Patton Oswalt Has An Interesting Theory About The Joker In THE DARK KNIGHT

Patton Oswalt Has An Interesting Theory About The Joker In THE DARK KNIGHT

The Dark Knight is one of the most popular superhero movies out there. Many fans have their own take on Heath Ledger's Joker, mad genius or just mad. Patton Oswalt shares his thoughts with Facebook fans.

By MemoAcebo - May 12, 2018 08:05 PM EST
Filed Under: The Dark Knight
Source: Facebook
Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is regarded as one of the best genre movies ever released. It rocks a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes and the movie made over $1 billion at the box office.

The movie is discussed regularly despite being released a decade ago. Now, actor Patton Oswalt has released his own theory on the origins of Heath Ledger's The Joker.

Expanding on a popular fan theory of the Joker being ex-military, Oswalt took it a step further with thoughts that the villain might actually be former military intelligence.

"He seems to be very good at the kind of mind-f***ery that sustained, professional interrogation requires. His boast about how “I know the squealers” when he sees one," Oswlat said in a Facebook post. "The way he adjusts his personality and methods depending on who he’s talking to, and knowing EXACTLY the reaction he’ll get: mocking Gamble’s manhood; invoking terror to Brian, the “false” Batman; teasing the policeman’s sense of loyalty to his fallen, fellow cops; digging into Gordon’s isolation; appealing to Harvey Dent’s hunger for “fairness.” He even conducts a “reverse interrogation” with Batman when he’s in the box at the police station — wanting to see how “far” Batman will go, trying to make him break his “one rule.”

Here it is if you want to see it in Facebook.



Oswalt continued about Joker's interrogating skills.

"In the end, he ends up trying to mind-[frick] an entire city — and the city calls his bluff. Or is that what he wanted all along? He plummets to his seeming death, laughing like a child. And when he’s rescued by Batman, the one individual he couldn’t manipulate or break, he’s blissful and relieved (and, visually, turned on his head)."

What do you think about Oswalt's theory?

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Skrull
Skrull - 5/12/2018, 9:05 PM
Interesting. However, I despise the "veteran with PTSD turned-turned killer" trope that runs through so many Hollywood movies and TV shows. It baselessly paints all vets as potential serial killers/terrorists while at the same time demonizing those who have legitimate emotional problems arising from their experiences. The vast majority of people who serve in the military return to civilian life and live just as peacefully as those who never served. It's well past time for Hollywood to stop using vets as villains and start addressing their real lives and struggles in its fictional films.

Sorry for the rant, but I just read the obituary of my favorite uncle, who served over 20 years in the Army including multiple tours in Viet Nam. He did what his country asked of him in war, but when he returned to his family he was never anything but gentle and loving. My dad and the rest of my uncles, all of whom served, were the same, as are most other vets. They deserve better than to be portrayed as ticking time bombs for dubious "entertainment".
Supes17
Supes17 - 5/12/2018, 9:26 PM
@Skrull - yeah, I really dislike how he had to drag ptsd into this when the Joker showed almost no indication that he suffered from it.
Supes17
Supes17 - 5/12/2018, 9:15 PM
The Dark Knight sits at 94% RT, not 87%. That’s TDKR
ThouBear8
ThouBear8 - 5/12/2018, 9:25 PM
@Supes17 - it also came out in July 2008, so it hasn't been 10 years yet.
MemoAcebo
MemoAcebo - 5/12/2018, 9:28 PM
@Supes17 - thanks, bud
Supes17
Supes17 - 5/12/2018, 9:45 PM
@MemoAcebo - np. And this fan theory make a lot of sense
MitchConner
MitchConner - 5/13/2018, 5:30 AM
@Supes17 - bTW 3rd Dark Knight sucked
Supes17
Supes17 - 5/13/2018, 7:49 PM
@MitchConner - ok.......
MitchConner
MitchConner - 5/27/2018, 7:21 AM
@Supes17 - lol, trying to figure out why I wrote that, must have been drinking...made me laugh reading it after I saw your comment, makes no sense lol
Supes17
Supes17 - 5/27/2018, 9:49 PM
@MitchConner - there is some subconscious frustration w TDKR that is brought to the surface through alcohol haha
MitchConner
MitchConner - 5/28/2018, 1:42 PM
@Supes17 - lol, exactly, was just such a random comment though. Lol
Tymminator
Tymminator - 5/12/2018, 9:41 PM
Patton Oswalt always seems to have some interesting ideas.
DetectiveCinema
DetectiveCinema - 5/12/2018, 10:32 PM
Forthas
Forthas - 5/13/2018, 12:52 AM
In my mind, he is a ingenious at levels only matched by Batman. So I see him secluding himself for years and reading and absorbing insights ito the human mind. The closest real life person I think of is the unibomber.
LordRyuk
LordRyuk - 5/13/2018, 2:59 AM
I was certain that he served in the military and for years I had leaned towards black ops but it always nagged me at how he fought Batman with what looked like skills a touch above average, first at the penthouse and then in the finale. So I have been leaning more toward military intelligence, likely PSYOP’s? I know he calls himself an agent of chaos but the way he HATES “schemers” gives me a clue to his origin. He may have been an eccentric genius to begin with and was involved with some very dark stuff orchestrated by his command which led him to snap and is unconsciously making all leaders pay...
boiling
boiling - 5/13/2018, 4:04 AM
Greatest comicbook adaptation of all times! Great cast! One of the best movies of all times. That theory though is nothing new. But it’s a legit theory nonetheless.
boiling
boiling - 5/13/2018, 4:13 AM
@boiling - It’s a terrible shame that Ledger is gone. Besides the loss in general of course, it would’ve been so damn interesting to see what he‘d done with the Joker in part 3.
boiling
boiling - 5/13/2018, 4:17 AM
@boiling - Nolan should‘ve gone with the Riddler and Penguin at least instead of Bane. Johnny Depp as Riddler paying tribute to Ledgers Joker would’ve been quite cool to see I guess.
deantsol
deantsol - 5/13/2018, 8:13 AM
No not military definitely not. If going down that path maybe a spook but not military. The way He describes him him sounds more like a psychology type person with a Freud mind and a Machiavellian swag. He instantly knows a “schemer” and knows how to get under everyone’s skin and has that Hannibal Lecter sadistic attitude of finding weakness and gets off exploiting it and loves the ones that resist. Isn’t that how he made Harlequin fall in love with him? He knows the human brain extremely well, knows how to get ones attention and knows how to break one just like a shrink hence why they call them shrinks cause they know how to take you apart piece by piece. He also has a very commanding knowledge of the English language and what words trigger emotions and reactions. Must also be a brilliant chess player a certain Kasparov genius with his flow and execution.
Non the less one hell of a super-villain and portrayed incredibly by Heath Ledger in one of the best movies of all time.
EskimoJ
EskimoJ - 5/13/2018, 10:06 AM
Some become The Joker, others become cops.
RolandD
RolandD - 5/13/2018, 11:26 AM
Let’s see if I can make a distinction here. Best movie made from comic books ever. On the other hand, some of the MCU movies are some of the best cbm’s. TDK is a notch above because it is a great movie period. The MCU movies do a great job translating comic books into movies.
LordHarryLatts
LordHarryLatts - 5/13/2018, 11:47 AM
Or maybe, the fantastic writing and Ledger's phenomenal performance show how vast the unpredictability is when you combine genius and madness.
deantsol
deantsol - 5/13/2018, 11:51 AM
@LordHarryLatts - Perfectly put ;)
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