tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post2112605173507282340..comments2023-12-24T19:38:00.242-08:00Comments on Mendelson's Memos: Review: Sucker Punch (2011)Scott Mendelsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08131426080984100749noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-15567721051504472252012-12-16T10:30:25.300-08:002012-12-16T10:30:25.300-08:00I'm surprised there is so little discussion ab...I'm surprised there is so little discussion about how the men are depicted in Sucker Punch as well. Objectification/depersonalisation is used as a tool in the story, and swings wildly backwards and forwards between sequences. The "real world" and "bordello" story arcs are stories of abused and victimised women, and the bordello sequences put men squarely in sexual dominance over the women as imprisoned sex workers. It's not subtle or deep, and it's not meant to be.<br /><br />But the depiction flips in the mission sequences. There is one principle male character, who guides the girls with a fatherly, supportive manner, but all the other males are inhuman, or depersonalised, or powerless subjects of the women's casual violence. The first enemies tower over a solitary Baby Doll. Then the girls team up and get strolling through combats killing countless anonymous steam-powered zombies, bomb-stomping fields of ant-orcs, dicing robots - without batting an eyelid or chipping a nail. Two normal human men are encountered, and both are powerless against the women - one is a very young Allied soldier in a catatonic shell-shocked state, the other is a weaponless enemy courier who can only flee. There is an up-close-and-personal killing, which has revolting squicky sexual overtones, but it's not an adult male. And the one really dangerous enemy is female.<br /><br /><br />I'm still really impressed with the level of visual symbolism used to reduce and dehumanise and objectify men in the mission sequences. The samurai statue with a phallic nose, who bleeds light and dies with an explosion of crows. The steam-powered zombie-soldiers with gasmasks. Swarming hordes of orcs that are treated like ants. Those robots that have exaggeratedly masculine upper body and arm design, but are sexless and 'atrophied' from the waist down. The fact men aren't really enemies, they're mission obstacles to be eliminated. And so on...<br /><br /><br /><br />The sexual objectification of victimised women sits in opposition to the womens' casual violence against dehumanised men. If it was only about the mission sequences, Sucker Punch would be a boring and dumb attempt at titillation through faux-feminism. And the girls would be smug and 1-dimensional. The asylum and bordello sequences by themselves would be unoriginal and out dated. Put together, it makes a surprisingly interesting look at violence, power and self concept.<br /><br /><br />Anyhoos, I like it, plotholes and all. The violence is intentionally casual and never dwelt over, but you won't get past it if it's not your cup of tea.Arielnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-35628455893510484852012-07-14T07:44:25.023-07:002012-07-14T07:44:25.023-07:00But it is not explicitly "Glamorized". T...But it is not explicitly "Glamorized". These young woman are locked up against their will to be used as sex objects after having their spirit/brain removed. It's pretty explicit with the words the characters used and how they act. "Possessions" "Can You Fix This", "Quite a show", no EXPLICIT male gaze-ish moments, no explicit acts of anti feminine violence which the woman doesn't attempt to fight back against. and the last bit of the movie drives it home that A. objectifying a fellow human WILL NOT work for you and B. you will get in trouble one day for doing things such as Blue does.Katrinahttp://twitter.com/MyTrainIsOffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-53126015023856110002011-03-26T11:54:52.482-07:002011-03-26T11:54:52.482-07:00You really need to clarify that this "young g...You really need to clarify that this "young girl" has reached the age of consent.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-36318950045312642912011-03-26T02:30:04.756-07:002011-03-26T02:30:04.756-07:00Rob J,
Snyder has already said that a rated R dir...Rob J,<br /><br />Snyder has already said that a rated R director's cut is hitting Blu-Ray later this year.<br /><br />It's suppose to add 18 minutes to the film. He wasn't specific about the content that's going to be added.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-82581731241897104502011-03-25T15:57:29.854-07:002011-03-25T15:57:29.854-07:00I take it that since the ratings process for the m...I take it that since the ratings process for the movie was so insane and since the musical numbers were largely cut from the film, we're going to get an Ultimate Director's Cut released to Blu-Ray and DVD just in time for Comic-Con?Rob J.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-80757676721294013062011-03-24T17:57:05.725-07:002011-03-24T17:57:05.725-07:00I like your insights into the reason for the fanta...I like your insights into the reason for the fantasy sequences. This makes the MPAA's treatment of Baby Doll's consensual sex scene even more abhorrent.TheLabRathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12519299790907271971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6937848248469121586.post-75462170545692295042011-03-24T10:11:17.912-07:002011-03-24T10:11:17.912-07:00Thanks for the review.
Since the first teaser, I...Thanks for the review. <br /><br />Since the first teaser, I have felt that this film would be the poster child of misogynistic storytelling. While I appreciate your uncovering and addressing the underlying message, are you certain that this isn't a shroud to convince us it is not the very thing it supposedly disdains? I always find it interesting that films can claim disdain by showing degraded human conditions in only moderately glamorized light - Tell me how terrible violence is by shocking me with it.George Lochnoreply@blogger.com