Interesting Fan Theory Makes Joker the Hero of THE DARK KNIGHT
Over the weekend we saw a fascinating fan theory about Heath Ledger’s Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. The theory manages to turn the insane villain into the hero of the story, and it actually works on several levels. The following breakdown originated from Reddit user GeneralZee (via Uproxx), and I’m curious to see what you all think about it:
"Joker, although a lying psychopath, is actually the hero in The Dark Knight. Before the Joker, Gotham was a mess. Entire sections of the city were closed off due to madness, organized crime ran rampant, and the majority of important city officials were wildly corrupt. The city even tolerated a renegade vigilante who ran around wearing a rubber suit (Okay, special armor and carbon fiber, but they don’t know that).
"Along comes the Joker and by the end of a very short time, almost all organized crime was eliminated, many corrupt officials were imprisoned or dead, and the city’s Vigilante even went into hiding for 8 years. This was all part of Joker’s masterfully executed plan."
There are a lot more details in the theory about why The Joker should be perceived as a hero, and it talks about how Batman is the one who actually became "a true villain, the kind that abandons his own principles.” He explains how the Joker manipulated Batman into killing Dent, and how it was all part of the Joker’s plan to rid Gotham city of the vigilante and its corrupt villains. After all, he robbed a bank run by the mob, jacked up the finances of the mobsters, and even helped oust the Gotham City Police Department's crooked cops.
The theory also claims that The Joker actually "believed in Gordon” and that he was “one of the few officers on the force who was truly incorruptible." It goes on to say that when Joker clapped at him in that memorable scene, the theory suggests it wasn’t done in a mocking manner. Joker was actually applauding Gordon for being one of the honest cops who was trying to keep the city together.
It’s an intriguing theory that I actually really love. I don't know if that's what Nolan was trying to do, but regardless, what do you think about it? Was the Joker's real plan to make Gotham City a better place?
I'd love to know what Nolan thinks about this theory.