Joaquin Phoenix: the Joker's controversial Oscars speech in full

"How Joaquin Phoenix disrupted awards season" writes the Atlantic's Sophie Gilbert.

"Joaquin Phoenix's white male saviour speech at the Oscars was painful to watch" argues the Independent's Harriet Hall.

Whatever side you pick one thing is certain. This year's Academy Awards ceremony had lots of agendas on stage and Joaquin Phoenix who won an Oscar for his portrayal of Joker in Todd Phillips’ controversial movie disrupted the system.

Phoenix received multiple standing ovations during his acceptance speech for the Best Actor trophy at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday night. 

In his brief time on stage Phoenix called out injustices in the world and himself for being "selfish" and "cruel at times." 

For many his attempt to speak for many causes at the same time disrupts the message. For others this was a message of hope to all. 

The actor's Oscar win was a follow up to his previous awards (the Golden Globe, SAG Award and the BAFTA) for Todd Phillips' take on the nihilistic villain, Joker. 

Read the full transcript below.  

“I’m full of so much gratitude now. I do not feel elevated above any of my fellow nominees or anyone in this room, because we share the same love – that’s the love of film. And this form of expression has given me the most extraordinary life. I don’t know where I’d be without it.

But I think the greatest gift that it’s given me, and many people in [this industry] is the opportunity to use our voice for the voiceless. I’ve been thinking about some of the distressing issues that we’ve been facing collectively.

I think at times we feel or are made to feel that we champion different causes. But for me, I see commonality. I think, whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against injustice.

We’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one people, one race, one gender, one species, has the right to dominate, use and control another with impunity.

I think we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world. Many of us are guilty of an egocentric world view, and we believe that we’re the centre of the universe. We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakeable. Then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.

We fear the idea of personal change, because we think we need to sacrifice something; to give something up. But human beings at our best are so creative and inventive, and we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and the environment.

I have been a scoundrel all my life, I’ve been selfish. I’ve been cruel at times, hard to work with, and I’m grateful that so many of you in this room have given me a second chance. I think that’s when we’re at our best: when we support each other. Not when we cancel each other out for our past mistakes, but when we help each other to grow. When we educate each other; when we guide each other to redemption.

When he was 17, my brother [River] wrote this lyric. He said: 'run to the rescue with love and peace will follow.'”

Set in PF Grand Gothik these are a Joker's quotes to be remembered.