Since they first announced that they were going to make a “Suicide Squad” movie, there’s been only one thought on my mind:
“What were they going to do with Harley Quinn?”
Harley Quinn, nee Dr. Harleen Quinzel, is one of my favorite comic book characters. I’m slightly obsessed with her, and fiercely protective of her character. I’ve been procrastinating seeing “Suicide Squad” due to fear of disappointment.
This was also partially due to the overwhelming amount of negative reviews that were put up. But I sucked it up and watched the damn movie because I needed to see for myself.
So the verdict? Well, really it was that DC has a hell of a lot of catching up to do to compete with Marvel (my loyalties are very strong). But as far as Harley goes, I was pleasantly surprised. I personally adored Harley and was very satisfied with how she was portrayed. But not a lot of people thought the same.
Here’s the thing everyone needs to realize: Harley is not a good character. She’s not a hero (though not necessarily a villain either), she’s not a strong female role model for young girls. She’s been the ambitious doctor who tried to crack the Joker, the abused and manipulative girlfriend, crime queen, Arkham Asylum eye candy and sex symbol, Poison’s Ivy’s partner in mischief, and now Margot Robbie’s portrayal.
The character has been used and abused, taken in several different directions and plots. 'Vanity Fair' explains that the latest Harley portrayal attempts to combine all different versions into one character.
“Suicide Squad” Harley is playful, sexy, and strangely adorable. She’s damaged, impulsive, and violent. She shows signs of having PTSD and schizophrenia, with voices in her head and severe flashbacks. She is completely and utterly devoted to the Joker and her end goal is to be with him. Simply, she is a psychotic F-ed up genius who has been through a lot of trauma and is coping the best she can.
This is what bothered people. They were horrified by her backstory; being manipulated and then physically tortured by the Joker, throwing herself in a vat of acid, and generally following the Joker to the ends of the earth and back. But what people wanted next was for Harley to break free from the Joker. They wanted her to use the power of friendship to see that she didn’t need “her puddin’” and be a strong independent woman.
Well I’m sorry to say that that’s not usually Harley. Don’t get me wrong, there are some versions that have a universe where Harley leaves the Joker and does her own thing. Especially Gotham City Sirens or when she’s with Poison Ivy.
But for the most part, Harley is hopelessly in love with the Joker. She’s not a character to show a morally correct woman who you should model yourself after. In reality, she’s a depiction of an abusive relationship and the unfortunate cycle that people can end up in. It’s not pretty and it’s not empowering, but it’s the truth.
It creates a tug of war within some people. They want the accurate comic book portrayal, but they want Harley to overcome her hardship. I want it to, but the struggles she faces is what makes her one of the most relatable and complex characters created.
Harley doesn’t have to leave her abuser to be strong, she doesn’t need to be single to be independent. Harley Quinn is powerful and smart, but she also is able to screw things up and do things that aren’t morally correct or typical for female characters.
Abraham Riesman of “Vulture” sums it up best:
“Feminism is about showing women as fully fleshed out human beings, and that's what Harley is," Strand said. "She doesn't make choices that are smart or good for a woman, but she gets to make those choices. Men are allowed to be fuck-ups in all kinds of characters, and women aren't. We have to be idealized. She gets to not be.”
Harley Quinn demonstrates what I like to call the ugly side of feminism, the uncomfortable bits no one wants to talk about or know the answer to. It’s the gray area questions like, “can women get punched in a fight?” or “was she just a pretty face in this movie or is she just a minor character?” It’s when you question whether you’ve made a mountain out of a molehill or it’s an actual problem.
Does Harley Quinn go against feminism because she stays in a relationship she knows is abusive, or is this a radical depiction of equality that shows that women can be flawed and don’t have to be perfect?
Right now everyone has a right to their own opinion. But DC just opened up a can of worms that they’ll soon have to make a decision over. With “Suicide Squad” being a stepping stone for a full-length Harley Quinn movie, her character has a chance to be fully developed. Will they show the full scope of the Joker/Harley toxic relationship, will Harley break from the Joker?
It’s up in the air as to what path they will take, but until then, I’ll keep defending Harley to be as crazy and dark as she wants to be, because she’s not your hero.
