You couldn’t go to a Halloween party in 2016 without spotting at least one Harley Quinn. While the costume has become a staple on October 31, you have to admit that it’s not the most feminist outfit choice. Harley’s boyfriend-at-the-time’s name (or nickname) was printed all over not only her jewelry and clothing (i.e. the “Property of the Joker” bomber jacket) but also her body. Not to mention her baseball tee that read “Daddy’s ‘Lil Monster.” However, in “Birds of Prey” it’s evident that Harley Quinn has evolved. And, as Erin Benach, the film’s costume designer said, “that’s what happens when you have a female producer, director, writer.”
This independence is evident in the film’s poster, which shows its full title, with “And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn” in her own handwriting. Small details in the film highlight Harley’s freedom- like the “Bruce” dog tag she wears, supposedly as a jab to her manipulative/psychotic ex’s archnemesis, Batman (AKA Bruce Wayne). On top of that, she changed the design of some of her tattoos- what was once “Puddin’” (Harley’s pet name for the Joker) is now “Pudding Cups.” Most notably, Harley wears a loose-fitting tee for a majority of the film that has “Harley F***ing Quinn” printed all over it in capital letters (the definition of a power move). Her fashion is loud, bright, glittery, and much more suitable for ass-kicking than the leather booty shorts and tight ripped shirts of “Suicide Squad” fame. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with skimpy clothing, unless fictional women are put in these outfits for the sole purpose of appealing to male audiences. Real women can choose to wear whatever they want, but fictional women are indeed fictional, thus making them unable to make their own fashion choices.
What’s more, the cinematography is evidently less male gaze-y. In “Suicide Squad,” there was no Harley Quinn scene without the camera slowly panning over her entire body. In “Birds of Prey,” she stares the camera down. It looks at the action and what bad guy she’s beating up, not what her butt looks like while she’s doing it because- wait for it- that’s not what’s important! Director Cathy Yan even chose not to use CG or editing to mask the women’s movements, instead choosing to “‘show these women as they are’- their faces, sweat, physicality, unruly hair and all.” In this film Harley is quite literally telling her own story- she’s the narrator. No longer the comedic relief/ditsy flirt, Harley is finally her own person.
The characters that surround Harley are another empowering aspect of the movie. They’re all other women who have been confined by men and instead of being pit against each other, they bolster one another. Realistic female relationships are extremely important to portray on-screen.
Overall, “Birds of Prey” isn’t just an empowering, diverse, female-led film, it’s one of the most fun ones I’ve seen. Harley Quinn, in all of her glittery, confetti-y glory, is finally taking control of her own narrative and leaving the Joker in the dust- and it’s glorious.