James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad & A Lesson in Empathy

Heavy spoilers for The Suicide Squad to follow.

From the very beginning, James Gunn told us not to be too invested in these characters. Warner Brothers gave him carte blanche to do what he wanted, which meant that anything could happen in the course of the film. After all, the title is The Suicide Squad, which means we aren’t going to see many of these characters survive the film.

Keeping in mind that this film is one that sticks the most to the campy, over-the-top comic book style – a nice deviation from the usual sombre tones that permeate DC’s cinematic universe – I expected spectacular deaths and a body count that would put other superhero films to shame. There would be no reservations, and absolutely no holding back. However, I didn’t expect myself to care this much about all these characters, especially the new ones I only spent a modicum of time with.

Of course I care about Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie continues to be amazing in her portrayal of this iconic character), but knowing her popularity and the plans they have for her character, I kind of knew she would survive the carnage. But Rick Flag? His death hurt, and I found myself irrationally angry after his death scene. By showing an interior shot of Flag’s heart getting stabbed, Gunn makes it clear that he isn’t coming back from this, which makes it hurt even more.

Flag doesn’t even get as much development as say Bloodsport, yet I found myself holding my breath as he and Peacemaker tousled on the ground, ardently hoping that the latter would be the one to kick the bucket, or wishing that someone would come over to break up the fight. Flag, played by Joel Kinnaman, is one of the few characters from the original Suicide Squad, so our prior connection with him certainly gave his death more weight.

However, we find ourselves caring about every single character, regardless of the time spent with them, because of how much empathy Gunn has for these characters. Polka-Dot Man is a stellar example. We get his tragic backstory, his unresolved trauma, relate a little to his weird dance moves, and observe his empathy for others. Seeing him so cut up over Milton’s death gives us much insight into his character, so when he gets his heroic moment and perishes immediately after, we are simply not prepared. It can’t end like this, we tell ourselves, and yet it has.

My father, who has often expressed much disinterest in superhero films – mainly because they are unrealistic – spent most of the film worried about King Shark. Every single time King Shark wasn’t part of the group, he would turn to me worriedly and ask if Nanaue is alive. Mind you, this is a shark with a taste for human flesh. I even felt sorry for Starro the conqueror, a kaiju that was literally wreaking havoc in the city of Corto Maltese. Starro was involved with some of the most horrifying sequences I have seen in a superhero film – the tiny starfish embedding themselves onto human faces were absolutely terrifying – yet its last words had tremendous impact on me.

Before it dies, Starro utters: “I was happy. Floating…staring at the stars…” It wasn’t Starro’s choice to be displaced from its home, humans decided to meddle and bring it back, experimenting and torturing Starro for many years. The need for revenge the moment it is liberated is understandable, even if it isn’t right.

But our sympathies aren’t just with these anthropomorphic creatures. That scene where Silvio Luna drags himself through trails of his own blood, after the romantic encounter between him and Harley, is a truly difficult scene to watch. As we watch Harley explain her actions, it is clear as day that she has been unable to exorcise the demons of her past relationship with the Joker. It was a relationship so toxic and abusive that she feels the need to straight up murder any man she’s with that exhibits red flags. Luna isn’t a good man, and isn’t adverse to torturing his citizens to suit his agenda, so we can understand why Harley kills him. Yet, we can’t help but feel for a man who is murdered by his lover, especially since there was a kinder side to him, a side that seemed to appreciate the beauty in life.

John Cena’s Peacemaker is also nuanced in his villainy. From the start, it’s clear that he is one of the few that seems to take pleasure in the violent state of things. While the rest leans towards preservation of life, Peacemaker shows no hesitation, seen in his takedown of Flag despite the acknowledgement of him as a hero, and his attempt to kill Ratcatcher 2 even when he doesn’t have to. However, in contrast to his other killings, he appears mournful here, and seems to show remorse for what he has to do. The need to completely decimate and be thorough is a compulsion he feels he needs to enact, despite the possibility of other options. He is also funny and likeable, and we can’t bring ourselves to hate him even when we should.

In spite of Gunn’s claim that no one is safe, he couldn’t bring himself to kill off one of the characters. Ratcatcher 2 was supposed to die in earlier versions of his script, but ultimately, Gunn felt she was too sweet to kill. Her death would also move the film into a darker space, and end up affecting the film’s tone, so he spared her. I mean, if we can find sympathy in our hearts for the villains, I know we would have been totally destroyed by Ratcatcher 2’s death. She is the most empathetic member of the whole crew, and carries on her shoulders the main theme of the movie – that even the least valued have worth and purpose.

Even Javelin, who perished in the early parts of the film, had some kind of presence in the film due to Harley’s brandishing of his weapon. That’s what makes James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad a real joy to watch – there is a real sense of peril, real stakes, and characters so well-developed it hurts to say goodbye.

But say goodbye we must. Thank you James Gunn, it’s been a real treat.

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