The Joker: Return Of The Devil

 

 

You may not believe me!

Nevertheless, I know it’s him. I’ve heard about him as long as I could remember. A story about him floats in the air, since long before I was born. He has evolved through time, spread by word of mouth, and survived through many talented storytellers. The folktale reveals that he is one of the great villains who will be reincarnated someday as the agent of chaos.

The story about him was almost forgotten, dimmed with his rotten body during the Dark Age. I almost buried him too, until I heard about this guy with a scarred face, a devilish smile highlighted by a smudged crimson lipstick. People said he represents chaos, anarchy, and random injustice. He is the talk of the town, the headline of every newspaper, and the hot topic in prime time. He is disturbingly vicious yet irresistibly appealing. And he called himself, The Joker. Suddenly I had this vision.

Therefore, when people flocked to Gotham City to see the battle between –our long time hero– Batman and –the villain of our time– The Joker, I went with them too. I didn’t want to miss the spectacle of the year and I wanted to prove if the prophecy of this immortal felon is true. Is The Joker, him? Is he the reincarnation of Doctor Mabuse, who was known as the greatest criminal mastermind? Maybe it is him, finally resurrected from his grave. If it is, then I don’t want to miss a chance to meet him too.

***

For so long, I believed in Batman. I witnessed how he struggled to wage a war against his own fear and moral motives in Batman Begin. As Bruce Wayne, he hashis past. His parents were killed by a mugger. He was young and naïf. He was full of anger and wanted revenge. He thought he would do justice by killing the mugger. But he learned that there is always a thin line between justice and vengeance. And Batman IS Bruce Wayne’s thin line to do his justice. Everyone agrees with him. At least until The Joker loomed into sight in The Dark Knight, and suddenly, the thin line became thicker.

In people’s perception of justice, Batman is the man who is trying to put it right. But there’s something about The Joker’s ‘persona’ which made me realize another perspective about right and wrong, or good and bad. Batman had done his justice in his own way. He is rich, anyway. In fact, being the richest man in Gotham gives him the privilege to be extralegal, to be without jurisdiction.

He could do anything he wants. He knows ‘the rules of his society’ –or I would say the rules of Bruce Wayne’s society– and will do anything to uphold it. But what are exactly ‘the rules of Wayne’s society? If I’m not wrong, the rules are to keep their assets –or their capital in Marxist word– and their rights in its place. To keep the people where they belong to. Batman is following the spirit of the rules.

However, we are talking about true justice, about everyone’s right. Let us put Wayne’s richness aside, and the question is : if he could do anything he wants, why can’t we? While Batman is busy cleansing the Gotham’s streets full of Batmen’s wannabes – they are just doing anything they want in the name of justice -, here comes the Joker. He, who springs out of nowhere and everywhere, he is no one, yet, he is everyone. He is not a sudden-popped-up-evil though. Actually, he is a logical reaction to Batman.

The Joker said to Batman: “People see us as freaks. Both of us are freaks”. And he made his point. Somehow, they are both catalysts of chaos. It’s just that they are using different ways. In addition, The Joker wants to loose Batman’s faith that justice could be straightened up. The Joker believes that justice is a very fragile thing and it could be lost in the face of real adversity. It’s hard to believe, but somehow The Joker was not judging. He just made sure that everybody had a chance to choose. The Joker knows that there is a monster residing within all of us and he wants us to bring it to the surface and face it.

Through intricate criminal actions and elaborate schemes of violence, The Joker pushed everyone into the edge of their composures. And every single arrangement that he made resulted in ethical dilemmas and horrendous choices for the victims. One of them was when he put two groups of people in two boats.

One boat packed with the most dangerous criminals in the country and the other loaded with innocent civilians. And both groups had to decideeach other’s fate. The Joker was at ease with his twisted, perverse viewpoint and chaos-inducing way of life. Though the Joker looks like ‘just a wild dog’, philosophically speaking, he is as tricky and as smart as Batman. Even the police officer, Gordon, realizes that The Joker is right.

The Joker turns our beliefs upside down and let it explode in our faces like a boomerang. Gotham’s DA, Harvey Dent is one of The Joker’s experiments. Dent, who said : “You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” The bitter sentence which is backfiring him later. The sentence that is not only referring to him, but to Batman and to everyone.

And all hell broke loose. The Joker was screwing them up. He was sabotaging the established order without fearing anything. And the most stupendous thing is I can’t really hate him. Somehow, he is right. Everything that happened in Gotham poses a logical set of questions that doesn’t need simply black and white answers.

Batman’s vision about justice is excessively fragile and I must say, utopic dream. Batman wanted to present a white knight. He wanted people to believe that black is bad, and white is good. And there’s still hope as long as there is a white knight. Therefore, he chooses to be a dark knight in order to emphasize the existence of so-called white knight. He just didn’t realize that no matter what it’s all about consequences. How stubborn he is.

I went back home, disappointed. Batman had always been my hero. And I was bitter about the fact that… maybe…he is not anymore. Oh, this Joker had really swayed my common sense, I guess. That’s the moment when Doctor Mabuse came in to my mind. Call it a premonition or whatever, and forgive me if I’m wrong, but the Joker resembled every idea of Doctor Mabuse.

***

Doctor Mabuse first appearance was in 1922, created by novelist Norbert Jacques but introduced by one of the greatest storyteller, Fritz Lang. Mabuse came into being for the first time in Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler: The Picture of Our Time. Lang acquainted him as The Great Unknown, master of disguise, a criminal genius who’s controlling people with his ability to hypnotize. He uses gambling as one means to attain his ends.

Like The Joker, nobody knows who he was. He was nobody, yet he was everybody. He was there, everywhere. He could be a broker who manipulates and throws the stock exchange into disarray. He could be a Jewish huckster. He could be a sick old man. He could be a professor in the university. He could be everyone. People who had a chance to meet him described him as a mysterious man with eyes evil like a devil.

For him, everything in the world was boring except one thing: the game with people and their faith. He liked to agitate the devilish subconscious and unconscious in humans. His vassals consisted of drug addicts, thieves, schizophrenics, blinds, depressives, and many kinds. He had the unbelievable suggestive power to force people to do things that were in an absolute conflict with their nature. Mabuse believed there’s no such a thing like love and luck. There’s only passion and the will to gain power. Once he asked a Countess: Should I give you a prove of the power of will? And he did it, with a diabolical scheme and pitiless act.

In The Testament of Dr. Mabuse, he acknowledged: “the last purpose of the crime is to put up the limitless rule of the crime, a state of complete insecurity and anarchy, built up on the smashed ideals of a world which is sentenced to its downfall. When the people are ruled by the terror of crime and went insane because of the horror and dismay, when the chaos became the supreme law, then the rule of crime has come”. He always needed a sensation of a very special kind. His aim was to swirl laws and gods like withered leaves, just like The Joker did with Gotham’s laws and heroes. Mabuse wanted the citizens to overthrow the state, to bring this decayed world down into a chaos. He planed his deeds precisely and accurately.

For people who know the Joker, the description of Mabuse sounds familiar, isn’t it? Of course there are some differences. The Joker is a scoundrel of our time. He has appeared in the globalization age and terrorism epoch where everybody —from people on the street to politician on the high above—talked about it and feared it like gossips, but consumed it like popcorn. By all means, The Joker uses all the tools and strategies from this generation: remote control, bazooka, mobile phone, high tech equipment, etc, whilst Mabuse was a villain after World War I.

It was a hard time. It was a time of deepest despair, of hysteria, of cynicism, of unbridled excesses for Germany, the country where Mabuse was created. The government of Weimar Republic fought against left and right rebels. Mabuse is an archetype rogue of this period. According to Fritz Lang, Mabuse is the worst brother of Faust. Mabuse is a Nietzschean Übermensch in a bad sense.

But on the other hand, he is also a product of the total destruction and post-war social decadence, when severe will to live was so powerful and money was –as it still is now– all that matters. It made him remain the hugest and most trivial materialist amongst the demons. He was the most memorable criminal in German cinema. Now The Joker is the most serious pretender to the throne.

Both, The Joker and Dr. Mabuse share the same ideals for the society of their time and share the same ways to reach their goals. You may not believe me if I say, The Joker is Mabuse’s reincarnation. You may not believe me if I say, The Joker has a German ancestor.

So, why so serious? ***

also published in www.rumahfilm.org

Juno : Yang Tergeser Keluar Layar

“Apa ? Kamu tidak suka film Juno ?”

Seruan itu datang serempak. Lalu saya pun mendapati tatapan mata membelalak seperti anak panah siap ditembak – dengan saya sebagai sasaran. Tiba-tiba saja saya merasa sudah duduk di kursi tertuduh dengan tuduhan : tidak punya selera humor, tidak tahu film bagus, sudah terlalu tua untuk mengerti, dan sederet tuduhan pidana bidang film lainnya.

Saya hanya bisa nyengir sambil menawarkan gula-gula ke teman-teman saya yang seperti kena serangan jantung. Toh itu tidak bisa mengalihkan perhatian mereka ke topik utama hari itu. Satu-satunya yang mendukung dan mengerti kenapa saya tidak suka dengan film Juno hanya Nathalia. Teman asal Rusia yang sebal dengan nama aslinya, Nathasa, itu yang paling bersemangat membela. “Bener Rin. Kan saya bilang juga apa, Sex and The City jauh lebih bagus !”. Gantian saya yang melongo.

Sore itu saya berhasil menghindari tuntutan mereka untuk memberi penjelasan lebih lanjut. Saya memang termasuk orang yang malas memberi penjelasan. Tapi tak urung, protes mereka terngiang-ngiang terus dibenak saya. Kenapa saya tidak suka dengan film itu?. Gara-gara pertanyaan itu, saya terpaksa menonton Juno lagi. Saya ingin memastikan bahwa mungkin memang ada yang terlewat dari pengamatan saya.

Apa sebetulnya yang saya cari dari film Juno ?

Saya setuju, Juno adalah film yang unik. Ia membuat masalah yang berat itu – kehamilan remaja atau kehamilan tak diinginkan – jadi terasa enteng. Setidaknya, saya menemukan beberapa hal penting yang ingin disampaikan oleh Juno. Pertama: jangan takut untuk hamil, semua akan baik-baik saja. Kedua: adopsi lebih baik daripada aborsi. Saya setuju, karena saya anti-aborsi.

Saya juga setuju, Juno adalah film yang diperlukan saat ini. Di Amerika, data menunjukkan setiap tahun setidaknya ada kurang lebih satu juta remaja belia hamil. Hampir setengah dari jumlah itu memilih aborsi sebagai jalan keluar. Selebihnya memilih melanjutkan kehamilan untuk kemudian menyerahkan anaknya untuk diadopsi, dan sedikit dari mereka memberanikan diri untuk membesarkan sendiri.

Karena itu, Juno adalah sebuah film yang hadir disaat yang tepat. Apalagi Juno dikemas tidak dalam bentuk ‘khotbah’. Saya kagum dengan Juno yang bersikap sewajarnya ketika tahu ia hamil. Juno tidak histeris, apalagi menangis. Ia hanya terkejut, dan mungkin takjub. Kalaupun ia cemas atau takut, jelas Juno lihai menyembunyikan.

Dan saya kagum dengan orang tua Juno ketika mendengar anaknya hamil. Mereka menerima juga dengan sewajarnya. Bagi saya, dijaman ini ketika aib menjadi kata usang, begitulah seharusnya orang tua bersikap. Tidak perlu ada umpatan apalagi kutukan. Kehamilan itu saja sudah cukup mengguncang bagi Juno.

Tapi justru sikap ‘wajar’ inilah yang begitu lihai digarap agar penonton yakin bahwa aborsi itu pilihan salah, dan adopsi adalah jalan yang terbaik. Disini saya mulai ragu dengan premis yang dijanjikan Juno. Tapi saya berusaha mencari kemungkinan Juno menawarkan sesuatu yang lebih ‘dalam’, bahwa seperti aborsi, adopsi juga masih bisa dipertanyakan dalam konteks moral. Benarkah adopsi adalah jalan terbaik bagi semua pihak?

Dunia ideal Cody

Saya kemudian teringat, bahwa apa yang saya tonton adalah dunia ideal ciptaan seorang Diablo Cody, penulis skenario sekaligus pencipta karakater-karakter dalam film Juno. Entah kenapa, saya tak sanggup menahan godaan untuk memplesetkan semua karakter didalam film Juno menjadi Diablo Cody.

Perhatikan semua dialog one-liner – biasanya kalimat yang diucapkan dengan cepat dalam satu tarikan nafas – ala sitcom itu membuat semua karakter dalam film Juno seperti dari satu karakter dengan dandanan berbeda-beda. Dan karena itu, mereka menanggapi kehamilan Juno juga dengan reaksi dan ekspresi yang nyaris sama. Juno pun bisa ‘melucu’ dengan mulus nyaris tanpa konflik.

Ketimbang mikir yang berat-berat, Juno disibukkan dengan tugas mencari orang tua lewat iklan yang mirip biro jodoh biar ada kesan setidaknya ia bertanggung jawab mencari orang tua asuh yang cool buat si jabang bayi. Hanya dengan membayangkan Diablo Cody sebagai Juno, Leah, ayah, ibu, penjaga klinik aborsi bahkan Paulie lah saya bisa tertawa. Bagi saya, satu-satunya karakter yang bisa diciptakan Cody tanpa Cody hanyalah pasangan Mark dan Vanessa.

Tapi saya curiga, karakter Mark dan Vanessa ada sekedar untuk ‘melindungi’ Juno agar tidak dihadapkan pada persoalan-persoalan yang terlalu rumit. Mereka disediakan sebagai jawaban dengan sedikit konflik. Diablo Cody memang sedang ingin menanggapi masalah kehamilan remaja yang bikin pusing masyarakat Amerika dengan menghadirkan Juno sebagai sosok ideal.

Cody jelas berhasil menciptakan Juno sebagai ‘pahlawan’ baru. Maka saya tidak heran ketika minggu lalu saya membaca di koran De Morgen tentang sekelompok remaja 17 an yang janjian hamil dengan pacar masing-masing. “Its cool, you know !” kata mereka rame-rame. Mereka bahkan akan membuka butik khusus untuk remaja hamil yang tetap ingin tampil funky.

Lantas, apa yang saya cari dalam film Juno?

Sebetulnya saya sedang mencari sebentuk rasa prihatin. Bukan terhadap kehamilan itu, tapi terhadap si bayi yang akan lahir. Saya kecewa. Diablo Cody sudah berhasil menciptakan dunia ideal buat Juno dengan segala pernak perniknya. Tapi ia dengan enteng menghalau atau menghindari pembicaraan tentang konsekuensi pilihan Juno. Kalaupun ada, keprihatinan itu sekedar numpang lewat dan terlupakan.

Cody membuat mahluk hidup yang akan lahir itu dibicarakan seperti benda seni yang disiapkan dan dirawat dengan baik agar bisa dilelang dengan harga tinggi. Juno lebih khawatir terhadap nasibnya daripada bayinya ketika bertanya : bagaimanakah orang bisa bersama selamanya, atau paling tidak, beberapa tahun sajalah?. Daripada menyodori Juno dengan pertanyaan tentang nasib sang bayi, Cody malah sibuk menyuapi mulut Juno dengan kalimat-kalimat one-liner yang catchy.

Salah satu yang berhasil diciptakan Cody dilontarkan oleh Juno: “You should’ve gone to China, you know, ’cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods.” Juno yang imut itu kemudian lincah berkotbah soal bayi-bayi yang dibuang di Cina tanpa sadar, bahwa ia juga sedang melakukan hal yang sama. Tidak perlu jauh-jauh ke Cina. Juno toh, sadar atau tidak sadar, sedang menciptakan trend free iPods juga.

Saya mau tidak mau jadi ingat Dora, salah seorang teman keponakan saya. Dora gadis kecil yang murung, saya menjulukinya begitu. Dengan mata sipit dan rambut hitam-lurus-jabrik, Dora jelas merasa berbeda, bukan hanya dengan teman-teman sekolahnya, tapi juga dengan ayah dan ibunya yang berambut pirang bermata biru. Dora adalah free iPods yang diceritakan Juno itu. Tak ada yang bisa membuatnya tertawa. Bahkan Viviane, psikiater anak yang menangani Dora, juga sadar tidak ada yang bisa dilakukan untuk memperbaiki kerusakan permanen dalam jiwa Dora.

Viviane tentu saja mengerti betul kondisi Dora. Ia juga punya luka permanen yang sama. Viviane adalah anak ‘Juno’. Ibunya masih 16 tahun ketika berlibur ke Indonesia. Pulang ke Belgia, ia kedapatan hamil. Seperti Juno, ibu Viviane menyerahkan Viviane ke keluarga yang mampu, setelah itu ia menghilang dari kehidupan Viviane. Viviane kemudian menjadi psikiater anak yang terobsesi untuk bisa menyembuhkan ‘luka jiwa’ anak-anak terbuang.

“Saya memang tidak kekurangan apa-apa. Tapi tetap saja seperti ada lubang besar disini,” kata Viviane sambil menepuk-nepuk dadanya ketika ia bercerita kepada saya tentang niatnya untuk menelusuri jejak sang ayah yang kebetulan orang Indonesia. Dan jika ia beruntung, bisa menemukan jejak sang ibu. Sepanjang 35 tahun hidupnya, Viviane terus bergulat dengan ‘lubang besar’ itu.

Adakah Juno pernah berpikir soal ini? Benarkah keputusan untuk memutuskan semua hubungan dengan si bayi adalah yang terbaik? Terbaik untuk siapa? Keprihatinan terhadap si bayi inilah yang digeser keluar layar di film Juno. Mereka sibuk membicarakan kehamilan itu – karena takut dituduh membunuh si bayi yang katanya sudah punya kuku– tapi lupa terhadap ‘perasaan’ si bayi. Padahal kesempatan untuk membuatnya jadi bahan pikiran terpampang lebar tanpa harus jadi berat.

Film Juno malah berusaha ‘ngeyel’ dengan menampilkan Juno yang imut berusia 16 tahun dengan wajah tak berdosa sehingga penonton seakan tak tega untuk membebaninya dengan pertanyaan moral. Penonton pun dibuat maklum saat Juno akhirnya lega -sepertinya aborsi maupun adopsi tidak lagi penting– dan duduk bermain gitar dengan Paulie. Mungkin karena Juno tidak pernah bertemu Dora. Tidak pernah bertemu Viviane.***