The ‘Joker’ (2019): Sympathy for the Devil or Beware the Demagogue?

‘‘Almost everything we call ‘higher culture’ is based on the spiritualisation and deepening of cruelty. Cruelty is what constitutes the painful sensuality of tragedy.’’

Beyond Good and Evil, ‘Our Virtues’, F. Nietzsche.

Arthur Fleck: ‘‘I used to think that my life was a tragedy. But now I realise it’s a fucking comedy’’

The Joker (2019)

When a young Jerry Robinson accepted the assignment to write his first ‘Batman’ story he began to think on the nature of comic book villains. They were still only simple easily defeated one — dimensional characters serving to enhance the virtue of the noble superhero. They had no backstory no history.

The young Robinson had a very different idea. He was still studying literature at Columbia University and wanted to draw on the great villains of the past. He wanted ‘Batman’ to have a worthy antagonist who would provide a genuine threat to the hero. Furthermore he wanted this villain to be entertaining and have a sense of humour. This was a stroke of genius. For as we know the devil does have all the best lines.

For his image Jerry Robinson settled on the very familiar image of the joker from a pack of ordinary playing cards. The Joker debuted in the lead story of…