The Stairs In ‘Joker’ Are Real And You Can Go See Them In The Bronx

It’s not even Halloween yet and social media is already filled with people recreating the new Joker look, sharing quotes, and even dancing like him at whatever stairs they can find, attempting to recreate the now-iconic scene. Although any long stair will get the job done, there’s nothing like getting a great pic taken at the original location, and now, thanks to some very observant viewers, you can go there to show off your best Joker moves.

Where? In the step street that connects Anderson and Shakespeare Avenue with W 167th Street in The Bronx, in New York. The craze to find the original stairs was such that you can actually find them easily on Google Maps just by typing “Joker stairs”!

@nicster216Now, why such a stir over some stairs? Film tourism has been a thing since cinema was invented, basically. But, it’s also true that when a movie’s sets and locations have a strong meaning in the story, the spaces become more symbolic and emblematic, and we can say that Joker has an astounding use of space.

Most of the movie was shot in different locations across New York, always taking special care not to portray a recognizable or iconic spot, so that the audience wouldn’t link the plot with the city. Todd Phillips, the movie’s director has been very clear in saying that he’s not portraying violence in a particular society or place, but rather the one we’re experiencing all over the world.

In that way, hidden spots, like the stairs in The Bronx, help create an entirely different Gotham City from the ones we’ve seen before (at least, in the past couple of decades), mainly the extremely fancy ones portrayed in Nolan’s films. Here, Gotham city is grim and extremely realistic, making us relate even more with the chaos that surrounds the characters. 

@sleepysandra_Not only that, but the spaces are also a reflection of Arthur Fleck’s mood, and those stairs, in particular, give a great example of that reflection. Besides the fact that it’s the scene when he fully becomes the Joker, his surroundings also have a lot to say. For instance, all along the movie, it’s all gray, even the sky, and when he fully transforms into this new persona, the clouds part, and it all gets brighter, at least compared to the rest of the film.

Having said that, it seems that the craze for the movie will last for a while and will keep bringing fans to this spot. If done correctly, it could become a great asset for the neighborhood. At the end of the day, Joker seems like the kind of movie that people will watch over and over for the next few years.

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