Todd Phillips directed Joker: Folie a Deux, a sequel to the 2019 movie, in which we witnessed some gruesome acts by the Joker (played by Joaquin Phoenix). Arthur Fleck (The Joker) comes to public attention after the crimes he committed in the first movie. According to him, society had always neglected the oppressed and never reached out to those who needed help.
The Joker was himself a victim of that over the years - as his uncontrollable laughing fits (caused by a neurological problem) have always led to people making fun of him. Following his revolution against societal corruption and hypocrisy, the Joker is arrested, and riots break across Gotham City.
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However, what we see at the end of Joker: Folie a Deux turns the story in a different direction. Arthur realizes that the Joker cannot bring change as his trial unravels. According to reports, he never really longed to be that anti-institution hero he had become, or maybe the Joker is all in his mind, not real. To explain in simple words, he has always been Arthur; he is Arthur and will continue to remain as Arthur only.
His confession also meant his loss of love for Harley Quinn (Harleen 'Lee' Quinzel, played by Lady Gaga), who had met the Joker at Arkham State Hospital and fell for his chaotic presence.
Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers from Joker: Folie a Deux.
What happens at the end of Joker: Folie a Deux?
Joker: Folie a Deux has reportedly raised many questions about Arthur Fleck's revelation at the end. In the first movie, we got to see what the consequences can be when someone is neglected by society all along. Apathy can turn out to be dangerous, especially if the person involved is fighting a mental illness. That is exactly what happened to Arthur Fleck as he transformed into the Joker, the harbinger of chaos.
At the end of the Joker's trial in Joker: Folie a Deux, he is held guilty of murder. The defense that it was the Joker committing all the crimes, not Arthur, did not hold in court. It is at this time that Arthur talks about having only one identity. The Joker is not real- he is not that. This was an unexpected turn of events as Arthur Fleck shed off his skin and gave up on the title of the Joker, reports.
At that moment, an explosion occurs in a nearby building, and chaos unfolds. Amidst all that, Arthur escapes with the help of some of the Joker fans. As he reaches the iconic stairs (also shown in the first part), he has a face-off with Lee. She mentions that she does not want to be with Arthur as she has always loved the Joker.
Eventually, it turns out that Lee being pregnant with Arthur's child was just another lie, like the stories she used to make up. Arthur is later arrested and brought back to custody. After having a visitor as he walks back to his prison cell, Arthur is confronted by an unknown inmate who then stabs him and leaves him bleeding. According to reports, Arthur is again attacked by the inmate, who then cuts out a smile on his face using a knife, thus bringing us to the movie's end.
What does Arthur's confession mean?
Joker: Folie a Deux shows what happens when a victim-turned-perpetrator is revealed to society. We see that Arthur receives the attention he never got but not the affection and empathy he needs. Just like how the Joker reaches a brim in the first part and commits an irreversible crime, we see the same but differently here. Arthur Fleck finally renounces his 'Joker' title and openly embraces 'Arthur' as his only persona.
According to reports, the ending to Joker: Folie a Deux explains that society had again failed Arthur. Gotham City wanted to see the crazy clown burning the whole city to the ground. Arthur had only been carrying the weight of an identity that was never his own but only what the people wanted him to be.
How does the direction align with Arthur's confession?
The director of Joker: Folie a Deux, Todd Phillips, has reportedly explained in a statement to Entertainment Weekly on October 4, 2024, that:
"He realized that everything is so corrupt, it’s never going to change, and the only way to fix it is to burn it all down. When those guards kill that kid in the [hospital] he realizes that dressing up in makeup, putting on this thing, it’s not changing anything. In some ways, he’s accepted the fact that he’s always been Arthur Fleck; he’s never been this thing that’s been put upon him, this idea that Gotham people put on him, that he represents. He’s an unwitting icon. This thing was placed on him, and he doesn’t want to live as a fake anymore — he wants to be who he is."
He added that nobody cared about who Arthur was or what he had become. Lee's inacceptance of Arthur Fleck in the end is just another validation that society has failed him again.
Arthur is not seen celebrating his life's past deeds. He always was and will be misunderstood. The Joker is an identity he never really wanted. All he needed was empathy, but not the shape of a chaotic monster, which brought him to the limelight. Moreover, Arthur's confession at the movie's end makes sense in light of Todd Phillips' statement.
Joker: Folie a Deux is now being screened in theatres.
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