publishers of 1948, and the 1930 Hollywood Production Code. The code was originally made for the protection of young and impressionable readers from the many issues within comic books, such as violence, illicit sexuality, and homosexuality.
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By making the Joker a villain, it can be suspected that this is an example of homophobia rather than the homoerotic. But is it really?
With the Joker, it seems like they are in constant battle, but it is apparent that they have a kind of symbiotic connection with one another. We can see their relationship through the comparison similar relations that Batman forms with the other villains which he faces. One such example is Batman’s association with Two Face. While, at first, it seems perplexing how Bruce Wayne would want to financially support Harvey Dent’s rehabilitation, we learn that Wayne depends on Dent’s recovery as a hope for his own sanity. There is a parallel between the two characters that make this relationship work together. For Two Face, he was like Batman: a rich man, part of the bourgeoisie, with a lot of power and influence, but with a traumatic past. This trauma, that almost-literally creates a dual personality for Harvey Dent, is very similar to that of Batman’s traumatic childhood, where his parents’ murder lead to his own personality disorder. We are able to see Batman’s psyche begin to fall apart in several parts near the beginning of the comic. On
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He sits, watching the television with a blank face, until the bat symbol comes onto the screen and an eerie smile bursts out. It becomes apparent that the break in their mental states are almost simultaneous and dependent on each other’s awakening. The theme of reflection is repeated when the two fight in the House of Mirrors (145-146). They mirror each other in several ways, and this scene serves as a way to show how they are reflective of each other. This is done by the prediction of each other’s moves, and when one is injured the other is wounded in return, as if they are fighting with themselves. In the talk show scene, when Joker is asked to come in as a special guest, the psychiatrist tells the audience that Batman’s psychosis is due to sexual repression (26). There are links between the Joker and sexuality within Miller’s work. The first instance are his pet names for Batman, who he calls “Darling” (41) and “My Sweet” (150). This suggests a less homosocial relationship and more of a homoerotic relationship. When preparing for the talk show, he says that he “brought [his] own [lipstick]” (121). He applies his lipstick in a feminine manner, with lips puckered and his face leaning towards the mirror. It is also ironic how their last struggle ends in a Tunnel of Love (148). Within these scenes, this tunnel becomes a symbolic way to represent the lasting, almost
An insane, criminal mastermind with a white face, red lips, green hair, and a permanent smile. The Jokers back story is usually along the lines of him falling into a vat of chemical waste, causing him to take on his iconic appearance; but, Christopher Nolan's version purposefully has no back story. Ashley Cocksworth, a tutor in systematic theology at The Queen’s Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education, discusses and attempts to explain and define the evil of the Joker in his article “The Dark Knight and the Evilness of Evil.” In his piece, he writes that “[Nolan] refused to satisfy the fanboy’s call for description because without an explanation, the Joker appears ever more irrational and menacing” (Cocksworth 452). Nolan's choice to not give the Joker a back story was to make him seem even crazier, as the audience has nothing with which to base his madness off of. Without any knowledge of his past or why he is who he is, the audience is kept guessing as to what he is going to do next. Just because it is nearly impossible to tell what the Joker is going to do next, does not mean that he is insane. In fact, the Joker himself even says that he is not, when he is accused of being crazy by one of the underlings in the mob meeting scene. Not being crazy does not necessarily mean that you are fine though, and this incarnation of the Joker, like all the others, is most certainly not fine. No, instead of being insane
Interestingly, the movie puts a twist on the the true Batman origin. By having the Joker create Batman by killing Bruce’s parents, the Batman was created to avenge evil. This being said, the traumatic experience has created a hero whose definition of justice is left to the character’s moral. Traumatized, it is clear that the Batman seeks revenge not only because the Joker murdered his parents, but also for interfering with love interest Vicki Vale. By putting Vicki Vale at risk, the Batman’s traumatic experience is tested to the limits. The origins of Batman describes a hero who will not kill, yet in this movie, the Batman easily slaughters villains with a machine gun while flying his plane. A Batman who is willing to kill cannot be justified but is seen as justified to the character as a permanent way to resolve his traumatic experience with the Joker. In the climax of the movie, Batman is hanging on the edge with Vicki Vale. Instead of just saving Vicki, Batman interferes with the Joker’s escape which ultimately leads to the Joker’s death. Through Bruce’s eyes justice was the Joker’s death when he could have just saved Vicki. Although this movie was the most entertaining, it depicts a hardened character faced with the true reality of life. Not all heroes can be pure, and this movie explicitly shows this through Bruce’s actions. Notably, Bruce
Pearson, Roberta E. and William Uricchio, eds. 1991. The Many Lives of the Batman. New York: Routledge.
Somebody who had established higher power in their community. Somebody who tried to run from fate, and has the moment of recognition and understanding of their destiny. Batman. Even though he is considered the strong and powerful superhero of Gotham City, Batman's characteristic features show that he relates strongly to that of a "tragic" hero. In the beginning, the Batman is presented at a higher state of appreciation, even though the police see him as a vigilante. Despite his wealth, Batman, otherwise known as Bruce Wayne, is easily relatable to audiences, which makes it easy to sympathize and empathize with the character. Batman is in a constant battle within himself, trying to be the good guy, while defeating the bad guys. His morals prove true when he admits that he won't kill any of the many villians that cause destruction for Gotham City. But, because of this moral, sometimes the villians end up escaping and doing more harm then good. In the end, this interal chaos and internal battle is seen interally and externally through Batman. At the end of the most recent Batman series, The Dark Knight, his exit at the end of the movie is, in essence, his figurative death. Bruce Wayne wants to keep Gotham City safe. And with the "Batman" gone, villians will be least likely to continue to destroy and conquer. As an audience, we cling to the edge of our seats and feel dismay for our beloved superhero and what is to become of
The caped crusader, guarding Gotham’s streets and citizens, is in reality just a man-the “Optimum Man” as Grant Morrison has pointed out in his six year study of the character(Esposito). Batman has the resources and abilities to do what is necessary to fight injustice; even with no superpowers he uses self-motivation to become the solution to every problem (Esposito). Batman is the secret identity of Bruce Wayne who, as a child, witnessed his parents murder right before his eyes. In Nolan’s film Batman Begins the mob boss Falcone tells a young Bruce “You think because your mommy and your daddy got shot, you know about the ugly side of life but you don’t. You’ve never tasted desperate.” This leads Bruce to face a turning point in his life were he now realizes his purpose and has the drive to restore Gotham from its crime filled state.
Author Frank Miller wrote this comic in an interesting way and has since changed Batman for the future of his comics and movies. Miller starts out with Bruce Wayne talking to the Commissioner as they are both noticeably older and Bruce is disappointed about the way Gotham has turned out and he still shows signs of guilt from Jason’s death. This is evident in his thoughts as he comments to himself that he has failed to protect the city and also failed to protect Jason. It is also present in the environment as we see Bruce rememb...
The game theory is deployed often in this movie by a rational theoretical perspective. Examples, of this are when the Joker attaches explosives to two ferries. Each ferry has a detonator that is very capable of blowing up the other ferry traveling with citizens. Now the citizens on both ferries are told the only way they can survive is to be the first on either ferry to press the detonator. The Jokers fate is never revealed in The Dark Knight or the The Dark Knight Rises. However in the movie it does mention his whereabouts in the end. He finds himself as a resident of the newly-rebuilt asylum, which holds him in solitary confinement as an ultimate punishment for his crimes. The main theme of The Dark Knight is escalation of the Jokers force. Such events lead to an escalation that forces choices from Batman and James Gordon make. In the movie Gotham experiences many social problems and has the same deviant and criminal activity which commonly makes the news in our own cities and states. Corporate crime is greatly widespread, corruption among police is rampant, and deviant evil subcultures rule the streets. Conflicts between good and evil, justifications for violence and reliance on power as a means of social control can be
Batman (Christian Bale) is hoping to hand on his crime fighting duties to D.A Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) yet when Batman’s cards are on the table the twisted mastermind who goes by the name of the joker (Heath Ledger), forces the masked vigilante to go against everything he ever stood for.
Files, The ForbesWoman. "What Do Comic Books Teach Us About Gender Attitudes?" Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 09 May 2014
Batman and police commissioner James Gordon try to rid the Gotham of organized crime while combating the rise of the menacing and terrorizing psychopath villain, the Joker. (uci.edu) It’s important to take notice of the other clowns featured throughout the movie as well as their roles in the heist. This is crucial and singles the Joker out as the odd man.
Batman is a hero during the night that protects the people of Gotham city to the best of his capability and is willing to sacrifice everything, even his true identity. Then there is Bruce Wayne, who is a very rich, spoiled playboy that does not care about anything other than him and the luxurious lifestyle he lives. The ideological struggle between Batman and Bruce Wayne is very important in this book because everyone at some point struggles between who they actually are and who they want to be. The way Frank Miller portrays the struggle in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns is truly a work of
Why so serious? If I were to ask you that question six months ago, you wouldn’t understand the phrase. Now that The Dark Knight has been made though, most people will understand what I am talking about. Ever since The Dark Knight was created, the joker has been thrust back into the public eye. Most people only know the joker from the performances of Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight and Jack Nicholson in the 1989 film Batman. Most people forget that the Joker has been a villain since 1940 in Batman #1 (spring edition). The Joker has been reinvented every decade since his first appearance. He started off as a homicidal maniac, then a criminal that was just a harmless nuisance to becoming a mass murdering, schizophrenic clown that we know today. He has been named number one on the Wizard’s list for one hundred all-time villains. In this speech I will tell you how the joker was created, the criminal career of the joker, and trademark characteristics of the joker.
Many do not realize the importance of the relationship, and had gotten quite annoyed of Batman. People called him weak, he isn’t a real superhero because he has no power, just wealth, and is self-centered. People had thought that Batman was weak because he is incapable of killing the Joker, or killing anyone in that matter. Batman operates under this ‘no-kill’ codes due to many reasons. First, given that his parents were murdered when he was a child, that led him to believe that he didn’t want that bloodshed on his hand. Second, Batman believes that justice is above all, because he believes himself as justice, therefore, he believes that he is above killing his enemies. This is important because this proves that Batman is more relatable to his fans. He isn’t a god, with superpower, rather he is an ordinary guy, with a traumatizing past, just trying to make the world a better place. From Batman, himself, to his enemies and his relationship with the Joker, the choices he had to make to either live by his code or to protect his citizens, reflects that he is very relatable to his fans. The important thing is the hidden relationship between Batman and the Joker, and most often than not, people tend to neglect that. If the Joker were to get killed off the show, Batman will not be the same, neither will the whole
Specifically when he says, “Nobody panics when things go to plan, even if the plan is horrifying” (Tryee, 2009). The Joker said this when he was talking to Harvey Dent. He was giving him a speech before he blew up the hospital because he knew if he did not change his mind about who the real killer was, then he would surely die next. The Joker murdered Harvey’s girlfriend Rachel, so avenging her death is what Harvey wants to do. The point of his speech was to change the direction of the blame. Everyone is to blame except himself for the death of Rachel. The blame is on society. Suggesting that Rachel was going to die anyway and that she was not important enough or people to actually try and stop the chaos. His persuasive words work on Harvey and he becomes the murderous “Two-face”. Honestly, his mental issues are what persuade and scare Harvey into listening to him. I want to find a pattern, or a common motive from The Joker, but taking innocent minded people and turning them into monsters strays away from what I think the real purpose
Any fan of Batman knows that “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight” are two of the best Batman films made in the seventy-eight years that Batman has been around. The plots really make you look deep in yourself and show the true and more real sides of the characters of the Batman world. Each movie shows the evolution of Batman and shows only a few of the many crazy and intense adventures of this mysterious hero. These two movies are the first two in the dark knight trilogy, created by the amazing Christopher Nolan. These movies were heavily praised for their astounding realism to the real world, and its pros and cons. But they were also extremely liked for their possibility for