How James Gunn subverts generic male gaze in The Suicide Squad
Minor spoilers ahead for The Suicide Squad
(but if you weren’t interested in watching the movie especially after the sexist 2016 version, perhaps this review will sway you!)
The Suicide Squad movie has just released in both theaters and on HBO Max streaming. It is an indirect sequel to 2016′s Suicide Squad directed by David Ayer. No, you need not have seen the 2016 movie in order to watch this one. Yes, this new sequel is way better than the previous movie.
I saw a few non spoiler reviews online from fans saying this movie felt like it had a female gaze. Now, after having seen both of Gunn’s Guardians movies for Marvel and the way the women were treated, combined with David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad movie and how Harley was treated, I admittedly dismissed this notion that James Gunn could make a movie that wouldn’t have me rolling my eyes at least a dozen times.
Well, I was fortunate enough to see the movie in the theater and all I can say is, huh. What a pleasant surprise!
I’d like to do a longer post about this movie at a later date, but for now I simply must address who the audience is invited to ogle/appreciate in near-naked form...
And it’s not the women, they are all fully clothed at all times. (Thankfully.)
It’s the men.
Two scenes in particular stand out to me, and both are very different. And without getting too much into spoilers, I’ll briefly describe the tone of them and how one feels more typical generic male gaze, and the other more subversive and female gaze.
(Also, if you’re queer like me and enjoy looking at men, you’re in for a treat with both gazes!)
The first scene is framed as funny/comedic, when the team are at their camp. They’ve been disturbed from sleep and while all of them are dressed, John Cena has a full screen, lingering shot of him in just his tighty whities.
In case you wondered why this was trending...
Image description: screenshot of a twitter search for John Cena showing 'John Cena bulge' is the second result below 'John Cena' and above 'John Cena peacemaker'. (Fans are thirsty.)
Even played as a comedic moment, Cena looks a-maz-ing and the camera spends a lot of time on his near-naked body, inviting the audience to look. (Thanks, James Gunn!)
You can go check the pictures for yourself if you want, or watch the movie. It’s a very funny moment that plays into the macho rivalry between Peacemaker and Bloodsport.
As I said, this scene felt more typical male gaze because it was centered on male rivalry and comedy, but it’s just another example of how this movie doesn’t shy away from showing its men off.
The rivalry between John Cena’s Peacemaker and Idris Elba’s Bloodsport is played for laughs through most of the movie, and later becomes more serious with opposing views on morals and was shot in unique and interesting ways. Very nicely done, in my opinion.
We do also get to see a shirtless shot of Joel Kinnaman, though I disregard that standard shot, because even Disney/the MCU does some generic and brief abs out shots in most of their movies. It’s nothing unusual for the genre, right?
So let’s move onto the scene that surprised me.
James Gunn subverted expectations in so many ways for this movie, but giving us a thirst shot of actor Juan Diego Botto coming out of a pool like a male Bond girl?
Inspired.
Image description: gif of Juan Diego Botto emerging dripping wet from a picturesque pool against a sunlit window, wearing a pair of tight black Speedos.
Now while this scene is over the top, it’s incredibly unusual to see a handsome man like this in a comic book movie, especially from The Big Two (Marvel or DC), presented in such a fashion: a Bond girl moment.
We haven’t been fed this well for male thirst shots since Fox’s Wolverine! And even then most of those near-naked Hugh Jackman scenes were set against violent/torture/medical horror backdrops.
Probably the only one that compares to this scene in The Suicide Squad is that just-out-of-bed scene in X-Men: Days of Future Past... and even that soon erupts into violence.
In contrast, this shot of character Silvio Luna played by Juan Diego Botto is peaceful, gentle, and meant to be seductive. (Again, thanks James Gunn!)
The trope of sexy actor emerging wet from a pool is usually reserved for actresses playing the new Bond girl in James Bond movies. How many times have we seen that over the years? A lot.
Here, James Gunn flipped that trope on its head because the person ogling Silvio Luna is a woman: Harley Quinn, and the audience is invited to ogle him with her.
And even though Silvio Luna is a villain (everyone in this movie is a villain, technically), he is shown to be non violent (toward Harley Quinn, at least).
What
follows the pool scene and initial meeting are more
romantic/seductive scenes, very over the top and visually pretty. You
may have seen a meme of one of those online recently:
Image
description: Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and Silvio Luna (Juan Diego
Botto) are on a balcony together in soft lighting/golden sunshine,
acting every bit the loving couple sharing a happy moment as they
gaze into the distance.
These scenes were some of my favorite Harley moments.
It all begins with her character being spoiled and treated like a queen, a high contrast to how Task Force X/Amanda Waller uses Harley, as an expendable soldier.
Image description: gif of Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) having her hair and make-up done, looking very elegant, tasteful, and pretty. The context is, she is shown her reflection in a mirror, and she says in surprise, “I’m a princess.”
I must impress how pleased/pleasantly surprised I was with all of the clothing/costume choices for Margot Robbie’s Harley throughout this movie.
She is very much clothed the entire time (in amazing outfits that fit her character), and even when in battle or peril, the most she shows is bare arms, neck, or a knee/lower legs.
She also gets boots to fight in! Flat heeled boots!
Such a welcome relief after the sexist/impractical outfits in 2016′s Suicide Squad, and all its thirsty male gaze that felt more gross than anything.
In contrast, 2021′s The Suicide Squad provides a really beautiful journey for Harley’s character, and I felt it was a nice continuation from 2020′s Birds of Prey directed by Cathy Yan and produced by Margot Robbie, which I loved.
I
felt like BoP Harley influenced this Harley quite a bit, showing
Harley’s whimsical nature but without her being sexualised. Also
her action scenes felt similar, and her recovery/healing period felt
in line with how she was portrayed in BoP.
And for any fans concerned that her arc is all about ‘a man’ in The Suicide Squad, fear not! Their scenes together, while significant, are also brief.
Despite Luna’s romantic seduction Harley ultimately disagrees with his viewpoint on something later on, and ends her fling with him.
Following that comes a very heartfelt scene about how she is feeling in her recovery after an abusive relationship (the Joker), and going forward in her life.
It
really felt like a natural continuation from Harley in Birds of Prey.
Overall, such a pleasant and welcome surprise.
Now, I have seen some straight male fans complain that all these Harley scenes felt like ‘a side quest’ from the main plot. All I can say is, so what?
After how appallingly 2016′s Suicide Squad treated both character and actress with its sexism, I say she deserves all the screen time and character development she gets in 2021′s The Suicide Squad.
Harley Quinn, and Margot Robbie, are a big audience draw for these movies. Imagine calling good character development for Harley ‘a side quest’. They truly can’t grasp what’s important to women characters or Harley fans at all.
Anyway, I hope this post has given fans a little insight into a movie they may not have considered watching otherwise! Throw out everything you saw with 2016′s Suicide Squad, this sort-of sequel is a redemption on so many levels. (Even Rick Flag gets better character development.)
If you like to be (pleasantly) surprised, enjoy classic Sci-Fi B-movies, comic books bursting with colors, and really funny but violent action comedy, this is the movie for you.
It is unexpectedly charming.
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