The Joker and Batman are like Yin and Yang. Neither exists without the other. We see the Joker and Batman as opposing forces, but could they possibly be complimentary like Yin and Yang?
Chinese philosophers see the world as a combination of opposites; light and dark, weak and strong, sweet and salty, Yin and Yang. What would the world be without those opposites? Without one, there would be no other. Humans would have no knowledge of cold without having experienced hot.
Tim Burton's Batman is an example of a somewhat twisted Yin and Yang. Starting with the basics, The Joker is white and Batman is black. This is ironic because white is usually associated with good while black is usually evil. Tim Burton uses visuals to force us to question what is absolutely good and evil. The forces move and work together, creating a blurred line.
Bruce Wayne himself is both Yin and Yang. He has two sides. He is the millionaire party guy, who hangs out with big important people, and he is also the illusive Batman who hides in the shadows and is nearly impossible to catch. But what would one be without the other? It seems that Batman exists to watch over Gotham and keep it safe but also to keep Bruce Wayne sane. Batman is his outlet for being so isolated and different than the rest of the city. Growing up an orphan after having seen his parents killed made a space inside him for his darkness to grow. This darkness is allowed to break free as soon as Bruce puts on his bat mask.
I really like your incorporation of the yin yang concept. The thing that a lot of western culture misses about the concept is that the yin yang are not conflicting, good and evil, but rather complimentary, just like Batman and Joker. This is perfectly shown when they both claim that the other "made them". They created each other, and without each other they would be quite pointless. Batman would still be an obscure vigilante and Joker would still be a righthand mafioso. I also really like how you tie in the concept of white and black, as displayed in the tradition yin yang symbol as well as the attire of the two main characters.The city of Gotham also provides a perfect backdrop for the yin yang to take place. The citizens all seem very neutral,willing to go along with whatever Batman or Joker cook up. While certainly their defeated attitude is not good, it does let the viewer see the combined forces of Batman and Joker without outside interference.
ReplyDelete-Cyrus Nabipoor