#okay really I should have let this simmer longre

[thoughtfulfangirling]

In another world, Roman Sionis would have been the Joker

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is the story of how Harley Quinn sets off on her own after separating from the Joker. However, in a universe where the Joker wasn't played but he insufferable actor who no one needs to give more money to and a world where it feels like we can't go three years without Joker on screen, the DCEU was not about to let him be killed off in a 'side movie,' one in which Batman doesn't even feature. 

And so we have Roman Sionis. Now the people in charge of this movie were good. They knew they wanted to tell the story of Harley escaping abuse and that it doesn't just work to entirely write a script meant for a different character. So the story works on it's own, Roman Sionis and all. 

But it works too as a figurative stand in. It really wouldn't change much shuffling around to make Sionis the Joker instead, and in fact, some things would have made more sense if you ask me — from some essential setup to how much of a non-actor Sionis is for starters. Now, just to be clear, this is a personal view, and it's fine if others don't share it and wouldn't see the movie be changed, but just imagine with me for a second. 

The Joker shuts the door on Harley, so she gets a new place, sulks for a while. Goes out and tries to pretend she's fine without him. And then one day, she makes an explosive declaration, a 'fuck you, we're done-zo, for real!'

Now the Joker, if we're going with the abuse narrative that usually surrounds the Joker and Harley, he can't have that. Everyone knows they're broken up, so yeah, Harley is fighting to stay alive with the perceived 'protection' lifted, but Joker's a possessive man. If anyone is going to kill Harley, it would be him. So it's his men that pick her up, and it's he who sets her down in the chair and says that if she's done with him, then he's done with her, meaning he'll simply have her killed. 

But Joker is always up for a laugh, so when Harley promises to solve his current problem 'like old times,' falling right back in line even after her declaration, he let's her. After all, she hasn't truly escaped him thus far. He's fine believing this will reign her back in where he would believe she belongs. 

But then she doesn't show when she said she would. He's starting to feel like maybe she meant it. Maybe she played him. Made him look the fool And he can't have that. So he sends his men to locate her and blow her place, so she ends up in the phone booth after all, begging once again for his protection. And of course here, you've got the added dynamic of all her other personal motivations with him being her ex and all.

But again, execs aren't going to let Joker die the way Sionis does. And of course there would still need to be changes. Everything about how Dinah ends up involved would have to be reworked, but that really probably wouldn't be that hard. My point being, the story wasn't written so it makes more sent plot-wise if Joker were Sionis. It was written for Sionis and does work! 

My personal take however, is that it makes more emotional and narrative sense if we think of Joker as Sionis. It makes the story not the often-enough seen 'villian threatens to kill the protagonist and they offer to work for the villain to live,'  it makes it a story of escaping abuse, which already is woven into the narrative. It's literally called the Emancipation of Harley Quinn. 

It goes from being 'some guy' Harley is struggling against to survive to "The guy." It goes from being a generic story of escaping a bad situation to the triumph of an abused person freeing herself from her abuser. 

I know not everyone felt this, but watching the movie, it seemed a bit strange how present Joker was on everything Harley — everything hinges on the perceived relationship Harley has with Joker — and yet how utterly absent he is. Imagining that Joker is who Sionis was meant to be makes this make more sense. It goes from making it seems like perhaps Harley was the intended villain of the film to letting her be both villain and... well not hero, but someone we can really root for... more

When we look at this movie from the lens of domestic abuse — which necessitates the fill-in of Joker on some level with the thing Harley is directly escaping, whether by imaging that's the role Sionis plays or by the general 'not needing his protection' — it makes a lot of sense. The dynamics at play in Harley's life affects those around her in her behaviors toward Renee, the situation Dinah falls into, and her betrayal of Cass. And so how powerful is it that when Harley asks these women who feel harmed by her, that they stand with her? They don't make the decision for her, but they support the one she's made. And they set her on her path to freedom. I read her scene leaving the Birds of Prey as their having been the vehicle (she literally takes their car) to beginning her new life free of the toxic relationship that had plagued her. From what I've read (Mostly 'To be and Anchor in the Storm' by Susan Brewster, but I also think it's briefly mentioned in 'Why Does he Do That' by Lundy Bancroft), the single most important thing that can be done to empower an abused person is not to make choices for them or lead them, but to reinforce and nourish their abilities to take charge of their own lives, to make their own decisions, trust their own feelings, and find their own way. 

That's why I found it quite powerful when they work together despite their animosities. Why I found it powerful when she worked with others not as a puppet or on command, but on equal footing, as partners. She doesn't get out alone, on her own two feet:  "Harley’s arc was so interesting to me because whereas the story sets her up to learn to stand on her own (the “a harlequin is nothing without a master” speech is perfect), what she ACTUALLY learns by the end of the film is not to rely only on herself, but to rely on BETTER people who will support her. Whereas most stories might feature the protagonist becoming the sole hero and saving the day alone, Harley learns that dependence is not a weakness, it just matters on WHOM you depend." - allgirlsareprincesses 

Still, it's okay that Harley doesn't join them afterward and sets out on her own. And really, Harley herself... not a great person. She really is depicted generally as a person who does not consider the pain she puts on other people. She wasn't cut out to be a Bird of Prey; it wouldn't have been true to her character. But that's also powerful. It reinforces the truth that even bad people or less-than-good-people don't deserve to be abused. Being free of her abuse didn't magically make her a good person. That's it's own separate thing, and maybe not in the cards for Harley Quinn all things considered. But that doesn't negate her right to be free from abuse. 

And if this movie might possibly be all we get, I think I'm okay with imagining that's the intent. Because as it stands, unless they're altering the relationship set up between Harley and Joker, he's not that far away from his own retribution to the factory explosion. We're left with the option to go there in a future film (with a different actor only I can't help but imagine), or we can stop here with this metaphorical handling of Joker and Harley's emancipation. Either way, I think this film is brilliant, and I will cherish the idea that in someone's heart of hearts, Joker dies by a grenade planted on his person just by some kid. 

#birds of prey #birds of prey spoilers #abuse mention #Domestic Abuse mention #okay really I should have let this simmer longre #but then it never would have been #i get lazy #so if I don't do these when the impulse takes me #they don't happen #Sorry if this is too rambly #I thank a giftset showing Harley and Renee growling at each other to make me realizehow awful Harley was to our other MCs #which reminded me of Anthy from Revolutionary Girl Utena #And then reading Geeky's post about Sionis being more a foil to Harley than a villian #and how he's a non character in the film #to get me to this thought #sad it took so much because I don't think many people would have a hard time coming to this conclusion #Like it's sort of obvious really isn't it? #Like maybe you don't think it but then your'e like yeah that's a journey for Harley bc of Joker #whatever #pretend i'm insightful xD #meta #thinky thoughts #tfgoc #tf gets caught up in her thoughts #utena spoilers #spoileres for jetwolf #bc of the Anthy mention