Layers of Joker: Folie à Deux Easter Eggs, References, and Thematic Surprises

2019’s Joker made waves across the globe, not only by grossing over $1 billion at the box office but also by becoming a cultural phenomenon. Joaquin Phoenix’s transformative portrayal of Arthur Fleck, who evolves into the infamous Joker, earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor, and the film itself gathered 11 Oscar nominations. The movie’s depiction of mental health, societal decay, and personal descent resonated deeply with audiences, despite initial fears it might provoke real-world violence. Instead, it sparked discussions, debates, and even fan theories.

Five years later, Joker: Folie à Deux arrives as the much-anticipated sequel, aiming to continue Arthur’s story. However, the response to the follow-up has been mixed, with early viewers claiming the film lacks the same magic as its predecessor. Despite this, Joker: Folie à Deux holds layers of intrigue, with numerous hidden details, clever nods, and thematic depth waiting to be uncovered. In this article, we’ll dive into the film’s Easter eggs, references, and the moments you might have missed that bring another level of complexity to this controversial sequel.

A Tale of Two Personas: Arthur vs. Joker

The opening sequence of Joker: Folie à Deux sets the stage for one of the film’s central themes: the duality of Arthur Fleck and his Joker persona. The movie begins with a delightful “Looney Tunes”-style short, where Arthur comes in to host a talk show. However, his shadow, representing his Joker identity, pushes him aside and takes control. This animated short doesn’t just serve as a quirky intro; it symbolizes the internal battle Arthur faces throughout the film the struggle between his quiet, troubled self and the bold, chaotic figure of the Joker.

The title of the short, Me and My Shadow, is a clever nod to the 1927 song co-written by Al Jolson, a piece that has been performed by musical legends like Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. This connection emphasizes the film’s many musical influences, but the “shadow” could also hold a deeper meaning. In the context of the Batman universe, the shadow might be an allusion to The Shadow, a vigilante character from the 1930s who served as an inspiration for Batman himself. Though Batman doesn’t appear in Folie à Deux, the reference highlights Arthur’s role as a predecessor to Gotham’s future hero.

Musical Madness: Colourful Umbrellas and French Cinema

Throughout the film, we see Arthur experience vivid delusions, blending fantasy with reality. One notable instance occurs when Arthur, escorted by four Arkham Asylum guards holding black umbrellas, looks up to see them transformed into vibrant colours red, orange, blue, and yellow. This striking visual is a direct homage to the 1964 French musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a film in which all dialogue is sung and has influenced many modern movies, from La La Land to Barbie.

The significance of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg runs deeper than just a stylistic reference. That film tells a tragic love story, and in Joker 2, Arthur’s relationship with Harleen “Lee” Quinzel (played by Lady Gaga) mirrors the doomed romance of Cherbourg. However, instead of war separating the lovers, as in the French classic, Arthur’s confession that the Joker persona never existed drives a wedge between him and Lee, further blurring the lines between truth and delusion.

The Gun Gesture: Lee’s Connection to Arthur

Lee’s introduction in Joker: Folie à Deux marks a departure from the traditional Harley Quinn origin story. In this version, she is not Joker’s psychiatrist, but rather another patient at Arkham, and one who voluntarily checked herself in. From the start, she is captivated by Arthur’s Joker persona, seeking his attention and admiration. Their initial connection comes when Lee mimics the same gun-to-head gesture that Arthur made in the first Joker film, signalling a deeper understanding or obsession with his troubled mind.

This seemingly small gesture becomes significant later in the film when Lee, disillusioned by Arthur’s revelation, repeats the action but with a real gun. The connection between Lee and Arthur is built upon these small, shared moments, which makes her eventual rejection of him even more poignant as she realizes that the Joker identity she idolized was never real.

The Psycho Connection: Arthur’s Descent into Madness

It’s clear from the beginning that Arthur Fleck is a deeply disturbed individual, and Joker: Folie à Deux draws explicit parallels between him and other iconic cinematic figures, such as Norman Bates from Psycho. In one scene, Arthur mimics his mother’s voice while speaking to a doctor, reminiscent of how Norman Bates adopted his mother’s persona after her death. This connection is further emphasized when Sophie, another character from the original Joker, testifies about conversations she had with Arthur’s mother, echoing the eerie maternal fixation Norman had.

Like Bates, Arthur’s fractured mind struggles with dual identities, though he ultimately reveals that his Joker persona was just a facade. This revelation challenges the audience to question everything they thought they knew about Arthur, adding another layer of complexity to his character.

Musical Nods: Pepé Le Pew and Love’s Illusions

The inclusion of Looney Tunes throughout Joker: Folie à Deux serves more than just comedic relief. During a courtroom scene, we see the Arkham inmates watching Pepé Le Pew cartoons on the TV. While Pepé Le Pew has been criticized for problematic behaviour, his inclusion here is particularly fitting, as his relentless pursuit of love, despite rejection, mirrors Arthur’s relationship with Lee.

Arthur’s delusions often manifest in musical numbers where he envisions himself and Lee as a loving couple, performing grand romantic gestures. However, once Lee learns the truth, she turns away from him, much like Pepé’s futile romantic pursuits. This parallel reinforces the idea that Arthur, like Pepé, is chasing an illusion of love that will never materialize.

The Dark Knight Returns: Joker’s Suits and Death Foreshadowing

Fans of the Joker character across various media will recognize several visual nods throughout Folie à Deux. When Arthur represents himself in court, he wears the same red suit from the first movie a symbol of his transformation into the Joker. Later in the film, during a fantasy sequence where Arthur imagines marrying Lee, he dons a sleek white suit, a costume directly inspired by the Joker’s appearance in Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns.

This suit, in both the comic and the film, foreshadows death. In The Dark Knight Returns, Joker dies after a confrontation with Batman, and in Folie à Deux, Arthur meets his end at the hands of a fellow Arkham inmate. The white suit symbolizes both the theatricality and the tragedy of Arthur’s fate.

A New Clown Prince: The Birth of Another Joker?

The ending of Joker: Folie à Deux is both shocking and open to interpretation. Arthur is stabbed by a fellow inmate, a nameless man who carves a smile into his own face, evoking memories of Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight. This ambiguous final scene leaves viewers wondering whether the torch has been passed to a new Joker, as Arthur lies dying on the floor.

Todd Phillips has hinted in the past that Arthur Fleck might not be the “real” Joker, and this ending seems to suggest that while Arthur’s story may be over, the Joker legacy lives on. Much like in The Killing Joke, where Joker’s story is left with a haunting laugh, Folie à Deux closes with a new, sinister figure ready to continue the chaos.

Did Joker: Folie à Deux Deliver?

While opinions on Joker: Folie à Deux may be divided, there’s no denying that the film is rich with references, thematic layers, and Easter eggs. From nods to French cinema to connections with other iconic villains, the movie offers plenty for fans to dissect. Whether or not we see a Joker 3 remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Arthur Fleck’s chaotic journey has left a lasting mark on Gotham’s mythos, and perhaps, on cinema itself.