Rationale for Study

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Joker is an interesting attempt to make a comic-book origin story a serious drama. It was initially greeted with critical acclaim, winning the Golden Bear at the Venice Film Festival. Joker garnered eleven Oscar nominations, with Joaquin Phoenix winning Best Actor while Hildur Guðnadóttir won Best Original Score. The film was also a commercial success (the only R-rated film top have grossed over $1 billion). However, Joker also aroused controversy and many negative reviews for its stylised portrayal of urban alienation and class conflict, with some fears it may inspire copycat crimes.