" Suicide Squad", the latest DC comic book movie, was one of the most hyped new films of the summer, yet received incredibly mixed reviews after it's release. With an abysmal 26% critical fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a generally positive 69% audience score, reactions from fans are split. Perhaps the Wall Street Journal summed up the intense polarizing nature of "Suicide Squad" best by calling it "an all out attack on the whole idea of entertainment".
Personally, I really enjoyed many aspects of this film: it's catchy soundtrack, snarky sense of humor, and unconventional approach to the typical super villain formula. Still after I left the theater the aspect of the movie that stuck with me the most was the unique way it portrayed its female characters. With feminism and feminist entertainment being such a prominent global topic at the moment, I feel like it's important to further examine some of the main feminist highlights and shortcomings that "Suicide Squad" has to offer.
Spoilers Abound!!!
Pro: Letting Harley Quinn Take Center Stage
It's not an exaggeration to say that Margot Robbie's portrayal of Harley Quinn was the most anticipated part of Suicide Squad for most people. Since her introduction in the Spectacular Batman: The Animated Series in the 90s, the Joker's psychologist turned Clown Princess of Crime has been a fan favorite. There's endless Harley Quinn merchandise, comic runs, and video games. Despite this widespread popularity, "Suicide Squad" was set to be Harley's very first appearance on the big screen and the pressure was on.
Robbie did not disappoint. Her portrayal of Harley wasn't just that of a tragic victim or a ditzy comic relief. Here, like her animated counterpart, Harley Quinn was shown as nuanced and complicated. She was goofy but with a bloodlust, romantic but cynical, in love but able to acknowledge that her love was an unusual one that she shouldn't let get in the way of her own life or the lives of her friends.
Many people would not consider Harley Quinn a typical example of a "strong feminist character." Her relationship with the Joker is toxic, unhealthy, and abusive. However, domestic violence and Stockholm Syndrome are real issues that many women deal with and perhaps that is why so many find themselves drawn to Harley in the first place. The creators of "Suicide Squad" succeeded in showing these issues of the Harley/Joker dynamic without romanticizing their relationship. The Joker is of course a super villain, and his treatment of Harley is in line with his own twisted nature. Rather than this dismiss these traits the film addresses Harley's complicated past while still giving her many moments to shine away from the Joker's influence. After such a strong introduction to this layered, fascinating character I cannot wait for Robbie to star in her own well-desreved Harley Quinn spin-off film!
Con: But Altering Her Origin Story
In the animated series, Harley's decision to team up with the Joker is motivated by her own fascination with the psychology of "super criminals" combined with the Joker's skilled manipulation of her emotions during their counseling sessions. But the film takes a much more supernatural approach to Harley's transformation by having her switch to the dark side come from the Joker subjecting her to electric shock treatments and radioactivity. While this difference isn't entirely the fault of the filmmakers (a similar origin story is used in Harley's New 52 comic stories) I much prefer her original background because they show her character as motivated by her own choices rather than through the influence of chemicals.
Pro: Showing Women in A Variety of Power Positions
Amanda Waller is without a doubt one of the best new additions to the DC Universe. The head of a secret national security agency, Waller drives the plot of the entire film by devising the plan to assemble the Suicide Squad in order to complete a dangerous mission and save the fate of the entire country. Although her intentions are ultimately good, Waller employs any method necessary, ranging from physical threats to emotional blackmail, in order to achieve her ultimate goal. She is ruthless, authoritative, and commands respect. She not only manages an entire network of government officials, scientists, and military officers, but also maintains control over a group of wildcard master criminals.
Heck, even Batman knows not to mess with her!
Not only does Waller's anti-hero status topple the dichotomy of the sweet super heroine versus the sexy femme fatale, but the choice to cast the wonderful Viola Davis in the role breaks down a number of harmful Hollywood stereotypes as well. Here is an older woman of color in a position of authority whose gender, race, or age, is never brought up or questioned by any of the characters around her. Instead, Rick Flag, the typical white, male military commander, understands that Waller is the one in calling the shots and doesn't ever defy her command. In every single scene, Waller maintained her captivating presence, and I found this to be an incredibly refreshing change.
Con: But Defining Them By Their Relationships to Men
Other than Amanda Waller, every female character in this movie has their actions influenced by their relationship to a male character. Besides the obvious Joker/Harley subplot, the fierce warrior Katana is only shown displaying emotion in the brief seconds that she talks to the soul of her departed husband. Enchantress, the film's main villain cannot truly begin her mission to destroy the city until she has resurrected and consulted with the spirit of her brother.
By far the most disappointing instance of this lack of independence is Dr. June Moone. Dr. Moone has her body possessed by the spirt of Enchantress, an ancient evil sorceress who takes over her entire being and uses her newfound physical presence to try and take over the world. Yet, no attention is given to June's own feelings of having to endure the mental and physical horrors of this position. Instead, all attention is given to the way her pain affects her boyfriend, Rick Flag. In order to convince Flag to assist the Suicide Squad, Amanda Waller holds Moone hostage and essentially uses her as human bait to get Flag to keep his word. Even after she is freed from Enchantress, the film focuses solely on Flag's relief and Moone is barely granted a single line. By portraying this curious female anthropologist as nothing more than a suffering girlfriend, DC unfortunately robbed this character of her voice and her autonomy much in the same way that Enchantress did.
Pro: Embracing Diverse Casting
It's sad that in 2016 it's still unusual for Hollywood Blockbusters not to have all white casts. But in a society where #OscarsSoWhite was one of the most popular Twitter hashtags of the year and Matt Damon is cast as the lead in a film about the Great Wall of China, it's still notable to see characters of colors in important roles. The film breaks traditional racial stereotypes by showing an African American women in a corporate leadership position, an African American man as an attentive and loving father and a Latino character who promotes a philosophy of non-violence. Another great example is the character of Katana, a Japanese samurai who totally defies the "docile Asian woman" by showing up the villains with her kickass swordsmanship.
Con: But Failing the Bechdel Test
Most people are familiar with at least the basic outline of the Bechdel Test: a tool created by cartoonist Alison Bechdel to analyze women's representation in media. The basic rules are as follows:
1. Does the film/show/book ext. feature at least two named female characters? 2. Do these characters have a conversation with each other? 3. If so, is the conversation about something other than a man?
Despite easily passing the first checkpoint by including a ton of developed female characters, I was majorly disappointed in the lack of interaction the women had with each other. Harley spends most of her time on screen either teaming up with Deadshot or in Flashback's with the Joker, while the majority of Amanda Waller's conversations are with Deputy Rick Flag. While the Bechdel Test isn't the end-tool for measuring a work's feminist credentials, I'm sad to say that Suicide Squad fails it. Not being able see how all these different ladies would've worked off of one another if they were given more scenes together was clearly a missed opportunity.
Pro: Highlighting The Love Between Deadshot and His Daughter
The character of Deadshot is a surly, wise-cracking, assassin for hire who has a reputation for never missing a shot. Yet, despite his deadly career, he's also a devoted, loving father whose greatest goal in life is to provide a good life for his young daughter. This film does an incredible job not only of breaking down the previously mentioned "black man as the absent father" cliche, but it also gives viewers a young girl who is struggling to balance her love for her seperated family, having a parent in prison, and her own moral notions of right and wrong. Despite her age, Deadshot's daughter is shown as strong, assured, and compassionate girl. She loves her father, but also understands that what he does for a living is illegal, and believes that he must follow the law and serve his time even if that means that she will only see him during short visits. The moment when she stands between Deadshot's gun to save the life of the city's hero, knowing it means her father will be arrested, is one of the bravest acts in the movie, and proved that she was clearly wise beyond her years.
Con: But Using El Diablo's Wife and Children As A Plot Device
Unlike Killer Croc, I'm not made of rock, so I'm not going to pretend like I wasn't upset when it was revealed via flashback that El Diablo stopped using his powers after he lost control and accidentally burned down his home, killing family. However, by not giving his lost family any form of development other than "wife and children" this reveal felt like a manipulative way for the audience to feel bad for El Diablo and his loss rather than have the sympathetic focus be on the characters who actually lost their lives. The popular comic book term for this is "Fridgeing" aka when a girlfriend/wife figure is killed as a method for motivating another character's 'man pain' rather than being given a plot of their own. While I loved El Diablo's story arc overall, I do think there were many less cliché ways the writer's could've used to explore his past.
Like any kind of entertainment, "Suicide Squad" has it's flaws. It's virtually impossible to create a movie that could be deemed 100% unproblematic, but I do believe that in this case the good does outweigh the bad. Filmmakers, and especially those in the comic book industry, are starting to realize the "shocking notion" that female characters are significant and have many stories worth telling. I see this movie as a step forward in feminist entertainment, but I also know that we have many, many more steps to take.
If we as the audience want to see even more advancements in feminist representation in the future, then we have to constantly demand more from Hollywood. We need to remind them that women are more than the damsel in distress. Just like men, we can be heroes, villains and everything in between.
