Bowling for Columbine Filmmaker Michael Moore Praises Joker

Joker continues its rise as the movie has basically ground most online discourse to a screeching [...]

By Aaron Perine

Joker continues its rise as the movie has basically ground most online discourse to a screeching halt. A new filmmaker has stepped up as the latest person to voice their support for the movie. Michael Moore is no stranger to the controversy around a film. In fact, his career is filled with people having strong opinions about his work, often before they even see the finished product.

From Bowling for Columbine to Farenheit 9/11, the filmmaker has seen his share of media firestorms over the yea. He's handled issues that affect Americans at many different levels, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he would see the merit of a movie that seems poised to push the envelope. Moore took a second on Instagram to voice a full-throated endorsement of the film.

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On Wednesday night I attended the New York Film Festival and witnessed a cinematic masterpiece, the film that last month won the top prize as the Best Film of the Venice International Film Festival. It’s called “Joker” — and all we Americans have heard about this movie is that we should fear it and stay away from it. We’ve been told it’s violent and sick and morally corrupt. We’ve been told that police will be at every screening this weekend in case of “trouble.” Our country is in deep despair, our constitution is in shreds, a rogue maniac from Queens has access to the nuclear codes — but for some reason, it’s a movie we should be afraid of. I would suggest the opposite: The greater danger to society may be if you DON’T go see this movie. Because the story it tells and the issues it raises are so profound, so necessary, that if you look away from the genius of this work of art, you will miss the gift of the mirror it is offering us. Yes, there’s a disturbed clown in that mirror, but he’s not alone — we’re standing right there beside him. “Joker” is no comic book movie. The film is set somewhere in 1970s Gotham/New York City, the headquarters of all evil: the rich who rule us, the banks and corporations whom we serve, the media which feeds us a daily diet “news” they think we should absorb. But this movie is not about Trump. It’s about the America that gave us Trump — the America which feels no need to help the outcast, the destitute. The America where the filthy rich just get richer and filthier. Thank you Joaquin Phoenix, Todd Phillips, Warner Bros. and all who made this important movie for this important time. I loved this film’s multiple homages to Taxi Driver, Network, The French Connection, Dog Day Afternoon. How long has it been since we’ve seen a movie aspire to the level of Stanley Kubrick? Go see this film. Take your teens. Take your resolve.

A post shared by Michael Moore (@michaelfmoore) on

He began, "On Wednesday night I attended the New York Film Festival and witnessed a cinematic masterpiece, the film that last month won the top prize as the Best Film of the Venice International Film Festival. It's called "Joker" — and all we Americans have heard about this movie is that we should fear it and stay away from it. We've been told it's violent and sick and morally corrupt. We've been told that police will be at every screening this weekend in case of "trouble." Our country is in deep despair, our constitution is in shreds, a rogue maniac from Queens has access to the nuclear codes — but for some reason, it's a movie we should be afraid of."

"I would suggest the opposite: The greater danger to society may be if you DON'T go see this movie," Moore continued. "Because the story it tells and the issues it raises are so profound, so necessary, that if you look away from the genius of this work of art, you will miss the gift of the mirror it is offering us. Yes, there's a disturbed clown in that mirror, but he's not alone — we're standing right there beside him. "Joker" is no comic book movie. The film is set somewhere in 1970s Gotham/New York City, the headquarters of all evil: the rich who rule us, the banks and corporations whom we serve, the media which feeds us a daily diet "news" they think we should absorb."

"But this movie is not about Trump. It's about the America that gave us Trump — the America which feels no need to help the outcast, the destitute. The America where the filthy rich just get richer and filthier. Thank you Joaquin Phoenix, Todd Phillips, Warner Bros. and all who made this important movie for this important time. I loved this film's multiple homages to Taxi Driver, Network, The French Connection, Dog Day Afternoon. How long has it been since we've seen a movie aspire to the level of Stanley Kubrick? Go see this film. Take your teens. Take your resolve," He concluded.

That is pretty strong to put out there, but this is a man who has never been shy about making a statement. Viewers are deciding for themselves and loving the movie on aggregation sites. If one thing is clear, the controversy around this film isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

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