Joker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the original soundtrack album to the 2019 film Joker, based on the DC Comics character of the same name, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, and Frances Conroy. The record consists of seventeen tracks from a film score written and composed by Hildur Guðnadóttir which received critical acclaim from the film industry. Hildur's score was released digitally by WaterTower Music on September 27, 2019, with a vinyl edition later released on December 13.
After reading the film's script, Hildur was asked by director Todd Phillips to write some music based on her feelings of the Joker screenplay, which she was inspired to do so as it resonated with her. She sent Phillips a sample of her composition which included melodies that were very simplistic and monotonic as a means of conflating the film's gritty tone with that of protagonist Arthur Fleck. Hildur then attempted to expand - within that simplicity - the orchestration around Phoenix's character without chords or complicated music, but instead with a texture she that felt resonated with the melancholia of the character.
The score for Joker won numerous awards, including the Premio Soundtrack Stars Award at the 76th Venice International Film Festival, a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, a BAFTA Award for Best Original Music, and an Academy Award for Best Original Score.
Background Todd Phillips signed on to direct the film Joker for Warner Bros. in August 2017, and insisted to bring on Hildur Guðnadóttir to work on Joker after he heard her score for Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018), of which he thought was beautiful. Hildur was later announced as the composer of Joker. To interpret the many themes explored throughout Joker, director Phillips very early on turned to Guðnadóttir: "[Guðnadóttir] was writing music as far back as pre-production. I was sending her script pages and she was writing music before we even shot [...]". Hildur was very curious of Phillips' take on the Joker's origin story, wherein Phillips then sent her the screenplay, to which he stated: "It was just an interesting and deep character study and it's a very fascinating character that we didn't have any idea about". She described her work with Phillips as "a really beautiful process", in that Phillips was curious to hear what she thought the story sounded like; asking her to compose based on her feelings of the script, to which she said: "It can sometimes take awhile to get on the same page when you're working on a project, but this time we were just in such strong agreement from the very first. It was a really lovely, straightforward, non-violent dialogue".
Original score Research Unlike her previous collaborations, Hildur began composing Arthur's theme during the pre-production of Joker, with Phillips initially hiring her simply to come back to him with some ideas rather than a full score. Phillips asked if she was interested in writing some music just based on her feelings of the script: "He didn't really give me any instruction, as such, he was just curious to hear what I felt". In an interview with Deadline Hollywood, Hildur remarked that the script resonated with her and that Phillips believed she captured the atmosphere of Joker, based on the sample she sent him. She was struck by the "multi-dimensional simplicity, so openhearted and childlike" characteristics of Phoenix's Arthur, thus attempted to expand within that simplicity the orchestration around it, not with chords or any complicated music, but instead: "[...] with texture that I felt resonated with the melancholia of his character". Her composition of Joker features the cello as the centerpiece of the score, leading the very string-based melodies. Hildur revealed there is often a whole symphony orchestra of 90 musicians playing the same thing; highlighting the importance of such a thing being hidden behind the cello, in which she felt Arthur is mirrored in a similar fashion: "There are many layers of complication behind [Arthur], but he doesn't see it". She also added that: "I thought orchestrating it that way, so that instruments are not always audible, you will think you're just listening to one cello but, like Arthur, there are layers behind it".
Hildur said that her score was going to be "completely different" than other scores from her. She began work on Joker concurrently with that of Chernobyl (2019), in which she took a more traditional, instrumental approach in its composition: "I got a lot of space from [Phillips], who was quite brave with a lot of the decisions that he allowed me to go wild with". She spoke of emphasising with Arthur and highlighted the music's attempt to connect with his inner personal word, adding that: "[...] the main theme came before [Phoenix's] performance and it played a big part in informing his performance. It's definitely more lyrical and musical than Chernobyl". Hildur was able to introduce her music during film production and brought a piece to Phoenix a few weeks into filming as a means of inspiring his work in a pivotal scene. Director Phillips spoke of how Phoenix and he were at a standstill on set - unable to figure out a particular scene - though referred to Hildur, by which he spoke: "[...] but then I remembered I'd just gotten this great piece of music from [Hildur] that I'd been listening to the night before. I played it for him, he loved it, and he just started doing this slow dance to it, and out of nowhere this gracefulness comes out of Arthur [...]". Phoenix attested that her score was very effective, whilst adding the preparation was in studying movement and dance during rehearsals, but what came out of that piece of score was a turning point for understanding Arthur.
In going back and forth between Chernobyl and Joker, Hildur remarked that it wasn't an easy process due to the differences in tonality, worlds, and structure of the two pieces, whilst noting that Joker is the most "classical" score she's written, as it's very melodic, and follows a film score structure with the development of themes repeatedly. She acknowledged that she wished to keep elements of old school scoring - as how the film was, hence the thematic approach; she also spoke of being careful not to be influenced by any of the Joker's previous appearances or the music that followed him, feeling a greater creative freedom when steering clear of outside influences. Additionally, Hildur spoke of feeling there was greater room to work both thematically and imaginatively, based on the fact Joker was fiction, in which she added: "It was more an emotional and, above all, surprising search for the character, someone with whom everyone in my generation grew up, but whose motives are unknown to anyone. And this version was surprising for everyone".
Composition Phillips' Joker allowed for Hildur's imagination to "run wild a bit more", in that she decided to write something orchestra-led, though this time it was the process that was unconventional. Her compositions resonated with him, which resulted in him shooting a lot of material: "[....] I think, to the music I had already written [most film soundtracks are written to shot footage]. That was really wonderful because the music and the film have really grown together as one whole". After reading and responding to the script, Hildur wrote a tender, melancholy requiem to which she channeled Phoenix's Arthur, wherein she stated that: "I sat down with the cello to kind of just find my way into his voice and into his head [...] And I'm just like kind of holding onto this feeling that I had after reading the script. As soon as I played those first notes, it really hit me in the chest somehow, and it was a really strong, physical reaction that I got. And I was like, yes, this is it".
The score is led by the cello, yet - according to Hildur - the music feels surprisingly symphonic, as the cello is carried by a hundred-piece orchestra throughout the film. She wanted this feeling of energy to be coming from behind him, like a feeling of his past he doesn't know about, yet is still influencing him: "So the orchestra is kept in the background in the beginning of the score [...] as Arthur realizes more and more about his past, the orchestra steps forward. It becomes more and more aggressive as the score gets bigger and bigger". She spoke of sitting down with her cello and attempting to find her way into Arthur's voice and into his head, eventually doing so: "[...] it was a really strong, physical reaction that I got. And I was like, yes, this is it". Because Hildur started composing for Joker so early, her music influenced other aspects of the productions, including the acting and cinematography, to which she later states: "It's a huge luxury and much more creative [...] Of course, it's a much longer process – I worked on the Joker for a year and a half – but it gives you the opportunity to create a more holistic work of art".
Director Phillips decided to play Hildur's music on set during a pivotal scene. Cinematographer Lawrence Sher revealed that an entirely different scene was meant to be shot: "[Before] It was much more like a movie scene. It had to do with him coming in, digesting this thing that just happened, what he'd just done. He was going to hide a weapon. [It was] much more conventional". Phillips changed his mind - playing Hildur's composition over each and every take, in which Phoenix's Arthur starts his metamorphosis dance, by which Sher added: "The score was such an instrumental part, not just to Joaquin's performance, but to the camera operating, to the sort of energy in the room, and to make that scene really come alive". She also stated that Phoenix had an earpiece that fed her music to him so he could shape his performance from the music right on the spot. Hildur gave her assessment of the scene's power, revealing that piece was actually the first one written for the film, in which she remarked: "It was the very first piece of music I wrote, and that piece, it was the strongest, most physical reaction I had to the story [...] What [Phoenix] is doing in the scene, it was coming from exactly the same place". In relation to the cello, Hildur continued: "Of course, I grew up with the instrument and have a very strong physical and emotional connection to it. Having that as a starting point, I had what was almost like an electric shock when I found his theme".
Phillips spoke of how Phoenix just started to dance to Hildur's music, while adding: "It was just me and him alone in the bathroom, there's 250 people on the crew waiting outside. He just starts doing this dance, and we both kind of look at each other and said "ok, that's the scene". Phoenix, on the genesis of Bathroom Dance, highlighted Hildur's music: "[Phillips] started playing this cello music, and it was really effective. I said, 'So, maybe there's a movement', and he said, 'Well, I would start on your foot—that's your move'. That's all he said and all we had. The preparation was in studying movement and dance during rehearsals, but what came out of that piece of score was a turning point for the character, and for me and [Phillips] working together [...] and understanding Arthur". Phillips - when first discussing the themes of Joker with Phoenix - mentioned that this version of the iconic villain was "one of those people that has music in him". In regards to the musical treatment she had crafted, Hildur made mention of how it was a large part of the process of how the film grew, as it was played both on set and for Phoenix to listen to in-ear, with the composer stating: "The music seemed to affect his movements and his acting, as well as the pacing. This was a very inspiring and fun approach to take because then you get to work together, creating the musical world of the film in tandem".
Recording