Warner Bros. Joker movie has been the center of some serious headlines as it nears its release date and not all of it has been positive. While some have been lauding it as a modern-day masterpiece, others have described it as a dangerous and irresponsible film due to its depiction of realistic and gritty violence. Warner Bros. has finally responded to those who have suggested that the film glorifies violence and puts its title character on a pedestal while also remaining respectful to those with genuine concerns about the film.
Before we get into their statement, let’s get into why a lot of this came to a head yesterday. “The Hollywood Reporter” released a story that family members of those killed in the July 20, 2012, mass shooting at a screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado, have signed a letter to Warner Bros. sharing concerns about Joker and asked the studio to donate to groups that aid victims of gun violence. As part of this concern, it was decided that Joker will not be playing at the Cinemark Aurora theater where the 2012 Dark Knight Rises mass shooting took place, killing 12 and wounding 70.
Part of the letter read as follows:
“We are calling on you to be a part of the growing chorus of corporate leaders who understand that they have a social responsibility to keep us all safe.”
The depiction of the film’s violence is what has some survivors and relatives of the victims expressing fears about the film. “I don’t need to see a picture of James Holmes (the Colorado shooter), I just need to see a Joker promo and I see a picture of the killer,” says Sandy Phillips, whose 24-year-old daughter, Jessica Ghawi, was among the slain.
In response to all this Warner Bros. released a statement that made it clear what the film’s intentions are and it’s not to excite violence:
“Gun violence in our society is a critical issue, and we extend our deepest sympathy to all victims and families impacted by these tragedies. Our company has a long history of donating to victims of violence, including Aurora, and in recent weeks, our parent company joined other business leaders to call on policymakers to enact bi-partisan legislation to address this epidemic. At the same time, Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. Make no mistake: neither the fictional character Joker, nor the film, is an endorsement of real-world violence of any kind. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero.“
The decision to not run the film at that particular theater chain was a decision that was mutually made by both the studio and Cinemark which owned Century 16, now known as the Century Aurora and XD. I didn’t know how to feel about the decision until I ran across a message from an Instagram follower on my personal business page after I posted the initial story about the theater not running the film. They stated that they would’ve thought it was absurd but they just recently moved to Aurora and that event still runs deep in the area and it’s something the community has not moved on from yet and it has been a little over 7 years since it happened. It was after I got that message, that I fully respected the decision and realized I couldn’t really speak on artistic rights for the film in relation to that incident.
That being said, I personally think that a lot of these fears around the film seems to put way too much publicity on the potential violence that some think could arise when the film opens next weekend. It’s almost like the more this narrative is put out there, the more it stirs up the hysteria that may not even be an issue. I read today that the US Army issued a warning about the possibility of mass shootings at upcoming screenings of Joker. In a widely distributed e-mail marked “For official use only,” officials remind service members to “identify two escape routes” and to “run, hide, fight” in the event of a shooting. The Army confirmed that it issued the warning in light of social media posts from “incel” extremists that were flagged by the FBI. It’s a shame that this is the world we’re in now. Whether this is just insane paranoia or necessary precaution is up for debate but a cloud has been put over this film that it certainly doesn’t deserve and now it has to serve as the current posterchild of fear rather than its intended function as entertainment.
