Joker is one of the most groundbreaking movies of the 21'st century and has been praised for its social influence and commentary. It’s the recipient of numerous awards, including 2 Oscars, various golden globes, BAFTA awards, and over 200 different nominations and awards to lesser-known ceremonies.

Its leading actor, Joaquin Phoenix, only amplifies its incredible message. This amazing actor has been on the movie scene for quite some time and has gained most of his popularity through "Gladiator" and "Walk the Line," but Joker has completely turned his career around.

Phoenix plays Arthur Fleck (Joker), a loner in a poverty-stricken Gotham. The way that the exterior design and the architecture of this Dark City is mind-boggling and is probably one of the most significant factors that lead to the film's success.

The film is renowned for its atmosphere and the architecture of the grim Gotham City plays no small role in this. The comprehensive care and determination that the best designers put into place are completely revolutionary in the movie set architecture field, and we're just now waiting to see its influences come to fruition.

Joker is still a relatively new movie and is already praised as one of the best released. Today we're going to investigate the sheer significance that the gorgeous architecture of Gotham City plays in the most recent edition of this classic comic book villain. Strap in your seat, it's going to be a real riot.

Gotham City | The Architectural Style

It's extremely simple to choke off Gotham City like a ripoff of the real-life New York City. It's effortless to do so, but you would be completely missing the point. The point of this magnificent city exceeds any real inspiration and draws most of its significant effect from a psychological standpoint.

Gotham city architecture reflects a form of urban dystopia. The horrible reality of Gotham has been imagined in a variety of Batman and Joker films, and its latest rendition is perhaps the most significant one. In the comics, the city is depicted as an endless, drab, dark place filled with criminals, which only supplement its gloom and mysterious look.

The look is not only reliant on the residents, as that's only a matter of perspective. You could say that the architecture is directly impacting the villainous populace of this city, which seems to be chock full of the lowest forms of society.

The grim-dark skyscrapers and accommodation give off a weak outlook on the general population, as represented in the latest movie. Arthur Fleck lives alongside his mother in a tall building, one of many that reside in Gotham.

The skyscrapers and the poor accommodation have their architectural style only amplified by the sheer amount of trash and garbage that seems to be all around the city. In the latest movie adaptation of Gotham in Joker, the town looks to be riddled with waste more than usual.

What does this city teach us? Well, this atmosphere of this city only has a lot of impact on its residents. In this particular movie, the only "villains" that are featured are the corrupt police dormant, the global media moguls and talk show hosts, and the sheer aristocracy.

While all of the general population lives in slum-like conditions, filled with filthy skyscrapers, garbage-filled streets, and strangely enough, staircases, the upper class of society resides within lavish mansions that only serve to express the contrast between the two demographics.

It ultimately begs the question of who is the hero and who is the villain — which in itself is the main point of this movie. The social critique makes it very hard to hate the Joker and make many people side with him on most of his actions. Lest we forget that the character is a cold-blooded killer.

All of this internal conflict in the Joker and the viewer is painted through the gorgeous architecture.

The Impact of Gothams Architecture on the Joker

Gotham seems to have quite a significant role in the creation of the Joker. As Arthur fleck degrades into madness, the city seems to change around him. While the city has always been a filthy, horrible hive of decadence and cruelty, it seems to grow more and more violent with time.

Not only is the populace beginning to become wearier due to the political situation in the city, but the town itself seems to be changing. When the Joker is being kicked by the children in the alleyway, we can see the real significance and impact of the architecture on the Joker himself.

There is just something deeply traumatic about this. Of course, it's the acting, but the acting is ideally supplemented by the surrounding — a dirty, dark, stricken alleyway and a miserable man resting within it. It's true neo-noir and is one of the reasons this movie is so often compared to the Martin Scorsese masterpiece, Taxi Driver.

In Taxi Driver, Travis Bickle is located within the filthy city of New York, filled with much of the very familiar degeneracy and decadence. The role that New york has served within that movie is a similar role that Gotham serves in this one.

The Joker seems to go more and more insane, and the city seems to follow. The last scene in the movie where Arthur Fleck climbs on top of the police vehicle is an excellent rendition of this. From a filthy, boring, and stagnant city, we see an amount of activity, light, and passion unseen before in the movie.

The scenario is gorgeous and sets up the city in a new light, as the population thrives alongside the dimly lit walls of the numerous skyscrapers. The boring old city sparkles with a new light, a dim light, and a subtle, almost evil atmosphere.

That is the effect of a great city at play. The Joker would lose all its meaning and charm if it were set in some other city. It’s the magnificent architecture, the neo-noir, and the excellent script at play. When all these things are perfectly combined, you have an oscar-winning recipe. And the 2 Oscars that Joker has received don't lie.

The Subtle Influence On The General Populace

We're still waiting for the Oscars to include the best architecture category. If there was such a category, the latest rendition of the Joker would be the best option overall.

Architecture is one of those things that people don't really notice, but that changes the feel of each scene. It's essential to give subtle notes and hints like this, as they can truly make or break a movie. Joker wouldn't be Joker if it wasn't for Gotham, and Gotham wouldn't be Gotham if it wasn't a dark, decadent, and desolate place.