Identity of the Individual and Society in the Joker Film Franchise / Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City and Sure Ain't No Pity

The film narratives Joker and Joker: Folie à Deux depict a schism between modernist and postmodernist approaches to storytelling. This form of fragmentation is examined in both the narrative identity of the films and the personal identity of the character, Arthur Fleck, as he transitions into the persona of Joker. The multilayered narrative structure is complemented by semantic and semiotic dimensions, which converge within the thematic trajectory detailing Fleck's metamorphosis into his Joker identity. The concept of dual artistic expression embodied in the "Joker" character across both cinematic narratives is analysed on several levels: the narrative "fracture," the split in personal identity between soul and body, and the dialectical relationship between the ostensibly "unified" self and the individual's positioning vis-à-vis society. This exploration is underpinned by the theoretical contributions of P. Janet, A. Fouillée, S. Freud, J. Lacan, H. Bergson, F. Nietzsche, M. Heidegger, M. Foucault, R. Barthes, J.-F. Lyotard, J. Derrida, U. Eco, and others, with the objective of demonstrating the pervasive fragmentation and "division" within the individual, contextualised within the broader social milieu, while also addressing the systemic violence perpetrated by society against individuals who deviate from its normative frameworks. Fragmentation is evident on every level: within the cinematic units themselves, which reflect temporal and causal divisions; within the individual, where the ostensibly unified synthesis of body and spirit is subverted; and within the dual societal perspective on individuality, wherein conformity to societal norms predicates the degree of societal acceptance. Furthermore, the paper interrogates the representation of the "comic" within the trope of the clown's entourage, which serves as an exaggerated reflection of the interplay between self and society. This complex narrative addresses the status of memory in relation to the physical and spiritual forms of the self, as well as the broader role of memory in shaping personal and societal identity. Identity is traced across these interconnected layers, illustrating how contemporary society is reflected in the dual narratives of Joker and Joker: Folie à Deux.