‘Joker’ Gives Insight To Mental Illness

Katelyn Harris, Staff Writer

“Joker” has been a big topic in conversations since it came out and after seeing it, I know why.

The movie explains how the Joker became himself. As the movie progresses it shows the Joker’s adulthood and the mental health problems he faced.

The movie’s depiction of mental illness was astonishing to me. It really makes you put yourself into the shoes of someone who has mental health problems or a condition that causes you to laugh uncontrollably (Pseudobulbar affect) like the Joker.

Joaquin Phoenix portrayed the Joker, and I don’t think anyone else could have done better. He played the role so perfectly to the point it didn’t seem like it was just a movie. It felt real, which is what makes the movie as good as it is.

During the entire movie, you know his actions are evil, but you can’t help but empathize with him.

The message I walked away with from the movie was to be kind to others because you don’t know what they’re going through. You don’t know if they’re mentally ill or have an underlying condition, so just be nice.

Overall, I really do think this was the message the writers were trying to convey.

The whole story behind the Joker was that he wasn’t a bad guy; he just had a lot of mental health problems and people bullied him, and it led to his breaking point.

If people would have just noticed him and not treated him like trash, he probably wouldn’t have ended up the way he did.

This isn’t the only thing the movie conveys, though. It also shows how difficult it is for people with mental illnesses to get help.

Throughout the movie the Joker is seen going to a counselor who eventually explains to him that he will no longer be able to come there because they were being shut down. She says that no one (as in the government) cares about the patients or the workers.

This showed how hard it is to get the help some people need which isn’t just true in the movie; it’s also true in real life.

This movie is definitely a must-see and is really an eye-opener.