Joaquin Phoenix and Todd Phillips Weigh In

The alternatives made at the end of Joker: Folie à Deux are arguably the largest the explanation why the movie has been so polarizing. Whereas some discover them attention-grabbing and insightful, many others find them maddening and subversive. Two individuals who do just like the ending, although, are the movie’s co-writer and director Todd Phillips and its star Joaquin Phoenix, and in a brand new interview, the pair spoke in detail about the ending.

Speaking to IGN, Phillips and Phoenix mentioned Arthur’s alternative to depart behind Joker—together with the truth that he dies, and the one who kills him. Let’s begin with the concept of what these motion pictures have been about in a bigger sense which, as you’ll learn, speaks to the one who kills Arthur on the finish of the movie.

“One of many issues that folks by no means understood concerning the first film was, ‘I don’t get it. He visits Bruce Wayne and he’s 30 years older than Bruce Wayne. What sort of geriatric Joker goes to combat sooner or later?’” Phillips mentioned. “I don’t know for those who’ve ever noticed the script of the primary film. The primary movie known as Joker. It’s not known as The Joker, it’s known as Joker. And the primary movie below the script all the time mentioned ‘An origin story.’ By no means mentioned ‘THE origin story.’ It was this concept that possibly this isn’t THE Joker. Perhaps that is the inspiration for the Joker. So, in essence on the finish of this film, the factor you’re being left with is ‘Wait, what’s that factor occurring behind him? Is that the man?’”

Okay, we guess that is smart. It does additionally associate with Phillips thought of Arthur’s mindset on the finish of the movie proper earlier than he’s murdered. “I believe Arthur has discovered peace with the concept, with the battle that it’s okay to be your self,” Phillips mentioned. “And that’s actually what he’s all the time struggled with, you already know what I imply? I wish to assume he died at peace in a method being himself. The child says to him, ‘You need to hear a joke?’ And though he thinks possibly it’s [Lee waiting to visit him] downstairs. We don’t even know what’s downstairs, however that form of optimism that Arthur has, that’s nonetheless in him. He’s like, ‘Properly, yeah, okay, after all’ as a result of he is aware of that feeling of eager to make any person chuckle. So he offers the child that second, proper? Clearly it goes dangerous as a result of, once more, all the pieces goes dangerous for Arthur, however I all the time assume that’s such a fantastic second the place it’s like Arthur nonetheless has hope.”

Phoenix echoed these sentiments. “There’s a heat in that scene, which is good,” the Oscar winner mentioned. “That’s all that I used to be desirous about that I used to be after, is right here’s this younger man who’s telling me a joke and he’s nervous to inform me the joke, I can inform that he’s nervous, and I’m going to listen to him out. And it’s a reasonably good setup.”

So, mainly, Phillips is saying the movies are a few man who goes by a journey to seek out himself, lastly does, and dies within the course of. Then, alongside the way in which, he conjures up others to take his persona to the subsequent stage and, nicely, we’ll see the place it goes from there.

For those who’d wish to learn extra from Phillips and Phoenix, head over to IGN. Joker: Folie à Deux is now in theaters.

Need extra io9 information? Try when to count on the most recent Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s subsequent for the DC Universe on film and TV, and all the pieces you want to learn about the way forward for Doctor Who.