The real joke is on the Joker’s mental health diagnosis in the film.

And this is the punchline.

He has none.

His unprovoked laughter is not a condition, like it says on the card he hands unwitting strangers when he subjects them to a laughter attack. His laughter is not a mental health issue like the professionals said and his mother made him believe. It is just a compulsive need to be happy.

What could possibly be wrong with that?

As the movie progresses and his character’s actions become more and more macabre it becomes obvious the Joker is not and never was a vigilante. He is a creature born of darkness searching for light.

How can he possibly be denied this light seeking heroism? This smiley face behind the tears?

The western creation of the clown’s happy face to mask tears is after all the soul’s  hunger for enlightenment, for Nirvana.

The Joker interestingly is the only one not wearing a clown mask, while all his copy cats are.

His smile is painted by the blood on his face. That shows integrity does it not? It is with this integrity that he unmasks his parental history one by one.

Schematically, the progression of his alleged father’s character, John Wayne  as a rich morally corrupt narcissist to an upright family man is fascinating. As fascinating as the Joker’s mother’s simultaneous transformation from abandoned parent to a delusional and abusive psychopath.

The Joker’s psychological profile seems to be right out of a case file of Mindhunters or

True Detective . Of late there seems to be much soul searching for the dissociative disorders created by abusive parenting especially maternal betrayal, absent dads and cruelty by stepdads/ mother’s boyfriends.

The Joker’s alleged half brother Bruce Wayne, remains ensconced in a safe haven of parental stability protected and untouched by the Joker’s angst ridden shenanigans, the perfect background for a true hero, one could presume. Batman waiting in the wings, if I may pun.

On the other hand, the Joker’s fan following in the film, seem to be like him the spiritually impoverished ‘have nots’ as opposed to the ‘haves’ like the Waynes.

If is very clear that this disassociation is not the exception but the rule amongst the hoi polloi.

What is seriously not funny is the suggestion that it is this disassociation that creates leaders and this is what drives them.

What is disturbing is that unlike the Charles Bronson style vigilantes of yore this vigilante does not kill for revenge or for a misplaced sense of justice. This vigilante kills because it makes him happy.

What is even more scary is that he is not alone, he is just another one of the clown mask wearing masses.

Even scarier is that it is easy to empathise with his reasons to kill.

The presence of Robert de Nero in the film is another uncanny synchronicity. With Taxidriver de Nero has always been the iconic anti- hero King. When his character in this film, t.v. celebrity Murray gets shot by the Joker in his own show it is almost as if the Taxidriver passes the anti- hero crown to his successor, the Joker.

The anti hero King is dead. Long live the King.