Joker 2 isn’t even the best movie about a murderous clown’s doomed romance

The saddest clown you know just can’t catch a break. Joker: Folie à DeuxTodd Phillips’ sequel to his original 2019 film joker, has suffered disappointing box office returns and a barrage of negative reviews from fans and critics following its theatrical debut. The film follows the journey of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) through his trial, which follows the events of the original as his life is turned upside down by the arrival of Lee Quinzel (Lady Gaga). Quinzel is a smart but twisted young woman inspired by Fleck’s public criminal misdeeds, but their growing relationship is tested by his increasing identity crisis over the Joker persona.

Surely joker The sequel isn’t the first doomed romance in Hollywood history, and neither is any of these talented leading men. Lady Gaga’s last two films, 2021 Ridley Scott special feature, House of Gucci, and 2018 Bradley Cooper-helmeted A star is born both qualify in different ways, while Joaquin Phoenix’s last film, Napoleon (also directed by Ridley Scott) also featured a complicated love story. But what does Joker: Folie à Deux “Feel Different” is the doomed romance specifically between the depressive, clownish hooligan Fleck and his histrionic counterpart Quinzel. While this element represents the film’s most interesting claim to fame, the sad fact is that the film isn’t even the best film about the doomed romance of a murderous, sad clown – that honor belongs to it Alex de la Iglesiais the great dark comedy thriller from 2010, The last circus.

“The Last Circus” tells the story of a sad clown in love who succumbs to murderous madness

The last circus follows the growing tension between the introverted sad clown Javier (Carlos Areces) and the violent and abusive happy clown Sergio (Antonio de la Torre), about the love of Sergio’s girlfriend, the trapeze artist Natalia (Carolina Bang). Javier and Natalia begin to fall in love, but Sergio’s abuse mixes with Javier’s frustration, leading to a conflict between the clowns that sends Javier to the hospital. Javier’s sanity begins to fade, culminating in Javier brutally beating Sergio and fleeing. While on the run, Javier lives like an animal in the forest before being captured by hunters. After he has a vision in which Natalia greets him and asks him to fight a day of wrath as her Angel of Death, Javier escapes, disfigures his face into a permanent clown face, and goes on a deadly rampage against everyone who has ever wronged him ( while dressed like a Pope, no less). In the end he doesn’t get the girl. It’s a truly romantic tragedy with a complex set of parts: Natalia can’t overcome her lust for Sergio’s macho aggression, Javier’s depressive tendencies keep him from being the right person for the situation, and his psychological fragility sets him up for drama , murderous crash.

The Last Circus surpasses Joker: Folie à Deux’s tragic romance and villainy.

joker and its sequel also features Arthur Fleck, another murderous sad clown whose The rise to villainy is marked by a life of abuse and isolation. From his troubled childhood to violent encounters on the streets of Gotham, his path ultimately leads to the fatal subway shooting of drunken businessmen. He is a tragic figure whose laughter comes not from joy but from a painful neurological disease. It is the public revelation that “Joker” is a farce, just a mask for the weak and sad character Fleck, that ultimately dooms the couple’s relationship in the final act of the film. Although tragic, the overall finale of Joker: Folie à Deux ends up being a boring misfire from a dramatic perspective. When Fleck’s trial is interrupted by an explosion, Fleck runs away from the would-be Joker henchmen who saved him, knowing full well that doing so would put him back in the clutches of the police. He struggles to be inactive, tripping over himself to avoid being the person Lee fell in love with and to return to his previous state of nothingness. It’s a purely dramatic celebration of mediocrity, softening the tragedy of his ruined romancefizzles out instead of ending with something even remotely memorable.

In contrast, in The last circusJavier’s growing madness is far more interesting and proactive. Despite his killing spree, he is still a sad clown; When a child comes in during Javier’s most brutal attack, Javier kneels down, points a gun at the child and says, “You don’t scare me” (don’t worry, he doesn’t shoot). Even at his most transformed, Javier’s concept of navigating the world through fear is just like Fleck’s. Unlike Fleck, Javier does not wear a clown face as a painted mask, but instead defaces himself into a permanent clown face using chemicals and an iron. He continues to try to keep Sergio away from Natalia (as deluded as she was) – an active tragic protagonist, while Fleck struggled not to be or do anything dramatically interesting. From its more active protagonist to his increasingly courageous action decisions to its exciting final act: The last circus is a far better and more interesting depiction of a sad clown’s descent into murderous madness and a doomed romance.

The last circus is currently available to stream on Prime Video in the US

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