"Society shouldn't do the right thing because of fear of violence, but out of a desire to be kind". Amen!

I don’t think that the message was to stop being cruel due to fear of violence, it’s more like to understand what damage could we cause to others without noticing.

Society was the Antagonist and the Joker was the Victim, and everyone is afraid of this movie because the portrayal of Society in handling people like Arthur was accurate. You'd hope that'd help insight some change, but people just got offended.

I'm surprised you didn't discuss how Arthur's history of being abused as a child might affect his mental state as an adult. We know those who are abused violently as children sometimes grow up to be violent themselves.

People should be in uproar about how Arthur is moulded by the cruelties of society, not the violence. He finds liberation in his "madness". This film opens up many emotions...masterpiece.

I feel that the movie did show how other people’s perceptions create their own reality. If Joker’s mother did in fact show signs of having NPD and we know that children who usually grow up in those environments tend to be neglected, lack healthy coping skills, and seek validation from others then I am having a difficult time understanding how this movie does not have much to do with mental health. This movie reminds me of the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) research which shows how our environment during childhood can impact our mental health as an adult. I am not saying what Arthur did is ok, I feel that his perception, lack of coping skills, and not getting quality care is what creates his reality and the cause of his behavior. Unfortunately, the people who are known to commit violent acts (several or massive) have justified such acts by their own reality. Our realities are created to protect us from discomfort or pain. The lesson and take away from this movie should be - everyone has their own perception, people want to feel heard and understood, and when someone gets to the point they are being extreme, they have usually shown signs earlier but we just didn’t pay attention to them. If you read over the manifestos and interviews with serial killers, most of them felt wronged and not heard. We tend to echo the things that have happened to us. Hopefully, this movie brings awareness to our ignorance in human behavior and we start to take people seriously. Great video!

A counsellor's movie analysis is SO much more interesting than a film critic's.

The movie was life-changing for me, I know I need some mental help… This movie encouraged me to get the help I need. And change my life.

My conclusion was this: A kind guy with a big heart was kicked around by people so hard even seeking a little bit of love from his father ended up in violence. When there is no love, finally one revolts. Humans need LOVE.

ER doctor here. I have extensive experience with patients who suffer from psychosis, though I only treat them in the short term. I was impressed by the structure of this movie. At times, the viewer cannot be certain whether what he is seeing is real. Are these events happening, or is Arthur experiencing hallucinations / delusions? Is it a mixture? What is real and what isn’t? Did Arthur’s relationship with his neighbor happen? Did he really kill the three men? Is Wayne his father? Is his mother truthful? Is she even real and present? Is the city actually embracing the Joker as a role model or is this a delusion of grandeur?This is exactly what it is like to actually experience psychosis! Such patients do not know what is real. They may or may not be aware that they suffer a disorder. It is quite an impressive narrative device.

"He's working in a children hospital, dancing around, and his gun falls off of his pants. Just stresses the importance of having a holster, right?". How could you say something so controversial yet so brave

I haven't been to cinema for the last 5 years, Joker made me broke that 5 year streak.

Yes, the movie appeared 'jumbled' because it reflects Joker's reality. He's unpredictable, broken and there is no structure to his madness. The system has failed him, he's all out of options and the shred of humanity he was hanging onto left when he shot and killed his attackers. Generally speaking, those who analyze the hell out of movies and try to make sense of everything will find this movie confusing even disconcerting.

In my personal opinion, this movie has become my favorite movie of 2019! I loved every minute of it.

I related to a lot in this movie. It was extremely accurate with mental illness. Him writing in his book about how people expect you to act like you don't have a mental illness is so true. We're an inconvenience.

When a village doesn’t embrace a child, that child will burn the village for warmth when he grows - African proverb

It wasn’t the violence in the film that to me drove the point home. It was the point that we never know what someone is going through, so to take the time and check my own emotions, be more patient and considerate. The violence is probably what effected me the least; I’ve seen worse violence in a dozen films this year alone.

The best movie I ever seen ,, I was not expecting such a masterpiece

I don't remember another movie character ever sparking so much public analysis.

As someone with mental illness i loved this movie. It shows how people can snap, how hard it is to be "normal" how people treat us.

@Dr. Todd Grande - The Joker's back story is not supposed to be cut and dry. It's to make you wonder about his past. Even in the Dark Night Returns, the Joker always gives a different reason for his scars. We're not supposed to know exactly why or what caused him to be the way he is. As stated in the comics, his back story is always multiple choice... So that's why the story may appear convoluted. It's meant to be that way.. Anyway.. Love your channel..

Can you do an analysis on the character Travis Bickle from the movie “Taxi Driver”? Arthur is heavily based on that character, who Robert De Niro actually portrayed.

I went to my doctor saying I was struggling and having thoughts about suicide. She replied 'you and everyone else'. Seems to me the negative comments by professionals aren't that uncommon!

combining mental illness with an uncaring society leads to homlesssness

I personally found the movie to be fascinating. Afterwards I was asking myself "who was the REAL narcissist in this movie?" While Penny Fleck may be a martyr/co dependent, I really feel that Thomas Wayne was likely an overt narc. HIs grandiose bids for office, his fury over losing his workers, his entitlement and show of violence (punching Arthur)...I think he took advantage of Penny bc she was a pretty girl in a subservient position. He had money and power and knew no one would believe her. He easily manipulated Penny to be his lover and then when she got pregnant, discarded them both bc they were no longer of use to him. It is very unlikely that a SINGLE woman would be legally allowed to adopt a child in the 50s/60s. I think Thomas Wayne gaslighted Penny into madness and let her have her child (by adoption) after she signed the NDA (as mentioned in the movie). He was cold and callous and left Penny & Arthur to rot.

Hi, I appreciated your video! I’m mentally ill, but no where near as bad as I used to be, thankfully. But I have to say, I disagree. I didn’t feel like the joker linked violence and mental health together as inherently connected. I think that joke towards the end was just a him thing... There were so many factors that lead him to what he became, that I don’t think we can say it’s any one thing. That’s a big part of why I like the movie, it’s a complex web of causes that are confusing to navigate, like real life. With ambiguous movies, multiple choice, where the viewer has to engage with inserting their view points and reflecting on them, it’s not for everyone, but I love it. With this one in particular, as I am mentally ill, I find I can connect to the feeling of not knowing which thing is real quite well. It’s nice, it makes me feel better that a movie showed some of the rougher parts of mental illness to an audience. I didn’t feel insulted or glorified by the movie, but of course, it’s a movie, and nothing’s entirely correct in a movie, it’s art. This one’s just closer to reality than most, especially for a comic book movie. However, that’s just my take. I respect our differences. Nice video!

Joker was a perfect example of complex ptsd which is a series of traumatic events that happen over a long period of time which is usually caused by childhood neglect, abuse, bullying etc that creates a pictures of oneself as inferior and bad. This causes detrimental effects to how one see’s themselves and the world and can also lead to other mental illness which is what we see in aurthers life

As someone who struggles with mental health issues, this movie makes me cry 100% of the time because it gives a platform to the ways people digest life and the effects of its interactions opposed to the social norms. I.E. if it's not thought of this way, it's abnormal and ostracized. Its a beautiful movie and with all due respect, while the clinical analysis send spot on, it send that the perception of its meaning is based on objective sensibilities built on those social norms. That being said, it's reaction here, proves that very point. IMO

I love the idea of psych analysis of movie characters. Would you possibly analyze the title character in Donnie Darko?

The Joker reminded me to seek help and change. I was so similar to Arthur for being way too nice everyone around me.. the anger and rage was accumulating slowly but surely.

People’s fear of this movie may be a reflection of their fear of their own desire for violence. Just a thought

I noticed that only a few friends of mine, who have experienced emotional / mental health issues, loved this movie. I also thought it was a great movie and that the character of Arthur was a masterpiece. Other acquaintances and coworkers dismissed the movie as BS. That I cannot understand.

The movie was simply a masterpiece. I nearly shed a tear when he danced on top of the burning car at the end. Beautiful. Eagerly anticipating a sequel.

I think it was more a work of art and a character study. It wasn't intended to make grand statements about whether mental illness leads to violence or that society should look after the less fortunate to avoid violence. It was designed to make you think about something even larger. The world is becoming more and more difficult for a lot of people. At some point, breaking point is reached. It does encourage empathy. It's also about learning and trauma. Teach someone that their life is without value, or that SOME life is less valuable...this may be what happens.

This film is an instant classic. I can't wait to re-watch it. There is a whole lot going on there.

This film accurately depicts the emotional toll that one can experience due to the lack of stability in their domestic life and society combined. Arthur suffers severe trauma, abuse, PTSD, etc.. constantly, while trying to be an honest and genuine human. No matter how often he chooses the virtuous path, there is always something lurking around the corner to dismantle him. It’s kind of fitting with the “nice guys finish last” ideology. When his mother has lied to him all his life, his coworker lies about the gun situation and he gets blamed for stealing the sign at work, being beaten mercilessly by strangers - it’s almost amounting to how many bad days can someone have before they completely snap? It’s enough to drive anyone to the brink of complete insanity. It has themes from the film “Falling Down” also in a way amongst others. This film should connect with audiences to become more empathetic to understand that those they engage with may be dealing with things they could never comprehend and to not judge but lend support and have a caring nature in general. Hopefully the theme isn’t misconstrued to be so negative but to show us to be better in our own daily lives of interacting with one another.

I've been eager to hear your take in this film. The mental illness and society angle is what I think is what is making such an impact on audiences. The director tagged on some well know names such as Joker, Bruce Wayne and Thomas Wayne to make such a film more likely to be be seen by a wider audience. This could have ended up being an indie film with a small cult following compared to the major blockbuster movies that draw in general movie audiences without those small comic book connections. Regardless, it is making people think about and discuss mental health and that is certainly much better than belittling or ignoring it.

Just stresses the point of having a holster. Hilarious.

He stopped receiving his medications. Maybe that does not explain his growing troubles completely, but could explain the jumbled narrative :)

That's a good point about the fantasy. But I think the scene of Arthur fantasising about high praise from Robert Deniro reflects back on the fact that he's fantasising of having a father figure and also being seen positively by a father figure.

The movie "Nightcrawler" might also be a good one to review

After watching so many of your videos, I could actually tell that Arthur likely did not have NPD. and that he has more of Factor 2 rather than Factor 1 Psychopathy in him. And you said the same thing in this video. How cool is that?!!

In his mums medical record it states something along the lines of 'he was abused by his mothers boyfriend very badly'..

I respect your opinion. I loved the movie. Acting is on-spot, especially from Joaquin Phoenix. Loved the plot. In fact, saw it Saturday and most likely will see it this coming Saturday. But it's refreshing to see an honest, intelligent, opinion and not someone who's trying to convey a random, political message and trying to disapprove a movie based off of this. Cheers!

I have bipolar 2 skitzoeffecrive and skitzophrenia and how the movie was jumbled remind me of when I've been in delusional phycosiss

I’ve been waiting for this video! I’m excited to see if you and I are on the same page with his diagnoses!

this movie displayed mental health perfectly. arthur might of already been suffering mentally but society sure did make it worse. you can only give out to the world what they give to you until eventually you find no purpose, Arthur was a harmless and soft man. he tried to communicate with people and just try to be himself even tho he was already suffering but when people keep dragging you down and betraying you, bullying you etc you become isolated and only comfortable around the people you’ve always known which is family, that’s why Arthur was so close with his mum because people made him feel like shit most probably from the beginning of time but you always try to be accepted because you think that ONE person will eventually be your friend and Arthur knew that was not happening. his brain could only stretch so far before he snapped. killing people isn’t exactly the way around doing things but when you go through years of abuse and bullying this is what leads people to react in a way that will make them feel liberated at last. doctors will always call you “crazy” or diagnose you as “bipolar” by acting out of the ordinary but don’t justify the constant years of struggle and pain. so, was Arthur really crazy for putting an end to his suffering?

For me, this movie is probably one of the most important movies I've ever seen in my entire life. With the fear of sounding like a pretentious gatekeeper, this is the kind of movie where you either get it or you don't. For me it hit so hard and so deep that it kinda left me in shock when I saw it and when I tried to talk to my bf about it a couple of days later I just cried and cried and cried. To me it doesn't matter what diagnosis Arthur has. I also disagree that the take away is that we should be better to each other because we might just create a monster if we aren't. I dunno. I don't feel like this movie is trying to lecture the viewer on what they should and shouldn't do. It's showing the complexity of a society where people don't communicate. The entire scene between Arthur and Murray is a prime example of that miscommunication between classes and mentally sane vs. mentally unsane people etc. My dad has this little quote he always chuckles over and it goes like this: Everybody is just walking around, thinking about themselves. Nobody is thinking about me but me. That's one of the main themes in Joker for me. I also really love the film for the level of empathy it shows toward people who are struggling in life. It's not condoning that behavior or taking responsibility away from people like Arthur, it's simply just there to show what it's like to be him. And then there's the layer added on top that you can trust nothing you see or hear because it's the Joker and the Joker prefers his backstory to be multiple choice. That's also why it makes no sense trying to diagnose him because you can never know what the truth is with him. You said you didn't think he was a pathological liar, but I think he is. I think the entire movie is filled with pathological lies and you are only shown what he wants you to see. That might be offputting to some people, but that's what makes me love this film so much. It really is a very, very complex film if you let yourself get sucked in and you pay attention to all the little details. The second time I watched it and I saw the rich guys on the train come toward Arthur while singing showtunes it made me realize that that was most likely a delusion seemlessly being woven into reality and that made me stop and think that it's probably 50/50 with what's real and what is delusion.

Best movie review ever 😊 I love how you break this down I learn something new every time you upload

THANK YOU for posting this! I've been waiting for you to discuss about this movie ❤

I love this movie, I've seen it twice. I saw another video that claimed Joaquin Phoenix wanted to portray the character in such a way that a psychiatrist wouldn't be able to easily diagnose him....hmmmn. The fact that real people are making videos trying to diagnose a fictional character based off of a comic book is a testament to the films brilliance.

arthur is the child of a narcicist mother who alienated him giving him fake memories, is too relatable for me tbh

Respect to you! I think you are the one of the most analytical and precise Dr. on you tube! I was waiting for this video, thank you! Very precise, like always!

I LOVE your videos!! And you post so often 😀💜 they are all interesting and concise. Love learning from you; thank you for being a great teacher!!

I saw Joker last night. I had to walk out and take a breather for about five minutes. As someone with mental illness, I believe the movie portrays mental illness as mainly a systemic issue. This is just simply not the full truth. I also think the movie may not help with the stigma against mental illness. I am afraid the movie will contribute to viewers believing violence and mental illness is heavily related. I agree with you strongly regarding that point. I also think viewers could perceive the movie as justifying violence or at least blurs the line of justifying violence. Joker is just a movie and the component of violence is important to the storyline of Joker and Gotham. I hope the audience remembers that before relating mental disorders to violent actions.

There's also marked C-PTSD. I feel that maybe there's some sort of Dissociative Identity Disorder going on there as well. What do you think, Todd?

Wow, thank you for your analysis. I learned a lot here and everything you say makes perfect sense. Personally, I love this film and have seen it twice but I do get why it would leave some underwhelmed. First, I agree that the film's handling of mental illness is a bit shallow and jumbled. I read that the Phoenix didn't want to depict a mental illness that could be easily recognized to avoid accusations of exploiting real mental illness for the sake of art. I think it's silly, but I have notice a lot of complaints over the insensitivity of portraying mental illness in entertainment. I personally wished the film had further explored Arthur's experience with his medication, as I have witnessed that some medications seem to radically change one's personality, especially once one stops taking them. Second, I think the story feels a bit flat because it isn't complete. Arthur doesn't really become Joker until the end of the movie, and even then Arthur's Joker is still in its infancy. The ending should have read 'To Be Continued' because the Joker and Batman archetypes are just being born. If they were to do a sequel I think they should continue the story from Bruce's point of view as a child struggling with PTSD, and channeling his feelings of trauma into the creation of Batman. Actually, could you do a video on the psychological development of Bruce Wayne into Batman? It's been said that he and the Joker are reflections of one another. Do you agree?

this was so well-thought and presented perfectly, great video!! ♥️♥️♥️

All in was a great analysis and really insightful but you lost me when you said your metric for a good movie was if you wanted a sequel, thats a strange opinion to hold to me because some of the best movies, to me, i would NEVER want a sequel to!

Thank you for this analysis, Dr. Grande. I'm currently a graduate student in clinical mental health counseling so it is extremely helpful for me to hear a professional, like yourself, diagnose characters that I'm familiar with. It's a nice departure from the usual textbook and lecture material. Coincidentally, I had just read information on PBA and find the topic fascinating. There are certainly many overlaps in medicine and psychology in terms of symptoms and comorbidity, as you've alluded to. Anxiety symptoms and hyperthyroidism are another two that come to mind. I'm looking forward to more of your videos.

Thanks for all the time and effort you put into your videos.

To be honest, I actually had asked this question myself many times. I never expected a video about this particular character but after seeing that movie I kind of wondered haha. It's really interesting and really cool to see this as a topic just for general curiosity, even if he's a fictional character the movie did seem to cover the basis hugely on the topic of the mental health stigma issue we have in our society. It's great to see the points made by a professional on a topic about this, being as the mental health stigma in our society actually seems to have been the worst it's ever been as of late... So many people with mental health issues are treated so poorly. They are often judged, disliked, and even have wide spread subtle attacks of rumors and gossip which ruins their reputation or how people view them as a person which is both irritating and very sad to witness, and probably nightmarish to experience personally. People jump to conclusions and hate these people just because they have a mental disorder.. or how their mental disorder causes them to act a certain way in which a lot of the time they are unable to control. But being as Joker is a fictional movie. The point behind it was cleverly put together in showing the perspective of a person who has been through the very worst of a decline in their mental health due to constant mistreatment and abuse that is a very real issue everyday for thousands or even millions of people. While it does not justify the evil actions in certain parts of the movie nearing the ending.. it still does cover a deep 3rd person and even first person perspective of the lifestyle some people unfortunately experience. The mental health stigma seems to be even worse in other nations who lack knowledge with mental illness. But the issue I have with our society is how we have people preaching equal rights but fail to deliver the same positive goals for people who have mental illness or disabilities as well. While I am completely for equal rights for everyone. I feel 98% of the time people who suffer from mental ailments are often still mistreated even by those who jump on the equality train and it's truly sad and extremely unfair. I hope the mental health mistreatment and stigma becomes more of a topic to hopefully aid in the understanding of mental disorders, it's very heart breaking to see so many individuals who have mental illness being treated as if they aren't even human. Aside from my tangent though.. I am thankful for this entire topic and video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and professional perspective on this Dr. Grande. I am always glad to expand my knowledge on psychology with your channel.

I think The Joker plays on our deep-seated negative primal emotions when we're invalidated, made to feel weak or powerless, and escalates that to the highest degree without inhibition. In a way it dramatizes the ideas or fantasies one might have after experiencing strong negative emotions. Things we wish we could do in the moment, but most never do. Those tend to be fleeting emotions that may lie beneath the surface but can be roused very quickly, at least in my own experience. I feel that level of resentment and malice at times, but I relate far more to Batman than I do the Joker. I'm more of the remove the "evil" of society by any means necessary. There are sheep, and there are wolves, but I see myself as the shepherd, with compassion for the sheep and an eye on the wolves. Now if I peel back another layer of the onion that I am, my truest desire is to keep everyone content and peaceful with one another, to show love and compassion to myself and others no matter what. That is the trueness of my soul and I believe, probably naively, everyone's soul. That very human and vulnerable side of us can get covered by the layers we develop through experience, environment, and genetics perhaps.. I really like listening to you speak Dr. Grande, your perspective is always so thoughtful and genuine and invokes interesting ideas to think about!

Was waiting for you to analyze this since i left the theatre! Thank you

Dr. Grande creates video that spoils the entire plot of The Joker Everyone is immensely traumatized because the plt is spoiled before they can see it They need to start having sessions with Dr. Grande to get over it PROFIT!!!! (I'm JK Dr. Grande! Another awesome video from your channel. So many people are going to have to go watch the movie again with the new understanding of the character's psyche!)

"Doing the right thing with the desire to be kind" yes exactly. I was talking to someone about it earlier and they said they appreciate that maybe people are gonna do the right thing out of fear of what could happen to them, but I don't think that's healthy at all. I think the movie clearly showed a society that's cold and uncaring, and that should make people think and want to be more kind.

Great video! i could see a lot of myself in Arthur Fleck.. I came from a narcissistic mother and violent father, witnessed violence in the home and bullied through out school.. these days i let Karma do its job! I like how the film showed how someone can be on the brink of madness and fall over the edge! But i am also living proof that it can not only go one way(bad) ...A master piece of a movie and maybe vocalises all the things i wanted to say but internalised it! Great job Phoenix

I live in South America and my country sometimes becomes chaotic in various ways. I can assure that there are disasters with the issue of social assistance as in the film, for example there are many people working in positions for those who are not really trained. Therapists can get to talk more with the patient by discharging his frustration at a dismissal. It is what generates living in a society in a constant of insecurity, frustration, instability, etc. I can assure you that many things of that Gotham city are real for certain places and countries.

The way the Joker spirals down in relation to the injustice done to him is similar to the character Michal Douglas played in Falling Down. Might be interesting to do some day.

The whole point of the confusion in reality for the audience, is to display just a fraction of Joker's mind.

I absolutely love the seriousness with with Dr. Grande presents the diagnosis of a totally fictional character 😂

this was the review i've been looking for.

l found the 2019 Joker not to be so high functioning. Seems his narcissistic mother wounded him even further and contributed to his psychopathy and sociopathy. He seemed in the beginning to be more covert with his ideas and then seemed not to respond to or particularly resist counseling. He became more grandiose in the end, not accepting himself as ordinary and so much reminded me of a manic depressant! A little like the psychopath in “Silence of the lambs” not Lecter but the protege.👍

Dr Grande Thank you! You are AWESOME 🥰

It’s funny that we had such different opinions about the movie. As a writer, a fan of the comics, and a mentally ill person I absolutely loved the story and this way of looking at the Joker. I really related to certain parts of the movie and to the message that we should be trying for understand and empathize with other people more rather than jay writing them off and only seeing things from our own perspective. I think the most poisonous thing in this entire world is the lack of empathy humans tend to have for each other. I went in not knowing if I was gong to love or hate the movie, and I ended up loving it. In my opinion this is only a potentially dangerous movie if people can’t think critically about the content they’re consuming. As always, loved your take on this even if I didn’t agree!

Movie reminds me of "falling down" especially relates to me when I was a kid I used to have anger issues where I sometimes said alarming things that could have gotten me arrested, but nowadays I can be in the most stressful of situations and can walk and chew gum no problem. Especially in prison and jail (as a guard and deputy)

2:20 "that's a strange comment for a psychotherapist or a social worker to make, even if it were true" ... you mean, she was actually kind enough to be honest with him? **gasp** .. i mean, when I watched that scene, I felt thankful to her that she was at least being honest, because... let's be clear, bureaucracies (government or otherwise) generally don't care about people that fall out of the system. Regarding fantasy/reality/memories, I'm going to re-watch it, I suspect there are slight variations in the colour grain of the scenes depending on whether it's a memory/fantasy/reality My current running theory, is that the whole movie was a joke on the audience, the whole thing was a fictional story told to the psychiatrist at the end of the film, Arthur isn't delusional/schizophrenic, he's a murderous psychopath/narcissist, and the audience gave sympathy to the devil, pleased to meet you, hope you guessed my name, but what's puzzling you, is the nature of my game. 18:50 I didn't see it this way at all, the film wasn't glorifying violence, it wasn't saying "do the right thing or you'll get your wrath" it was saying that this is an inevitable consequence of a society that alienates people and disenfranchises them, given that we are facing a lot of potential catastrophes, a new financial crash, a growing wealth gap, climate change and associated disasters, this movie was just piggybacking off the back of the current state of play, in my view, it's a warning that things are about to become more turbulent, if you don't believe it, just wait and see in about 5-10 years, if things don't change within the current system society is going to have some troubles ahead.

I actually just said the one of my cousins while talking about this movie today that the first two people he shot on the subway was definitely justified self defense as they were kicking the crap out of him. He loses the self defense protection when he hunts down the third man and kills him.

Thanks Dr. Todd, that was very insightful. We indeed have difference in taste whether we liked it or not but I totally agree with your proposed final message. I see being good or doing the right thing out of fear of violence is thoroughly reactive and intimidating; it doesn’t give a space for true activity where one can participate actively in society.

I would love to hear you do guided meditations or hypnosis. Perfect voice and tone. Gotta admit, been using your vids for sleep. Don’t get me wrong, I’m quite happy with your content and how you deliver but I can’t deny the soothing effects (or affects, not sure) your videos have on me.

i empathized so much for him so much throughout this movie, it broke me.

I’ve never watched a movie like this before, but after hearing your review I’m going to. It sounds very interesting. Thank you.👍👍👍

I've watched quite a few of your videos now, but I just watched The Joker a couple of months ago, and so when this popped up, I hit "play." There was so much to-do about the movie when it came out, but I'm not a graphic novel fan, or a Marvel fan, or a Batman fan, so I wasn't interested at all. Then I heard that all sorts of things said about it, mostly that it was needlessly violent and did exactly what you said, linked mental illness and societal problems. That didn't make me want to watch it. Recently, though, somebody told me I would find it interesting just from the point of view of a patient seeking treatment. I am 57. I have long been treatment-compliant for bipolar disorder with psychotic features, but it is considered poorly managed, and I am disabled as a result. Over the decades (I was finally diagnosed at 27), access to treatment has at times been very difficult. My friend's argument that I would find the movie fascinating from that standpoint and as a character study persuaded me to watch the movie. After watching the movie, I was intrigued, but not enough to watch Batman movies--or, as you noted, a sequel. I truly enjoyed this video. One, it explained about the laughing and the crying. PBA? I was glad I wasn't the only one trying to tie all the loose ends together. I really liked that you informed your audience that mental illness isn't linked to violence. And thank you so much for noting that kindness is the reason we should be invested in community mental health. Great video, Dr. Grande. I'll be sharing it with everyone I know who raved to me about The Joker...

Super helpful, I’m doing an extend essay on mental illness and I was looking for deep textual film analysis on joker and this helped a bunch, thank you for making this video‼️

I remember a long time ago, I was supporting a person who suffered with pathological laughing + when I saw The Joker movie, the laughing reminding me of this

Best part of the day, watching Dr Grande 💛

Also the fact that this movie is set in the 80s, and the field of psychology has progressed since then. What the movie does right is that they show how society, in the form of among others Murray Franklin, is being judgmental and assumptionate against outsiders, instead of trying to be understanding and supportive. This is even more true today.

I think reviewing more movies and their portrayal of mental illness would be very interesting, especially with someone with as in-depth a knowledge as yours.

Just found your channel! I'm highly interested in what you did here. I've been looking for an in depth analysis! I'm an undergrad psych student who's going next for a masters in counseling!

The delusions in the film make it so much more rewatchable i think. Trying to come to a conclusion about your own personal belief of what happened etc. I also think there are many metaphorical messages in the film. I regardless loved this video, well done!

the fact that we don't know if it was real or not is the brilliant thing abut it

This description of all the different personality types is very informative, I have never even heard of "conduit?" or another one mentioned. I found Joaquin Phoenix's acting a brilliant work of art! I would watch this again, alot of really great symbolism, at times it is confusing.

Love this Dr Grande. The brain damage helped explain a lot. I mean people are suggesting Arthur changed to Joker because of his upbringing and dire life and this is why the movie is dangerous etc. There was a part where his adopted mothers mental health was revealed with NPD. So Arthur's mental problems are not genetic but more the way she treated him. She might well have dropped him as a baby. He certainly had physical abuse from her partner when he was a child. I would say a physial disorder of laughter and crying would have cut him from reality and lead him to depression. I understand what you mean about real and not real butt I am guessing a lot of this plus Joker moments and Bruce Wayne where put in for fans. I am well pleased that the film has made people think about mental health. You are brilliant at putting structure and meaning into everything you do. I have learnt a lot from these videos 😊

As someone who's struggled with Schizotypal leanings, I was very touched by this tragedy movie. I also laughed at every joke, to the incredulity of others in the audience.

Thanks for doing this, I was awestruck by such a performance, did not expect what I saw. A character portrayal worth delving into.

I really enjoyed your take on this. Although you mentioned you would not be interested in a sequel, I’m curious what you would like to see changed in a follow up. What do you think would be a good way to approach all the problems of the first? What would be more cohesive, and make more sense to you within the context of this universe?

If i also may suggest a character study on the British drama series Sherlock staring Benedict Cumberbatch. It is well worth the watch "to an extent".

I watched many reactions of people who watched the teaser trailer and the final trailer for Joker and almost everyone felt sorry for Arthur and so did I. I think that sometimes people are cruel to people who are different, whether it's because they look different or act different. This movie is telling us to be more kind and compassionate to others, not out of fear of violence but because it's the right thing to do. Killing others is certainly wrong but he was tired of being a victim.

Greetings Dr Grande, I really enjoy listening to your informative videos but I don't always have to time to sit on my laptop and watch them on youtube. Would you consider posting them as podcasts so that I could listen to them on my long drives to work ? Thank you

Great video as always tonight I found out you were faculty to one of my programs faculty members.