The Rise of Joker: A Look at Character Placement and Movement in Batman

So, finally, here is my first post. It is a paper that looks at Tim Burton's use of composition in his 1989 film Batman. Please, read, enjoy, and respond if the mood strikes you.


The Rise of Joker: A Look at Character Placement and Movement in Batman

In this paper, I will analyze Tim Burton’s use of composition in his 1989 film Batman. I will focus on the placement of characters, as well as their movements, within the frame, with the goal of proving how these elements help to portray shifts in the power and mental states of those depicted.


Jack v. Grissom: A Shift in Power

The first scene showing Jack and Grissom together, takes place in Grissom’s office, where Jack, Grissom, and other goons are meeting to discuss lowly activities. In this scene Grissom is the highest of all six subjects and is centered in the frame. This is an indication of his stature as the crime boss of Gotham City. Jack is almost the lowest in the frame of the subjects, tucked into the lower, right corner. He is the only subject located screen right of Grissom, a recurrence that can be attributed to his position as second in command. Later in this scene, when Jack and Grissom share the frame together, in a two-shot, Grissom is higher in the frame, so much so that Jack has to look up at him. Jack is again screen right to Grissom, which enforces the statement made by Grissom of Jack being his “number one guy”, a position equated with the right, such is the term right-hand man.

The next scene, in which Grissom and Jack share the frame, comes in Grissom’s death scene. In this scene Jack, who reveals his transformation into Joker, and Grissom do not typically share the frame in the same manner as they did in the first scene discussed. Instead, Burton uses a shot-reverse-shot editing structure, wherein, for the majority of the scene, only one of the characters is present in frame at any given time. In this scene, comprised of twenty-eight total shots, only six show the two ever sharing the frame, and only three of these shots are long enough for the audience to gather information of subject placement.

The first of these three shots is an over the shoulder shot which places Grissom higher in the frame, but slightly off center occupying the left side of the frame. Jack/Joker is lower in the frame, also slightly off center, but occupying the space in the right of the frame. This reinforces the power dominance of Grissom, as well as the old roll of Jack as the right-hand man.
The second shot is a reverse over the shoulder, this time placing Jack/Joker higher in the frame, while still keeping him screen right of Grissom. This shift in subject placement, which places Jack/Joker higher in the frame than Grissom, indicates the point of shifting power, reinforced by the onscreen actions of Joker, who literally steps forward to seize control.
Their final shared shot comes with Grissom dead in his chair, while the Joker looms over him, laughing. Here all that can be seen of Grissom are his legs and a single hand, which occupy the left side of the frame. The Joker again occupies the right side of the frame, by far the highest in frame of the two subjects. Joker’s position as Gotham’s new kingpin is established.


Joker and Bob: A Shift in Psychology

In the scene introducing Jack, we also see his right-hand man, a thug by the name of Bob. In this relationship Jack is the dominating character; Bob is subservient to his needs. When Jack needs protection, Bob is literally at his side with gun drawn. This relationship, much like the relationship between Jack and Grissom discussed above, utilizes the organization of characters within the frame. This part of the study, which will focus on the relationship between Joker and Bob, is not necessarily one of power. Although there are definitely underlining tones of power distribution, these scenes address more the flux in Joker’s mental state throughout the film. In this instance, Jack is strong, both powerfully and mentally. He has set an ultimate goal, that being his eventual ascent into the position as Gotham’s kingpin, a seat held at this point by his boss, Grissom.

Looking structurally at the frames of this introductory scene, we can see how these ideas are reinforced by the frame’s arrangement. The first shot of Jack and Bob is an extreme long shot. Both Jack and Bob are placed within the lower half of the frame. Neither fall within the center, but, instead, are placed slightly off center, screen left. This askew, low placement in the frame helps to establish these two characters as lowly criminals, part of the underbelly of society. The right half of the frame is cluttered with shadows and garbage, making a parallel between the subjects and the disgusting, dark objects that surround them.

With these associations now established, we also see that, although neither of the subjects is centered, Jack is much more centered than Bob. Also, he is the highest subject within the frame, despite the fact that the top of his hat only extends to the horizontal center of the frame. Jack is structurally portrayed as the dominating figure. In the next shot shared by the pair, Jack is again slightly off center, this time screen left, but is significantly higher in the frame than Bob. Their final shared shot has Jack once more as the highest subject in the frame. This time, however, he is perfectly centered, dissuading any lingering doubts of his power or mental capacity, which might have resulted from the progression of the scene’s action and/or dialogue.
Following Jack’s transformation into Joker, he is seen in a surgery office accompanied by the surgeon, who is helping to reconstruct his face. In this scene, Joker is centered within the frame in order to draw the attention of the audience to his figure, despite the fact that he all but silhouetted and his back is turned towards us. The surgeon is located off center, slightly screen right of Joker, and is higher in the frame. By comparison Joker is low. This belittling of his screen position helps to illustrate his diminished mental state and stature. It is only when Joker fully completes his transformation, cackle and all, that he raises from the chair and ascends the staircase, bringing him to the top of the screen, positioning himself as the higher of the two subjects. This is a visual cue, which alerts us, the audience, that Jack is now fully transformed into Joker, and has set off to seize his rightful place at the top.

This association, with Joker’s placement below others coinciding with scenes of weakened mental sates, can be seen again and again throughout the course of the film.
Before exploring further, though, it must be noted that Joker is an eccentric character prone to sudden changes in demeanor. This notion has already been established by the scene previously discussed, but continues to be relayed in additional scenes involving Joker and Bob.

The first of these additional scenes comes after Joker has established himself as the head crime boss of Gotham, having killed off all his rivals. He is watching a news broadcast coving the death of his latest victim, when the reporter interjects a question concerning the Batman. At this instant Joker is aggravated, having lost his press to Batman. This is the first time Joker feels failure, and as a result a short stint of depression occurs. In this scene Joker is positioned off center, screen left. Positioned directly in the center and higher in the frame is Bob. Their variance in screen positioning, gives Bob the position of power. As this is a scene, which depicts Joker’s depression at having lost his press, as well as an implied boredom, a result of having achieved his goal as the unrivalled boss of Gotham, it shows the decline in Joker’s mental stability. The positioning of the two subjects is so, that, after stating his grievance over the news broadcast, Joker must look up towards Bob in a search for inspiration as to his next goal. As if Bob was his muse, Joker resolves to establish himself as the world’s first psychopathic artist. Whereas his previous goal was motivated by greed and power, this next one is an exploration of his own insanity.

The next scene, involving Joker, has him cutting up pictures of his victims ad nauseam, dwelling in his own twisted psychosis. Bob comes along and presents him with the photographs he asked Bob to take. Bob, Joker’s long time partner in crime is the only other character present in this scene. Again Bob is higher in the frame than Joker, indicating Joker’s diminished mental state. Also, the fact that only Bob is featured in these scenes, in which Joker is truly letting himself be overcome by insanity, expresses the closeness of the pair. Inspired one more time, this time by his suddenly discovered “love” for reporter Vicki Vale, Burton has Joker rise to the top of the frame, pulling him from this manic state of cutting and placing him, once again, in a position of power.

Finally, Burton uses an inverted arrangement of this formula to express Joker’s descent from victory, in the parade scene. This scene opens with Joker atop a float being paraded down a crowded street. He is dispersing money to the masses in accordance with his plan of gassing the citizens of Gotham. His position atop the float places himself high above any other subject with in the frame. He is at his greatest point of superiority, knowing what is in store for his victims, and feeling as if Batman will be unable to stop him. But, after Batman has stolen his balloons, the source of the poison gas, Joker is struck with a blow of defeat. Here, Burton has Joker lower himself from his seat high above the crowd and his lackeys. Whereas he was formally high in the frame, now Joker is lowered, to at best equal to the other subjects around him, but lower than many. This is the point where Joker shoots Bob, ending their relationship and marking the beginning of his ultimate demise.


Conclusion

In the approach of this paper’s first section, we, as an audience, see how placement within the frame can indicate power, and relay the varying statuses of characters in a film. In the second section, we see this same technique used again to present the power held by Jack Napier, but when compared to other scenes within a film, this use of character placement can take on a deeper meaning, relaying not only power and status, but mental state as well.


--Michael Thielvoldt, 2006