As many have pointed out, this movie works extensively with references to other movies. Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy are the most mentioned. Another good one is Modern Times. Joker has its main charakter watch a good chunk of it in the cinema, depicting a poor, (at times) jobless outcast of society who struggles to take care for his very few loved ones. Joker can be seen as a grim take of Modern Times.
But the best references were to Nolans Batman. Spoilers for The Dark Knight Trilogy and Joker.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
I'm in the "much of the movie happend in his head"-Camp. The riots, the city burning, him at the show, all fabricated by his sick mind while being in Arkham.
Now seeing Arthur in the back of the police car made me imediately think about Heath Ledgers Joker, enjoing a drive after escaping Gordon.
Shortly after that we see him rise from the hood of the car, very slowly and carefully. And I imediately thought about Bales Batman exploring the Batcave, being frightened by the bats. I swear, even the music at that point resembled the nolan tune.
We also see Bruces parents shot and him not knowing what to do now, just standing there.
Assuming this is all in Arthurs head, I realy struggle to come up with what the movie is trying to get at.
1) The references suggest that Arthur/The Joker is good and evil and that Batman is not needed (being entirely left out of the movie).
2) Arthur is set up as the hero and Batman would turn out a villan in this universe.
3) You would have to be as sick as poor Arthur to come up with an idea like Batman, which he does - that idea for a super hero story makes him laugh at the end.
I don't know what to think about this. Perhaps I'll stumble over an explanation/theory that clears things better up for me.
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