Joker: Joaquin Phoenix improvised one of film's most shocking scenes, cinematographer reveals

Team worked to give Phoenix creative license

Joaquin Phoenix improvised one of the creepiest scenes in Joker, the film’s cinematographer has revealed.

Lawrence Sher explained in an interview with Slash Film how the movie’s team worked on set to give Phoenix opportunities to express his creativity at several points during shooting.

There was one moment in particular when Phoenix surprised the rest of the team by making an unexpected decision on behalf of his character Arthur Fleck.

The scene, which has become a key talking point among fans, sees Fleck emptying the contents of his refrigerator before climbing inside the appliance and shutting the door.

“When he climbed in the refrigerator, we had no idea he was going to do that,” Sher said.

“We set up two camera positions, and Joaquin just thought about what he would do if he was a massive insomniac.

“Again, we lit it so he could go anywhere, and the first and only time he did it, we were mesmerised. I remember thinking, ‘What is he doing? Did he just crawl in the fridge?’ It was as fun and weird for us to watch it too.”

Some scenes, the cinematographer explained, had been mapped out in advance, while others were left up to Phoenix’s improvisation talents.

Other moments that were improvised by Phoenix according to Sher include Fleck’s dance in a bathroom, as well as parts of a scene during which he fires a gun into a wall inside his own apartment.

“This process began early enough in the shoot that we were able to say, ‘Let’s throw out what we were going to do and just see what happens,’” Sher said.

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“The beauty of that first dance was, it was a oner in the bathroom, lit so he could go anywhere. [Director Todd Phillips] started playing Hildur’s score [for the bathroom scene], Joaquin came in, closed the door and [camera operator Geoff Haley] and Joaquin just organically worked around each other.

“We didn’t even tell Geoff what was going to happen. That’s how good Geoff is as an operator, he could just flow with it.”

​Joker was released on 4 October and is now poised to become the highest-grossing R-rated film in history.