[Quick Summary: The origin story of how Arthur Fleck, a mentally and socially unbalanced clown, becomes the Joker.]
Before reading this well written script, I wish that I'd known that it was meant to explore a world with a lack of empathy.
Because I did not, I found the nihilism and darkness to be oppressive.
I also became weary of blaming society for the Joker's situation and painting him as a victim. There's not a lot of hopefulness here.
However, I cannot ignore that this was well written.
I particularly liked how the writers clearly defined the switch to Arthur in fantasy sequence without announcing, "This is now a fantasy scene."
ex. INT. TALK SHOW SET, STAGE - STUDIO 4B - CONTINUOUS
SPOTLIGHT ON SHIMMERING MULTICOLORED CURTAINS PARTING, AND OUT DANCES MURRAY FRANKLIN (late 60's) doing an old soft shoe to the jazzy tune Ellis Drane is playing him out to. Audience cheering and applauding loudly for him. Murray takes a little bow, and does one or two more steps to the music...
ANGLE ON ARTHUR, clapping the middle of the crowd. He's dressed "richer" (it's Arthur's fantasy version of himself). Everybody around him is enthusiastically applauding Murray....
MURRAY FRANKLIN: Wow. Thank you.
He glances up at Arthur, who is clapping wildly, squints his eyes a bit to make him out --
MURRAY FRANKLIN: Thank you. (beat; smiling) Who's that there? Hey Bobby, can you raise the lights for me?
The house lights come up. Murray takes a few steps downstage and points straight at Arthur --
MURRAY FRANKLIN: You there, will you stand up? What's your name?
Arthur looks around at the people around him, and realizes Murray's talking to him. Murray picked him out of the crowd --
Arthur gets up to his feet. He talks more here, and with more confidence, looks more at ease than we've seen him.
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: It's ok to announce "it's a fantasy sequence" to the reader, but the audience will not see it on screen, so be sure to also include the character with different behavior and costume.
Joker (2019)(12/1/18 shooting script)
by Todd Phillips & Scott Silver
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