It shouldn’t, at all, be surprising that a female-led superhero film that is written and directed by women would have feminist views. However, in the case of “Birds of Prey,” it appears that the film, written by Christina Hodson and directed by Cathy Yan, is going to not just be outspokenly feminist, but also showcase the subtle ways that misogyny infects our society.
Recently, in an interview, “Birds of Prey” star Ewan McGregor spoke about one of the main things that interested him about the upcoming Warner Bros. film. And it doesn’t have anything to do with the fact that superhero films are the biggest things at the box office. Okay, well, it wasn’t just about that. You see, the film, which stars Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, and Ella Jay Basco, actually carries an important message.
READ MORE: ‘Birds Of Prey’ Trailer: Margot Robbie Leads The Fantabulous Emancipation Of Harley Quinn
“What interested me with ‘Birds of Prey’ is that it’s a feminist film,” said McGregor (via Premiere/CinemaBlend). It is very finely written. There is in the script a real look on misogyny, and I think we need that. We need to be more aware of how we behave with the opposite sex. We need to be taught to change.”
He continued, “Misogynists in movies are often extreme: they rape, they beat women … and it is legitimate to represent people like that because they exist and they are obviously the worst. But in the ‘Birds of Prey’ dialogue, there is always a hint of everyday misogyny, of those things you say as a man you do not even realize, mansplaining … and it’s in the script in a very subtle way. I found that brilliant.”
Not to throw shade at David Ayer’s 2016 “Suicide Squad,” but that film’s treatment of Harley Quinn seems to be in direct contrast to how she’ll be presented in “Birds of Prey,” if McGregor speaks the truth. One of the major complaints about “Suicide Squad,” in relation to Harley (though Margot Robbie is great in the role), is how the character is shown to be in an obviously abusive relationship with Joker. Also, there’s a fair amount of Michael Bay-esque shots of Harley in her skimpy outfits and whatnot.
READ MORE: Margot Robbie Says ‘Birds Of Prey’ Is “Definitely Less Male Gaze-y” Than ‘Suicide Squad’
However, whenever “feminist” gets added as a descriptor to a superhero film, there is a certain type of fan (“trolls”) that tend to immediately write it off and claim that it’s the end of the genre. This happened with Brie Larson voicing her feminist views and how they affected “Captain Marvel,” as well as a smaller story that saw the writer of “Black Widow” claiming that her concerns over the treatment of women in the comics and films have influenced that script.
So, it’s likely that McGregor’s comments will excite many who saw obvious flaws in Harley’s portrayal in “Suicide Squad” and see a clear issue with how female characters are handled in the superhero genre, but will also upset those who were probably looking for a reason to be mad at the film, anyway.
“Birds of Prey” will arrive in theaters on February 7, 2020.