Joker and The Master are poles apart stylisticaly. Is a comic book movie fan going to sit still for a Paul Thomas Anderson art film? I think not.

I wouldn't say that either are "about" mental illness. Joker seems to be more about the plight of a man in an uncaring society, a society that is even more mental or unstable than he is. The Master is to me about the construction of a society within a society.

In both Joaquin is an everyman who transforms himself into a superman. In Joker, a primal, Jungian if you will, symbol of resistance and attack. In The Master, Joaquin goes from lost to searcher of truth to L Ron Hubbard esque creator and evangelist of "truth" .

Plus what you said. As for the father stuff. Daddy issues, can't live with them, can't leave em at the golf course.

Good points... I broadly agree... But I do think that Joker is not a universal movie... Well, in the sense that he is clearly mentally disturbed... We can call it illness or weakness/fragility, but he's clearly not right in the head... Similar to Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver...

But I don't believe that the audience is as segmented as the marketers would have us believe... I think someone who has enjoyed Joker is likely to find The Master thought provoking... I think the juxtaposition of the two movies is interesting... Despite the stylistic differences...

Joaquine is such a great actor... He was even convincing as Jesus in that recent Mary Magdalene movie...

Good points as well. Now I only saw The Master when it came out. So my memory is weak on it. Yes different audiences can appreciate different types of films. Not all comic book fans took well to Joker either. Many disliked it. And Arthur Dent was probably too far gone from the start. So he just didnt need all that much to tip him over the edge. If i get around to rewatching either I will look more towards your mental health angle.

Meh. This is the film that started turning me off to PTA. I was expecting some kind of lurid expose of LRH and his insane religion. I didn't really care about the protagonist whatsoever.

I think there is a narrative movie to be made to take down L Ron Hubbard and scientology, but I don't think Paul Thomas Anderson would be that kind of director...

Leah Remini's A&E show Scientology and the Aftermath tried. There was the documentary Going Clear before that. Until tax exempt status is revoked they will still be in business. As for narrative movies about cults there are lots. A good one is Ticket to Heaven (1981) based on the Moonies.

@znexyish said:

Leah Remini's A&E show Scientology and the Aftermath tried. There was the documentary Going Clear before that. Until tax exempt status is revoked they will still be in business. As for narrative movies about cults there are lots. A good one is Ticket to Heaven (1981) based on the Moonies.

Jason Beghe said everything anyone needed to know about Scientology well before some A&E show.