Suicide: the intentional taking of one’s own life
or
the destruction of one’s own interests or prospects.
Whatever the faults of DC’s “Suicide Squad,” I will say that it is, at the very least, aptly named.
{Spoiler Alert!}
Why is that? Because the way this story plays out is a good example of how one can destroy their own interests. What starts as an attempt to manipulate evil people ostensibly to fight some future evil ends up causing the very evil they have to fight. Amanda Waller’s ambitions and manipulation of Enchantress are what lead her to level a city with the help of her Brother, Incubus (whose name you’d never know from just watching the movie). In the unfolding of that whole drama, you see a rather confused and muddled conflict between good and evil in the characters themselves and are introduced to the messy reality that is broken humanity. This movie is by no means black and white and there is no one character who is a complete hero, though there are arguably a few who are clearly villains (Enchantress wants nothing but the destruction of humanity). What does this say to us, the viewers? What commentary, deliberate or not, is this movie making on the nature of good and evil?
In order to answer those questions, I’d like to focus on three characters: Amanda Waller, El Diablo, and Harely Quinn.
First there is Amanda Waller, government agent who claims to be working for the good guys. It is clear from the beginning that this woman is completely utilitarian and is willing to do just about anything to accomplish then end of protecting America, or some other vague notion of good.
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| Doesn’t this just scream “Good Guy?” |
I’ve already mentioned what impact her character has on the story and the underlying message of the movie. Her “do whatever I have to” attitude is what triggers the Enchantress to cause so much destruction. She ends up having to call in the Suicide Squad to fight someone who was supposed to be on the squad and her “Bad people who can do some good” theory is completely blown. The end result of her project: a city destroyed, the one villain who might of been a good guy is dead, another villain has escaped and there was nothing that happened which could even be considered “good.” The writers and director drive this point home with their quasi-after-the-credits scene with Bruce Wayne. She is worried and needs protection because her plan has her in the crosshairs. This frames the events rather simply for the viewer: act like Amanda Waller and it will backfire. In other words, evil begets evil.
And there is El Diablo. A man with great power and great reluctance. His character is the only one with any kind of redemption. After having killed his own family and wiped out an entire prison yard of criminals, he has apparently given up his ways of killing and doing evil. The movie reinforces the idea that he prefers peace by with some quasi-Buddhist imagery when he is asked about his willingness to work with the squad.
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| Meta-Human or Buddhist Monk? |
Throughout the movie, Diablo basically refuses to fight. He only lets loose twice in the film and both of these instances, it was to basically to save everyone involved. In the bar scene, his interchange with the squad reveals his tragic backstory and clenches the idea that he is a changed man. In the interchange, Harley Quinn at one point tells him to own what he’s done. This pays off later when the squad is under Enchantress’ spell. It his acceptance of the reality of his sinfulness that enables him to dismiss the illusion and face the grim reality before him. This much, at least, is a positive note. As Catholics, it is necessary for us to admit our sins in order to make any real progress. It is likewise necessary to put aside fantasies in order to accomplish any real good. The fact that these indirect lessons are given by Diablo’s character development suggests a favorable perspective on them.
This also holds true for Diablo’s final action. He sacrifices himself to stop Incubus and enable the team to face Enchantress directly. It is a good sign that the only thing which seems able to undo Waller’s selfish and short-sighted use of evil is Diablo’s repentance paired with self-sacrifice – laying down his life for his friends. It is only a turning from evil and the willingness to resist evil even to the point of death that can actually overcome it.
Surprisingly, one could say that this is even reinforced by the least likely character: Harley Quinn.
Even faced with the temptation to join the other side and recover her one true “love,” she refuses to cave in to the one example of clear evil in the movie, Enchantress. Despite her own brokenness, her obsession with the Joker, and her apparent disregard for all moral norms, Harley is interested in having a normal life and is apparently capable of actual loyalty. Following her own advice and accepting the reality of Joker’s death (as far as she knew, at least), she knew better than to cooperate with this clear evil and betray the one good she still had (friendship).
So what does all this suggest to the mind of the viewer about what they are viewing? It certainly makes the point that humanity is broken and that evil can be found in all sorts of places. It carries a certain note of redemption, at least in El Diablo’s case. While it doesn’t clearly condone or heroize the criminals in this story, it does try to humanize them, which is not a bad thing. Its true that good can be found in unusual places, and that we are often pushed to evil by difficult circumstances.
Still, there are a number of difficulties in this film: the pointless sexualization of Harley Quinn. There is the ambiguous way that Harely’s “love” for the Joker is portrayed (are we supposed to see this as “love” or recognize it as an unhealthy obsession?). This movie casually glamorizes how “BA” these bad guys are. Deadshot’s “cool factor” is incredibly played up (typical for Will Smith) and his life as a hit man is almost normalized when his daughter starts talking about bullet trajectories in her final scene. I’m not asking for a moralizing didacticism, but I don’t particularly care for a lesson in how cool evil can be either.
My analysis: This movie is not worth seeing and certainly not worth re-watching or owning. What good can be gleaned from the movie is poorly delivered and the problems are difficult in today’s culture – we don’t need any more. While it might be entertaining, it is certainly nothing special and there’s isn’t much reason to subject yourself to this kind of sexuality, violence, and poor character development. It doesn’t even do much to advance the overall plot for Justice League (there are two scenes that kind of, maybe, sort of matter in the long run). If you haven’t seen it, skip it. If you have, just be aware of what it’s suggesting in subtle ways. Fans love it, but they were already loyal and most of those who were excited about Suicide Squad liked precisely because it was rebellious.
Until Next Time,
-The Ephesian