The Joker: The Mad Man In The Dark Knight

“Madness is like gravity all you need is a little push” (Nolan). As the Joker suggests in the previous quote, madness is in everything, movies, books, plays, and even real life. It’s a classic news headline about people who received the “little push” and did something crazy. It also appears in most gothic literature because it’s a classic convention for there to be "mad" men or a villain who lacks all emotion and acts in irrational ways throughout the story line. The “mad” man adds an element of suspense because his actions are unpredictable and extreme. The Joker, in The Dark Knight, is the perfect example of a “mad” man. Throughout the movie, the Joker acts as the mad man in Gotham, which ultimately exposes the injustice of Gotham’s political system, a system rooted in the elected officials of Gotham. The Joker’s madness exposes the corrupt cops, lack of confidence, and inequality of power in Gotham’s police force through the chaos he creates that challenges the justice system. This is a direct metaphor for the police and justice system today and subtly sheds the light on political corruption through elected officials and their abuse of power in today’s society. Madness is a characteristic that …show more content…
His use of the people in power eludes to the political corruption that occurs in society today, and how some people can use fear to manipulate and control people in power. The Dark Knight was released in the Bush Era, and the “War on Terror”. Many critics believe that The Dark Knight reflects Bush’s response to the 9/11 attacks and his “War on Terror”. Where Bush would embody the role of Harvey Dent, and the Islamic terrorist groups and Osama bin Laden are depicted within the character of the Joker. (Briley). This is just one interpretation of the political metaphor that The Dark Knight eludes