In Todd Phillips 2019 film the Joker it touches upon a man named Arthur Fleck, an aspiring stand up comedian who is constantly mocked and made fun of by those around him. The film uses a past to present timeline as it shows how Fleck had already had poor mental health issues, therefore held a grudge on those who made him suffer as he wanted them to feel the same pain that he had gone through in his life. This then brings off the dark side of Arthur as he turns into a villainous criminal also known as the Joker as he hid himself behind clown makeup, but also used this as a stamp for people to refer to him as. Flecks character had turned bad in hopes to seek revenge on those who have previously hurt him such as the boys who jumped him, Murray from the Murray show, his parents who gave him up for adoption, his mother who did not think he was funny and never believed in him bec
oming a comedian, the boss who fired him,the therapist who never listened to him and his struggles and many more . This film was set in the past, and worked its way to Arthurs present. Through the use of this film’s timeline one was able to gain background information about Flecks’ past which made it easier to understand why he turned bad in the end. As Lao Tzu once stated If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present. This quote is very applicable in this film as the timeline and Flecks mentally show he is living in the past which affects his present harmful actions. Therefore this essay discusses the use of the past to present timeline in the film and how it pertains to the current issues in today’s society including; bullying and abuse, mental illness and violence.