A Filmmaker's Guide to: Joaquin Phoenix

In this chapter of ‘the filmmaker’s guide’ we’re actually going to be learning about literature and film together. I understand that many of you are sitting in university during difficult times and finding it increasingly hard to study and I understand that many of you who are not at university or not planning on it are possibly stuck of what to do, need a break or even need to catch up on learning film before you get to the next level. This guide will be brief but will also contain: new vocabulary, concepts and theories, films to watch and we will be exploring something taboo until now in the ‘filmmaker’s guide’ - academia (abyss opens). Each article will explore a different concept of film, philosophy, literature or bibliography/filmography etc. in order to give you something new to learn each time we see each other. You can use some of the words amongst family and friends to sound clever or you can get back to me (email in bio) and tell me how you’re doing. So, strap in and prepare for the filmmaker’s guide to film studies because it is going to be one wild ride.

Joaquin Phoenix

Known today as one of the greater actors of modern Hollywood, we are pretty much all familiar with the sad story of Joaquin Phoenix's youth in which his older brother - another great actor - River Phoenix, passed away. Since then though, Joaquin Phoenix has gone on to star in some Oscar Winning movies such as "Gladiator", "Walk the Line" and "Joker". He has become synonymous with an actor who can pretty much perfect any single role and has earned the respect of the top tier of Hollywood talent.

When it comes to his roles, you tend to recognise that he takes on the ones that are considered to be the most difficult in the business. I want to take this time therefore to appreciate the greatest works by Joaquin Phoenix. A man who never takes the same role twice.

Joaquin Phoenix's Greatest Roles

Gladiator (2000)

I think us kids all remember being creeped out by Commodus. He scared the pants off me for ages, it was that thing he did with his tongue. But you then have to admit that Phoenix portrayed an amazing and probably even accurate Commodus - the emperor son of Marcus Aurelius who was never really supposed to rule as all he cared about was hedonism. The final emperor of the golden age, he was the reason it fell. Joaquin Phoenix embodied that so well that you can understand why it has since been remembered as one of his greatest roles.

Walk the Line (2005)

Everyone loves the fact that Joaquin Phoenix portrayed Johnny Cash, it was really the height of his career at this point. The film tells the story of Johnny and June Carter Cash, how they met and performed together. The portrayal of Johnny Cash is actually very accurate in the sense that the musician was a mysterious and almost ominous figure. A former prison inmate, Johnny Cash was known for his dark, poetic brilliance and so that was aptly reflected by Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of him.

Joker (2019)

A grand moment in modern cinema history was when Joaquin Phoenix took the role as Arthur Fleck - the newest addition to the Joker regime of films. He took many things from other jokers and mixed them into his own: the badly applied makeup and the card were both a nod to Heath Ledger's portrayal in "The Dark Knight" and the dancing is very obviously a nod to Jack Nicholson's Joker in Tim Burton's "Batman". But I think the one thing that compelled people the most about this film is that the Joker is made into a very real person who could possibly and probably does exist.

Other great films starring Joaquin Phoenix:

• The Village (2004)
• The Master (2012)
• Her (2013)
• Inherent Vice (2014)
• You Were Never Really Here (2017)