Establishing the unsettling tone of the film while also introducing central themes, the opening scene of Joker (2019) sets the foundations of a close character study of DC’s prominent villain and evokes a sense of sympathy for him in the audience which Arthur’s complex and morally-grey character toys with as the plot progresses.
It is a scene that does quite a lot without many words, and, hence, I’ve chosen it as the last of the film openings I’ll be analysing for now.
i.
The establishing shot confirms the setting to be a run down place where multiple clowns are applying their make-up, getting ready for the day. One figure stands out in the frame, away from everyone else. Particularly paired with the contrasting image of the guy who seems to be chatting behind him, engaging with others, the audience can interpret this as a subtle proxemic code that characterises Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) as an isolated person. Despite the natural lighting entering the room through the windows—which one would expect to be cheerful and bright—the dingy room is dominated by a cold blue-grey hue that further deepens this sense of isolation and melancholy.
ii.
The camera has zoomed in on the protagonist’s face and the extreme close up establishes a mood of uneasiness; the fact that the film is intended to be an intimate character study of Joker also explains the recurring use of extreme close ups of Arthur. Not only does this confirm his occupation as a clown through props (by showing him doing make-up up close), it also gives the shot an almost voyeuristic quality, as if the audience is deliberately closing in on the character along with the camera, invading his moment of solitude. The use of such an extreme close-up is significant as the film frequently resorts to this way of literally bringing the audience closer to the protagonist as a way of perhaps metaphorically putting us in his shoes. Moreover, although the light is warmer here, the atmosphere remains tense as we would expect a clown to be cheerful but his expression seems to mirror the dreariness of the room; this instance of irony somewhat acts as a subtle enigma code that makes the audience try to figure out the intricacies of this newly introduced character who we see uncomfortably close, just after this, in a moment of vulnerability yet know nothing more about.
Todd Phillips, the director, explains that the notion of ‘putting on a happy face’ is a central thematic part of the film and the opening scene embodies it fittingly, particularly with these next two frames.
iii.
Here Phoenix’s face is moulded into a forced frown and subsequently a forced smile in the frames that follow. The contrast of these binary opposites, much like the irony of his occupation as someone who is supposed to make people laugh even though he is miserable himself, develops Fleck as a conflicted and complicated character, highlighting his relationship with his emotions and connoting that he is discontent with the facade he has to put up to mask his struggles. This could also be a way to imply that there may be many sides to him which will be revealed to the audience gradually. The shallow focus disconnects Arthur from his surroundings, reinforcing the distance between him and the people around him, making his solitude a palpable presence in the opening scene.
iv.
Arthur putting on a mask with a smiling face despite the fact that he is painfully trying to hold back tears marks the introduction of this theme in the movie, cementing his character as a multilayered and forlorn one. Another example of binary opposition, the inherent torment indicated by the tear and forced grin contrasted against the perceived buoyancy of his get-up create an image that is simultaneously unsettling and pitiable. This part is shown in the mirror with an over-the-shoulder shot: the fact that the audience sees his dispirited countenance indirectly, in a reflective surface, lends to it a dissociated feeling, firmly establishing the facade of glee he has to keep up.
v.
The film opening depends on the audience's prior knowledge of the DC universe to note that this is Gotham City but the visual cues here are what familiarise us with its deteriorating state in the form of the dull grey sky and buildings combined with piles of trash. Furthermore, the old cars and general milieu stir up the image of late 1970s/early 1980s New York and New Jersey, as intended by the director, placing the film on the timeline of the early 1980s.
It is also notable that the wide shot highlights the enormity of the city while the protagonist himself appears to be small. This juxtaposition of sorts could be hinting at Arthur’s powerlessness as he is clearly dissatisfied but still has no choice but to do his job. In the crowds of the big city, Arthur is somewhat indiscernible for a moment, save for his vivid yellow sign, suggesting that he often goes unnoticed by those around him which contributes to the isolation developed earlier surrounding his character. What we can see of Arthur’s demeanour here—as in, his cavorting on the sidewalk—is a stark departure from his earlier display of desolation which further gives the impression that painting his face as a clown is accompanied by a figurative mask behind which he hides his actual unhappy self.
vi.
The sense of powerlessness is heightened with the shallow focus on his shabby pair of patched pants and too-big clown shoes, confirming Fleck’s costume as a representation of his low status which might explain why he hasn’t quit his unfulfilling job: to make ends meet. His costume’s muted colours add to the bleakness of his life, making it another element that evokes sympathy in the audience for Fleck and lays the foundation for the film’s social commentary by visually familiarising us with the poverty-stricken despair of Gotham City’s inhabitants (in this case, of course, Arthur).
vii.
A desperate run after his sign board leads to being beaten up in an alley by the group of teenagers who snatched it from him. This non-typical—tilted, high—angle, one that is reminiscent of a comic panel, is employed to show Fleck’s struggle in this sequence. The shot’s composition adds drama to the scene with a point-of-view characteristic of graphic novels while simultaneously developing an unconventional representation of the archetypal comic book villain by exploring what will be a tragic backstory rooted in complex and ‘real’ problems; the fact that Arthur does not fight against the painful blows emphasises his acceptance of surrender, implying figuratively that maybe the cumulative pressure of his troubles has outweighed any desire he might have had to work towards something better. Along with the opening scene’s lack of major dialogue, the unusual angle achieves an effect similar to that of comic books which often rely primarily on visuals to convey emotions and stories. This dynamic mix of conventions and diversions from conventions is pretty similar to the protagonist himself as his character arc in the film brings to light the various aspects of his personality and the way they coexist with—or, at times, dominate—one another.
viii.
Imbuing the film with an atmosphere of entrapment, of being bound to a claustrophobic space, the tight frame is a reappearing technique in the opening scene. It’s almost as if the audience repeatedly gets stuck with the protagonist in moments of vulnerability—something that will become increasingly disconcerting as Arthur transforms into Joker. The colours of his outfit do nothing to lighten the blow of the incident on the audience; rather, they enhance the distress of it by being contrasted with the brutality of the scene, as indicated by Fleck’s face contorted in pain.
ix.
With the camera now zoomed out, the audience’s attention remains on Arthur’s form but now in relation with the setting; Gotham’s trash-heaped streets and alleyx become the distinct backdrop of what we will discover is Arthur’s gradual descent into madness. Still lying down miserably on the filthy street, it seems like Arthur pushes a button that causes water to come out of the red flower which is a part of his ensemble and most probably a trick he does as a clown. It is a barely-noticeable act but a morbid one in which the protagonist makes a futile attempt to lighten the mood with humour, implying that ultimately there might be some humane aspects of him at this point in the plot despite being dehumanised by his problems—a dehumanisation that takes over him completely and morphs into something more sinister in the form of insanity by the end of the film.
Thus, although the frame is unlike the one preceding it, the sense of entrapment is still present in the form of the representation of the city’s grimy state and its domination over Fleck, an indication of it being impoverished and crime-ridden, and, accordingly, a setting that is fitting for a crime-drama film, a setting that reminds the audience that this is ultimately a film about the origins of a malevolent super villain. Even Arthur's board, perhaps the only sign of vivid colour in the gloom of the city, litters the concrete with its broken pieces, destroying any semblance of hope with it.
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