Quote:
Originally Posted by FAX
In all of literature, sympathetic villains are the very best kind, Mr. Superturtle.
Othello, Shylock, Macbeth ... or say, Karla from the Smiley novels. They each had some sort of heartbreak, enigmatical love, or other relatable rationale as a motivation for their evil deeds.
The best antagonists have an incentive that stimulates audience empathy. Except for, perhaps, that Mr. Black Bob guy ...
FAX
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I generally agree, but I think the Joker is a rare exception. His entire persona relies on being a total mystery. He's pure id, chaotic and unreasonable. His motives always shift and his behavior is erratic enough to stymie the world's greatest detective. Explaining how he got there kind of ruins the fun in some ways.
That said, The Killing Joke gave him a backstory and it managed to be one of the best Batman stories ever written so...
I think a whole movie of him becoming the Joker is pretty unnecessary, but I love Joaquin Phoenix and the trailer looks good so I'm in. Of course I'm the kind of fan that likes when movies do crazy stuff with established characters. All that matters to me is if it's a good movie or not.