Todd Phillips names the five movies that inspired ‘Joker’
Given the fact that Heath Ledger gave such a beyond-believable performance as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, it was hard to think that anyone could ever match up to his effort. However, it’s fair to say that Joaquin Phoenix gave Ledger a run for his money in the 2019 Todd Phillips film Joker.
Serving as something of an origin story for the character, the narrative focuses on failed clown and wannabe stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck and charts his descent into violence and madness, leading to his rise as Batman’s greatest villain. It’s a fascinating insight into the inner workings of one of the most memorable antagonists the cultural world has ever seen.
Joker will likely go down as one of the greatest depictions of the legendary DC Comics villain, standing up against some excellent competitors. However, it’s not without its inspirations and in a feature with A-Frame, Phillips once noted the movies that he had in mind when he was making the film.
First up is the obvious association with Martin Scorsese’s inimitable 1976 drama Taxi Driver. Robert De Niro plays a Vietnam War veteran in the throes of serious PTSD who takes a job as a night shift cabbie, only to slowly deteriorate into an ever-worsening and increasingly violent state of mind, much like Arthur Fleck.
Phillips’ love for Scorsese does not end there, though, as the director also selects the legendary filmmaker’s 1980 biographical sports drama Raging Bull, again starring De Niro, only this time as the former boxing champion Jake LaMotta. Once more, he’s a character who must battle his inner demons.
Moving well away from such films for a moment, Phillips chooses one of his own movies, the 2009 comedy The Hangover, starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis. A strange selection given the overwhelmingly daft tone, but the fact that Phillips learned much on set and also that there are indeed comic elements at the core of Joker perhaps paid dividends.
Going way back to 1928 now, Phillips chooses the 1928 German expressionist film The Man Who Laughs, a fitting title perhaps, seeing as Arthur Fleck is indeed the man with all the laughs. “The Joker character in the comics was based on Gwynplaine,” the A-Frame site states, “but Phillips was able to pull a bit of his own inspiration from this drama-horror.”
Finally, Phillips is back on familiar ground in the realm of crime drama with Sidney Lumet’s 1973 biographical crime drama Serpico, in which AL Pacino plays the New York City policeman Frank Serpico as he deals with corruption during his time on the force.
Five movies that inspired Joker
- Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1972)
- Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980)
- The Hangover (Todd Phillips, 2009)
- The Man Who Laughs (Paul Leni, 1928)
- Serpico (Sidney Lumet, 1973)
