15 Recent Movie Characters Destined To Be Iconic

Joker has been represented many times in cinema by many actors, although each time it is as an already-established criminal mastermind in Gotham. Joaquin Phoenix stars in what is the DC villain's first cinematic origin story, and many tout it as being the best representation of the 'Clown Prince' to date, even surpassing the late Heath Ledgers legendary performance in The Dark Knight.

The 2019 release shows an insight into the Joker's mind never before seen in film. Arthur Fleck is a party clown and wannabe stand-up comedian, and ironically suffers from a medical condition that forces him to laugh at inappropriate times. Arthur is attacked multiple times, and when he kills three in self-defence, the events that follow result in riots in Gotham and cuts to social services, which means that Arthur can no longer obtain his medicine.

From here his life spirals: he becomes unsure of who is real parents are, his apparently blossoming relationship with his neighbour have all been hallucinations in his own head and feels generally abandoned by society.

Phoenix perfectly portrays the negative effects that all of these factors can have on an already fragile psyche, offering a far more sympathetic view of the man behind the face paint.