Faux Feminsm in Sucker Punch

Empowerment is the act of giving power and authority - the right to control, demand and determine whereas exploitation is the act of unfair treatment in order to benefit from their work. Empowered women exercise authority and when they face a troubling, misogynistic world, empowered women fight back and in Sucker Punch there is a conflict between whether or not the females in the film are actually empowering their femininity and taking control or simply being exploited at the films dispense. According to Monika Bartyzel, the women in Sucker Punch are not empowered and they are simply "nothing more than cinematic figures of enslavement - to protect the male gaze and authority instead of empowering their female brethren"

The film follows a group of girls trapped in an insane asylum who retreat to fantasies in their minds to find the strength to escape their prison. It centres around Baby Doll (Emily Browning) who accidentally murders her younger sister in an attempt to escape from her oppressive stepfather - who in the end, is the one who puts her in the asylum. Baby Doll leads her fellow inmates to escape the asylum through a series of quest and missions and in doing so, find their own paradise. Alongside Baby Doll there is the strong but wary of the girls, Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), followed by her antsy sister, Rocket (Jena Malone) and two inconsequential friends, Amber (Jamie Chung) and Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens).

The article Bartyzel wrote, 'Faux Feminism in Sucker Punch' addresses the idea of although Zack Snyder's film has the potential of an empowering story of women, it does not present itself like that on screen and every bit of so-called feminism or empowerment is 'nothing more than a misogynistic wolf in sheep's clothing'. Although I agree with a lot of the points made by Bartyzel, I also believe the film does include the empowerment of women who fight back for their freedom whilst never giving up - and they do it in high heels.

 

Bartyzel argues that the women in the film are sexualised through their appearance, as Baby Doll, who is supposed to be 20 and looks 12 is immediately degraded to Hollywood's version of 'barely legal porn' with her blonde pig tails, pink cheeks and dense fake eyelashes. In the Asylum the girls wear a barely-there dress and when it is time for fantasy fighting, their costumes become even more skimpier. Although I agree the females' appearance are sexualised in an attempt to have it both ways; to appeal to a male adolescent audience whilst also pleasing women who want to see females fighting male counterparts. It is true but a films aim is to make money as a whole so that should not be an issue as such.

Although, the sexualisation of these women contradicts with the whole feminism aim of this film, it can be interpreted differently to their strength. In the scene when Amber is ordered to accompany the Mayor, patting and touching the Mayor whilst Baby Doll distracts him with her dancing, it may be seen as degrading and exploiting the women, but the women here are seemingly outsmarting their male counterparts and thus presented as intelligent, resourceful and brave whilst the males are not.
The film also depicts girls as being physically capable as well as mentally capable, taking on hoards of enemies including Nazis, robots, etc and whilst Baby Doll and the women fight in the WW1 scene, the male soldiers remain cowering in the trenches. This empowers the women and presents them as being brave as well as taking the situation into their own hands because the males cannot do their job.

Bartyzel claims that a famous line in the movie: "You have all the weapons you need; now fight" is not encouragement to escape and find freedom but a request to be sexual and to mentally 'tap out' when things get tough. The line could be interpreted in that matter, but like stated before, the girls use their sexual appearance to their advantage, in distracting their male counterparts who are presented as beasts who are hungry for sexual contact and dancing girls.

The article suggests that the girls in the film have no power at all and are trapped by the males in the film who treat them unfairly and unjust. For the most part, this is not true. The film is set in an asylum, which gives an historical look into women's rights and their troubled past when men would supress female power through disgustingly false medical conditions like "female hysteria" without any proof of their mental state. The asylum and the brothel can be seen as symbols of oppression of women but according to Bartyzel, 'Baby Doll is not fighting back and any bit of so-called feminism or empowerment is nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing' (As quoted before). Personally, I do not believe the women in this film are completely oppressed, yes, they are trapped in this awful, patriarchal society, but they have a fighting spirit - something the men do not have. The chef is reduced to a shrivelling, crying mess after he murders Rocket and the lobotomy doctor doubts his actions in his own field, and even in the situation the women are in, they are shown to fight against their oppression and to escape, which contradicts with Bartyzel's statement.

Overall, Monika Bartyzel made some valid points on faux feminism throughout the film, and some of her arguments can take account for the presentation of women, but, I do not agree with everything she says. Zack Snyder's visual masterpiece, Sucker Punch is not a complete contradiction to women's rights as in the end, the women in the film get the last laugh. Sweet Pea escapes to freedom and Blue, the owner of the asylum is brought down by Dr Vera Gorski who gets him put behind bars for his mistreatment of the women. This film does not exploit women maliciously, but to their own advantage of being above men in the power hierarchy.