Anghus Houvouras on why Harley Quinn is a far more dynamic character than the Joker…
The Joker.
The most iconic comic book villain in the history of the medium. The go to villain when writers are creating an epic Batman pitch. The scene stealing comic book character that every legitimate method actor wants to play.
The Joker.
Everyone knows him: a super-intelligent psychopath who plays the part of Batman’s nemesis. A foil for the Dark Knight. The unleashed Id to Batman’s superlative superego. And the most boring, overused villain in all of comics. I spend a lot of time writing about comics & film, and most of the time I try to respect my readers by deep diving into a topic to find the details. But I think I can explain this one succinctly.
Q: Do you know why Heath Ledger’s Joker is the single greatest portrayal of the character in any medium?
A: Because it perfectly encapsulates everything dynamic about the character in a single arc.
Heath Ledger’s untimely death was a tragedy for many reasons. The most trivial of them are the fans who wish we could have seen a return of the character. But there doesn’t need to be. We are treated to everything amazing about the Joker in The Dark Knight. His orgin-less entry into Gotham. His sadistic style of villainy. The remarkable intelligence and absolute belief in the fallibility of man. His obsession with Batman and what he stands for. His ability to rock the foundation of everything we hold dear. What Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger accomplished was perfectly showcasing the potential of a character. There may be no better adapted fictional character in the history of cinema.
However, did we really need to see more?
Comic books suffer in storytelling in ways that films do not. Comic book creators must continue to use, re-use, and then beat to death popular character flattening the rough edges of what makes them interesting into a pulpy paste and then further watering it down until you have almost lost sight of the originality that made them so special to begin with. Cinematically, we really only need a single portrayal of the Joker in a story because what makes him interesting is easily undone when brought back with copy/paste storytelling. Harley Quinn on the other hand… there’s a character with more depth to explore.
If the Joker is a force of nature, Harley Quinn is the storm ravaged shores desperate to recover from its wrath. The sycophantic acolyte who for some reason has abandoned her normal life to follow the psychotic teachings of a murderous mentor. Suicide Squad gave us a reckless Harley Quinn and showed her sick devotion to the clown prince of crime. However there are deeper layers that have yet to be examined. Maybe that’s why I’m far more interested in seeing Warner Bros. do a Harley Quinn movie than bring back Jared Leto’s Joker.
The Joker is a one trick pony that has been brutally beaten to death in the comics. To me the Joker is categorically no different from the tidal wave in a disaster movie or the invading Alien Army of your typical sci-fi flick. He’s a brutal instrument hell-bent on destruction. Harley Quinn is a more nuanced mental disaster that has real potential for a dark and serious examination into her psyche. She’s a seemingly willing participant trapped in the Joker’s epic gravity and the depravity of their relationship is something that could make an absolutely epic film. Perpetually damaged goods that has hitched her wagon to the wrong horse. Harley Quinn is more dynamic because her story is more tragic. In the hands of the right creative team, it could be something truly spectacular.
Let’s put the Joker away. He’s already been done remarkably well. Let’s take Harley out for a spin and see what kind of amazing movie we could end up with.
Anghus Houvouras
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https://youtu.be/b7Ozs5mj5ao?list=PL18yMRIfoszEaHYNDTy5C-cH9Oa2gN5ng
Originally published August 15, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
