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Why Harlequin Exists: A Theory


Nycboy
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LG2008
4 hours ago, 4SeasonsInADay said:

Summer 2023 was when the actor's went on strike and all work would have stopped on Joker from Gaga's perspective. That lasted for 6 months. If the work really did start on Harlequin last summer then it makes sense as a way of staying in that headspace before eventually recording ADR or the soundtrack. As she was going to have to pick it up again on short notice whenever the strike would end.

Plus it was professional pride in knowing she could do those songs justice.

She could've still worked on Harlequin during the strike... Also, the soundtrack was recorded on set, at the same time they shot the movie. I think Todd said that it was one of the reasons why editing the movie was a nightmare...

I'm sure Gaga knew and it was the reason why we got Harlequin. 

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Ashley

That’s an interesting theory about DWAS, but I believe it was Bruno’s song, it sounds like him. I could see them working out a release date that would benefit them both though.

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LG2008
4 hours ago, Oriane said:

While it probably felt good to her to be able to perform these songs in a "proper" way, I will say two things.

It is very obvious to me that the music heard in the movie is from Joker's point of view, very dark and broken. Harlequin is the same music heard from Lee's point of view, a delusion of happiness and the evolution of her emotions throughout the movie.

Also, people saying that she was disappointed about the treatment of her character just prove once again they didn't understand the movie :billie: Unless she's dumb af, there's no way she got involved the movie without understanding where the plot was getting at.

I agree and it's actually very clever but she also must've signed for something and then they started reducing her role. 

I don't know who but one of them (Todd, Joaquin or someone related to the movie) said that they were constantly rewriting the script. It happens all the time, actors sign on a project and then the final product ends up being a completely different thing because of rewrites or editing

Edited by LG2008
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LG2008
3 hours ago, gagzus said:

I think we’re over complicating it tbh.

i think she liked the music they chose for the movie, decided she wanted to cover the songs for herself for fun because she loves music. And maybe Michael said she should link it into promo for the movie? Since she was so attached to Harlequin as a persona; this album feels very much like the final exorcism of all her troubles from the last decade of her career.

Wasn't Gaga the music advisor for this film? I don't remember where I read it or heard it 🤔 In that case, she also chose the songs

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elijahfan
41 minutes ago, LG2008 said:

I'm just buying the soundtrack because the cover art is really beautiful and I love the movie version of Folie à Deux. I wish they used the full song :fatcat:

Talking about the song... Does it has chances of winning an Oscar? I really hope so because it's really beautiful. When I heard it was a waltz I was ready to hate it but then I listened to it for the first time and omg! :giveup:

I'm glad she decided to release Harlequin. They really did her dirty and as you said I'm sure she knew

As it is, I don't think the song stands a chance during awards season because it's so unmemorable in the context of the film. To really make it work, they should've made it a running theme throughout the movie - another thing to add to the long list of missed opportunities.

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I said this in another thread but I think it fits here too: "I think the real reason she decided to record that stellar jazz album, Harlequin, was because she wanted 'her' version of the movie and thought the movie was not as good as she also hoped for."

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Borisapillar
2 hours ago, LG2008 said:

I'm just buying the soundtrack because the cover art is really beautiful and I love the movie version of Folie à Deux. I wish they used the full song :fatcat:

Talking about the song... Does it has chances of winning an Oscar? I really hope so because it's really beautiful. When I heard it was a waltz I was ready to hate it but then I listened to it for the first time and omg! :giveup:

I'm glad she decided to release Harlequin. They really did her dirty and as you said I'm sure she knew

This film will not receive any Oscar nominations period 

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Jill
16 minutes ago, Borisapillar said:

This film will not receive any Oscar nominations period 

If Suicide Squad (2016) can win an Oscar, virtually every movie can

This was an official message from the Office of the First Lady.
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Borisapillar
11 minutes ago, Jill said:

If Suicide Squad (2016) can win an Oscar, virtually every movie can

Joker ain’t winning for hair and makeup either lol

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zebrastripes

Okay so I can see this view and appreciate it,
but I have a different idea. This does spoil the end.

Spoiler

She said goodbye to Joker because he wasn't in it for the vision, the dream. So she continues on with a vision of her own and calls it Harlequin.

 

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MadArchitect
9 hours ago, Reality said:

I feel like a lot of people want to use this narrative that "Gaga made Harlequin because she wasn't in the film a lot and she wanted to do more with the character," but the timeline of that just doesn't make sense...

Gaga was in the process of making Harlequin when they were making the movie. Even though she has a lot of deleted scenes, I wouldn't surprised if she was always supposed to be a supporting character. Like, let's be real. To all the people complaining about her "deleted scenes"...with the scenes we know were deleted, what more could they have added? The scene of them dancing on the staircase? It would've been just another musical number (and people are already complaining that there are too many). Same with her performance of That's Entertainment on the staircase. The shot of her getting into the elevator? Maybe they could've shown her getting dressed up for her final confrontation with Arthur/Joker, but again, what else would that have added? 

It's not like she saw the final cut of the film, said "F*ck you" to Todd Phillips, and then made Harlequin to compensate for that. And if she had such an issue with it, she could've just quit the movie entirely.

Also, we've been over this with DWAS. It was a song Bruno started and then Gaga jumped on board. It has nothing to do with Joker.

 

its just funny how people here choose to believe anything except what the creatives say and do themselves, ppl here are just making the most nonsensical fanfictional speculations just because the movie got bad reviews and is not doing so well, not everyone thinks the same way that you do, or take the reaction as indicative of anything lol

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LG2008
10 minutes ago, MadArchitect said:

its just funny how people here choose to believe anything except what the creatives say and do themselves, ppl here are just making the most nonsensical fanfictional speculations just because the movie got bad reviews and is not doing so well, not everyone thinks the same way that you do, or take the reaction as indicative of anything lol

It's fun... At least it distract us from the mess and negativity that's going on online right now :traumatica:

And creatives, like anyone, can lie but I agree with you... these theories are too much :ladyhaha: I'm enjoying this thread tho...

I wonder if Gaga or someone will talk about what really happened during production or post... Someone might say something because the whole situation is really messy. From WB refusing to do test screenings for the film to the multiple finales... I think people will apreciate this film more in a couple of years, it's really interesting and makes a strong commentary but it definitely could've been better (character development, showing instead of telling, go for it with the musical elements if they really wanted to do it and explain better why they are singing. It really made sense but it seems that it wasn't that clear)

Edited by LG2008
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PSYCHOSHTICK

Don’t want to add fuel to the rumor fire but I must say that she’s avoiding the DWAS-for-Joker-question extremely in this interview. Eventually the interviewer pushes through and she admits that Bruno and her were definitely thinking about Joker during writing it.

 

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VOLANTIS
14 hours ago, Nycboy said:

Further to this point, you cannot tell me that Die With A Smile was not for Joker. It literally has “die” and “smile” in the title. I bet Gaga created it for the movie, and that Todd scrapped it. Gaga knew it was amazing, and just as she did with Harlequin, she needed to find a way for it to see the light of day. 

If my theory is true, I really give kudos to Gaga for not letting others squander her creative output. 

But after seeing the context of the movie, do you really think Harley would wanna hold him just for a while and die with a smile???????

I'll lift you 3 inches off the ground and drag you to a meter and a half
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Nycboy
Posted (edited)
8 minutes ago, VOLANTIS said:

But after seeing the context of the movie, do you really think Harley would wanna hold him just for a while and die with a smile???????

Yeah…. She was obsessed with him until the last 10 mins

Edited by Nycboy
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