Qualitative Content Analysis of the Film "Joker" with a Cultural Criminology Approach

One of the important axes of cultural criminology as one of the fields of study of critical criminology is cinematic explanations of crime and criminal justice. According to poststructuralist ideas, the representation of crime in cinematic works is the result of cultural constructions and the fabric of social power. Considering the increasing influence of cinema in the field of creating a public understanding of crime and increasing the audience of this art, the present study intends to analyze and critique the film "Joker" in the light of cultural criminology findings by qualitative content analysis. Based on the findings of the content analysis, the film "Joker" with a critical and anti-capitalist approach focuses on the four basic axes of crime carnival, crime pleasure, and crime as a culture and crime story. However, the overall evaluation of the film with emphasis on hidden meanings shows that the author, by indulging in critical approaches, on the one hand puts the project of criminal heroism on his agenda and on the other hand establishes an incoherent relationship between the cultural origin of crime and unequal distribution of wealth.