„If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.”
Or why Sucker Punch kicks ass
+++Attention+++Spoilers+++
So many talks about this movie, so many bad reviews. Zack Snyder caused a stir again. As usual I did the same I always do: f*ck the reviews, watch it!
So I am sitting in the theatre, surrounded by so many testosterone dripping guys. The movie starts. I am overwhelmed by the music and the pictures. But what is this? I hear a first annoyed sigh from the guy sitting next to me. Don´t pay attention I think, watch the movie.
But I already get a taste of why people didn´t seem to like this movie. It is not a classical “come here baby, your tough man is gonna protect you from all evil in the world, with all my weapons, if you catch my drift, muhahahahaha” kinda movie. For a man, no shining heroes you can reflect yourself into, no bloodbath they caused and no cool sound bites, saving whomever from whatever… and there were so many of these male heroes in the trailers they showed before Sucker Punch started: The Green Lantern, Thor, Battle LA... Everyone who was expecting something like this got a real sucker punch.
In this movie there was noone a man wants to identify himself with. Oke, everyone who watched the trailer knew the main characters would be female. But usually there is at least one male hero helping the girl(s) out when the shit hits the fan. And then there is also a dark side that can be sexy. Think of all the Bond Badasses, or the Godfather(s) which have a huge fanbase. Or think of the dubious Rorschach with his raw methods who is the only watchmen that toes the line at the end.
Nothing like that in Sucker Punch. The antagonists in the missions are changing fast and arbitrary. We have giant samurais, Kaiser Wilhelm Zombies, Orcs and mechanic Guards. Cannon fodder…
The main male antagonist, Blue Jones, who is exploiting the girls for his own ends, makes it even worse for any healthy man to identify himself with him. If we have a closer look at that character we will see, that he is a nobody who was given a little power. And now he is using this power recklessly on the ones who are even weaker than him. He does whatever it takes not to lose this power. Rarely such a façade was better staged… and when this façade starts to crumble you start hating him and his methods even more.
But the girls long for freedom. Freedom meaning breaking free from this male dominated world of the bordello. Ready to fight for it. And at this point it doesn´t matter where everything takes place: an asylum for mentally insane or a brothel. Either way you are excluded from what we call a normal life, or to quote Rocket “[They]´re already dead.” And if you are dead, you have nothing to lose.
The doctor isn´t a positive attachment figure as well. As the High Roller he paid a shitload of money for the privilege of the first night with Baby Doll…
If we take a closer look at the dresses we see a clear connection to the 50ies. Why do I mention this? The 50ies had a male dominated social structure. I somehow don´t wanna believe Synder didn´t choose this styling on purpose. In the world he creates in Sucker Punch men are in authority. Blue Jones, the policemen, the doctor, even the only helping hand, the busdriver, a man.
The only female character with at least some kind of power is Dr. Vera Gorski. But the men take even her with a pinch of salt. Blue Jones is faking her signature like a duck takes to water, to enable the lobotomy on the girls- for which again men (and in this case the abusers) pay good money.
And then the missions of the 5 girls… They are so different from what we were used to see in movies. The first one takes place where men clearly failed: trench warfare in WWI. Why exactly we don´t know. Yeah well, they need a map. But why do they need the map? No „this map will end the war“ or “without this map the Germans will loose”… Doesn´t matter, the order was given. Now get the fuck out of there and risk your lifes ladies! Same situation on the second mission. Kill the baby dragon, get the cristals, kill the mommy. Why? Just get it goddamn it! It is an order. The order is given by a man. That´s why. Finally on the third mission you get something like a reason. The bomb will explode in the city if you fail. No further information though. How many people live there? Why this city? And when the city is finally shown is seems uninhabited, sterile. You cannot see potential victims.
Zack Snyder breaks with all elements we were used to see in his former movies. He is a master of great pictures and emotions. That is why I don´t think he made a bad movie this time. If the (mostly) male audience feels like that, then I think it was on purpose.
So if I am right and he did it on purpose, he did a great job. If the studios knew about it, it was brave. And this courage needs to get rewarded. So go to the theatres and watch it. Or buy the DVD.
If i am wrong, well then take this sucker punch like a soldier and stand up again. I survived the black swan. You will survive this.
Oh and i almost forgot. When the movie was over I stood up and yelled at the constantly sighing guys sitting next to me: “ha ha and you didn´t even see any boobies” ;)
