The Joker's Paradox: A Postmodern Hero
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Abstract
This article takes as a case study the film Joker (2019) to show the fusion of two opposing paradigms. The cultural influence of cinema on society and the adaptation of cultural industries to social trends suggests that the superhero film industry has adopted some of the aesthetics and ideas of postmodernism, while postmodern aesthetics have infiltrated more classic superhero films, turning villains into acclaimed protagonists. Has Joker put an end to the classic hero? This article follows a method consisting on a narrative and aesthetic analysis of the Joker film and other relevant films from the last few decades dealing both with superhero films and postmodern cinema. This confirmed our hypothesis: Superhero movies, despite their evolution, have remained in the mainstream trend with a more classic audiovisual language. However, superheroes and specifically Marvel and DC Studio films became influenced by postmodernity and, as conclusions show, their protagonists, plots, and relationships with other characters have subsided to the values associated with postmodernism, including both their aesthetics and values. This leads us to conclude that the Joker film has marked a turning point leading to the transformation of postmodern protagonists into acclaimed serial killer villains.
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References
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