A feminist analysis of the movie Birds of Prey and how the soundtrack’s role intensifies feminism

A feminist analysis of the movie Birds of Prey and how the soundtrack’s role intensifies feminism. 

In this essay, I will propose a feminist analysis of the movie Birds of Prey and how the soundtrack intensifies the feminist message the film portrays. I will be discussing the importance of the soundtrack’s role and its significance on the movie ‘Birds Of Prey’, directed by Cathy Yan, released in 2020. I will be drawing on the works of Laura Mulvey and her theory ‘visual pleasures and narrative cinema’, alongside Molly Haskalls ‘from the reverence to rape: the treatmeant of women in movies’. 

Molly Haskells theory ‘from reverence to rape: the treatment of women in movies’ speaks about “the treatment of women in the movies,” and how ‘motion pictures distorts the very image of American women.’ (Grossvogel, D. I. 1975, p.1). This  theory suggests that when a ‘man is making a picture’  the analysis of the woman has to have a ‘political or economic ring’ (Grossvogel, D. I., 1975, p.2). For the man to make a statement about a woman implies that there is a difference between men and women. Their sexual attraction and how that’s shown throughout ‘a picture’. (Grossvogel, D. I., 1975, p.1) Haskell suggests in male made pictures there is ‘a loss of female dominance’ and the filmic women are there for ‘sacrifice’ ‘affliction’, ‘choice’ and ‘competition’. Haskell argues that she doesn’t know whether to ‘uphold the differences or deny them’ when it comes to the ‘political or economic ring’ (Grossvogel, D. I., 1975, p.2).  

Laura Mulvey’s theory explains films are created for the male gaze, and Edward Snow’s theory explains that the male gaze and the problems that “that females can only function for the male-only as an object is sadist spectatorial possession’. Mulvey explains the male position as ‘active’ and the female ‘passive’. ‘Active’ meaning that the man looks, while ‘passive’ meaning that the woman is being looked at. Mulvey argues that in films, women are described ‘as image, man as bearer of the look’. She argues that when watching these films, we can tell who the film is made for depending on who the camera follows, and therefore the depiction of the characters. In this theory, Mulvey does not believe any film could be made for anything other than for the male desire and created to appeal to the male gaze. Mulvey also explains the impact of a patriarchal society throughout films. According to an online source, ‘A patriarchal system is a society in which men control all aspects: from politics to morals to economics and even the actions of women.’ In Mulvey’s theory, she explains that ‘Psychoanalytic theory is thus appropriate here as a political weapon, demonstrating the way the unconscious of patriarchal society has structured film form.’ The patriarchal society is made of white ‘cis’ gender, middle age , middle-class men, as are the films, as this is what the male gaze is also created for, and thereby aimed at. She also explains that ‘the function of women in forming the patriarchal unconscious is twofold, she first symbolises the castration threat by her real absence of penis and second thereby raises her children into the symbolic.’ This implies that as the woman lacking a penis, as the man was the one who took it away from her, she is shown as the ‘passive’ whilst the man is shown as the ‘active’ – as they were the ones who put the women in the position she is in. 

Birds of Prey (directed by Cathy Yan, released in 2020), follows Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, after she and the Joker broke up. Here we meet several new strong female characters who join together to make the Birds of Prey to fight the Black Mask. Harley Quinn’s character has been sexualised throughout the media since she was introduced into the DC Universe. Harleys first appearance on screen was in the 2016 with the James Gunn Movie, Suicide Squad. Our introduction to Harley in the movie in the background plays ‘Super freak’ by Rick James, released in 1981. Here from the first time being introduced to Harley the music linking to her is already sexualised, as the lyrics to the song ‘she’s a super freak… she’s super freaky’ with the film showing her dancing seductively. These links to Mulveys ‘man are the bearer of the look’ as the audience around Harley and the music playing suggest to the viewer that Harley is there to be looked at. Implying to the audience as this was the introduction to her and the first time the viewer has met Harley in the DC franchise, she has been put there as a sexual object for the appeal of the male hetrosexual audience.  Harley’s first appearances in DC links to Mulvey’s theory explaining that women are the ‘passive’ while the male characters are the ‘active’ viewer. This is implied as the music connotes Harley’s character as a sexual object whilst being introduced, as a ‘super freak’, supported by the mid/close up shots of her dancing seductively. 

After Birds of prey came out in 2020, Harley’s character was once again in another Suicide Squad movie in 2021, directed by James Gunn. This film Harley was far less sexualised. In this movie Harley has an escape scene where “Just a Gigolo/i ain’t got nobody” sung by Louis Prima. 

Birds of prey’s soundtrack has 16 songs all sung by different female artists 15 of them were exclusive new tracks just for the movie. The director Cathy Yan says in an interview with the Entertainment ‘The music was super important’ and that ‘it kind of helps me create the characters’. The production team worked alongside Atlantic Records to create a ‘sort of musical girl gang’. This is why she created an all female soundtrack for the DC female world. This gave female artists an opportunity to express their art, thereby reflecting the feminist message which drove the storyline and production of the film. Weaver said in the Entertainer interview that “I wanted to give female artists a voice and a platform, and it was very important to me to include some more developing female artists…I felt like [they] could utilise this to express their voice as young, important, powerful women.” 

The song ‘Experiment on Me’, which was the eighth single off the album was performed by Halsey. Kevin Weaver, who helped produce and oversee the soundtrack for Birds of prey Talked to artist Halsey and said “We had a really great, in-depth conversation, kicking off from that point, about Harley Quinn, her emotional journey, how that tied back to things that really connected to Halsey personally. Then [we started] to hone in creatively on the process of what a dope Halsey song would be that spoke to all of that stuff but also felt unique and different and special and something tailor-made for Birds of Prey.” (Sollosi, M, 2020). 

In the scene where ‘Experiment on me’ is used Harley has gone into a prison to break out Cassandra Cain, who is a young pickpocketer, who stole a diamond. When she goes to break Cain out, all of the other cells open, letting loose all the male cell mates then they try to attack Harley. When the cell doors open the music starts playing, here Harley starts fighting these men. The song is decided to have a ‘mentalcore backdrop’ (Deville, C 2020) aiming to sound like a heavy rock song, ‘the loudest and most abrasive thing [Halsey] has ever released’. (Deville, C 2020) Weaver says that the birds of prey soundtrack is used to ‘mirror Harley’s journey with music sensibility that kind of spoke to the same themes and through-lines.’ (Sollosi, M, 2020). Therefore having a heavy rock song being played whilst Harley is having to fight these men to keep herself safe. Experiment on Me ‘is an anthem of self-empowerment and defiance.’(Page, F. 2023) The song’s themes are strength, identity and resilience. ‘The song captures the essence of breaking free from societal constraints and embracing one’s true self, unapologetically.’ (Page, F. 2023) The lyrics of the song mirror the female superheroes’ strengths and wanting to defy the ‘traditional superhero stereotypes’. (Page, F. 2023) Therefore, the song’s themes accommodate the aims of the film’s message, again empowering both the female characters and the female artists behind the soundtrack. 

In the scene where Harley is getting Tortured by Black Mask he tells her that she has to get him a real diamond, here Harley goes into a dream sequence which mirrors  Marilyn Monroe’s performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” from 1953’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Marilyn Monroe’s image in the media was promptly surrounded by her being a famous sex symbol. One of the reasons for this is : at the beginning of her career she posed for a naked photoshoot with the images that ended up in PlayBoy magazine, the images caused a major scandal but not tarnishing Monroe’s career, instead creating the sex symbol she was seen as in the media. Laura Mulvey in her ‘Thoughts on Marilyn Monroe: emblem and allegory’ describes Monroe’s performance in the 1953 Gentlemen prefer Blondes as a reflection of ‘1950s American prosperity and investment in sexual display’ (Mulvey, L, 2017, p.202) Haskells ‘motion pictures distorts the very image of American women’ (Grossvogel, D. I., 1975, p.1) can also be linked to Monroes performance, as it ‘distorts’ the women’s image. This suggests that all women want is for their partner to have money and buy them diamonds. Harley mirrors the famous Monroe song, shows through the diegetic sound of humming it whilst getting tortured, then going into her dream-like state. In this mid / long shot she is wearing the same colour pink jumpsuit with the bow, mimicking Monroe. Harley sings the song ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ whilst surrounded by men in masks, again like Monroe. Having Harley sing about wanting a man to give her diamonds links to her background as her character, as she was rooted as the Joker’s girlfriend and was reliant on him. Having broken up with the Joker, Harley’s voice over, at the start of the film, explains that because she was with the Joker, people she hurt/used couldn’t do anything about it because they were scared of what the Joker would do to them, and respectively they had no respect for Harley. Now Joker and Harley were over Harley had to fend for herself. “In the film, the world around Harley Quinn entirely evaluates her worth based on her relationship with the Joker’(Crow, D, 2020) Having Harley sing ‘Diamonds are girl’s best friend’ whilst recreating Monreos signature look, suggests to the audience that ‘a male fantasy in which a beautiful woman purports the only thing she wants in this world are the presents powerful men can bestow on her.’(Crow, D, 2020). Yet the song ‘Diamonds’ performed by Megan Thee Stallion and Normani is the first ever song to sample Monreos ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’. This song uses Monroes lyrics but changes the meaning of the song. ‘The song is all about self-love, confidence, and living your best life. The lyrics of the song talk about how women deserve to be adorned with diamonds and how they should stand tall and proud in the face of adversity’. (Bell, J. 2023) In the 1952 version ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ the word diamonds is used in a literal sense, whereas in the 2020 version the word ‘diamonds’ links to the meaning of women being deserving to be treated like royalty and should be decorated with diamonds. The song celebrates femininity and encourages women to make their uniqueness. ‘In essence, the message of the song is that women should never be made to feel inferior, and they should be proud of who they are.’(Bell, J. 2023) 

Having the two songs have similar lyrics but different meanings suggests to the audience how though the meaning to the songs are now different, the imagery is still the same. Having Harley mirror Monroe implies a moment of weakness for Harley, by falling back into the patriarchal world she was once living in. Under control by the Joker and having to be the ‘passive’ female character for the Jokers ‘active’ view, here being the ‘sexual display’ that she once was (Mulvey, L, 2017, p.202). But then the scene is interrupted by gunshots and we hear the rhythm of the 2020 ‘Diamonds’ performed by Megan thee Stallion and Normani. Having this version being played suggests that Harley snapped out the the dream-like state and realised that ‘women should never be made to feel inferior, and they should be proud of who they are.’(Bell, J. 2023). The scene ends with the voice over of Harley saying ‘call me old fashioned but I always thought the guy was always meant to get the girl the diamond.’ this now linking back to the 1952 song. The linking two and from the two separate songs link to Harley’s delusional state, here not knowing what she wants, questioning if she is living in the patriarchal world she just recently got out of. 

We are first introduced to the character Black Canary played by Jurnee Smollett, by her character performing a cover of ‘This is a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ (originally performed and written by James Brown, also co-written by Betty Jean Newsome, released in 1966). The history of the song has a misogynistic background, as the title clearly highlights the strong influence of the patriarchy on society. The song’s lyrics also link to both Haskshels and Mulvey’s theories with links to the ‘patriarchal society’ that Mulvey Explains and Hasksels ‘man making the picture’. When writing the song, Brown asked Betty what she thinks of the ‘man’s world’ where the response is that she believes it is a woman’s world, although Brown created the song and lyrics based on his beliefs. He created the song to be centred around how men are usually the providers, ‘and the world wouldn’t be the same without them.’ (Richmond, P, 2023). ‘The lyricist tries to showcase how much the world depends on men and, at the same time, downplays the contribution of women.’ (Richmond, P, 2023). The lyrics ‘I sympathise with the man who doesn’t have a woman, He’s lost in the wilderness, He’s lost in the bitterness, He’s lost in love, oh’ – which is the outro to the song – suggests that women are responsible to keep the man’s ego in check, and without so he goes ‘bitter’ or out of control. 

When Black Canary is introduced the voiceover of Harley explains that ‘[Black Canary] has a killer singing voice’. Throughout the scene of Black Canary singing we are also introduced to the main villain of the film The Black Mask who controls Gotham, where the movie and most of the DC films are based, underworld. In this scene, we learn that The Black Mask is trying to join forces with another wealthy man to be able to take over Gotham. When Black Canary sings the lines ‘He’s lost in the wilderness, He’s lost in the bitterness, He’s lost in love,’ it cuts between shots of her singing, the switches to shots of The Black Masks characters, impling that she is there to be responsible to keep his ego in check if he should go out of control. At the end of the song, Black Canary sings a high powerful note of ‘nothing’ leading to a glass breaking, this suggests how much power her voice holds, and though she is singing about how ‘it’s a man’s world’ she has the power to destroy things with her voice. This reflects her frustration and dismay with the lyrics, as they reflect her character’s similarities with the struggles the song raises. Later in the movie you find out her power is called the ‘Canary cry’ where her cries create ultrasonic vibrations. Here showing the importance of the first time we are introduced to her character as it shows that she was this powerful from the beginning. Harley’s voiceover then says ‘Canaries has been singing at [Black Masks] club for years, he calls her his little bird, and he’s got her wrapped around his fancy little finger.’ Canary worked for The Black Mask with his Crime organisation but later joined Harley and the other members of the Birds Of Prey to come together and defeat Black Mask. Showing that the powerful women can escape the grasp of the men, when they unite. 

In conclusion, the soundtrack of Birds Of Prey intensifies Feminity by taking older music written with a misogynistic undertone and either rewriting or changing the performance of the song to create the empowering feminist message and feel to the movie. For example, using the song ‘This is a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ (by James Brown released in 1966), then having one of the lead women singing it to imply to the viewer of the film how she works for the main villain, but also showing her strength and power with her voice. Shows how the once diminishing music can be used to reflect modern female strength. Then with using ‘Diamonds are a girl’s best friend’ to imply to the audience the struggle Harley is having with being independent, but having the song sample Monroe’s performance but using her words more like a metaphor for women to be seen and treated like royalty, and not as ‘a male fantasy in which a beautiful woman purports the only thing she wants in this world are the presents powerful men can bestow on her.’(Crow, D, 2020). Creates the feminist representation that though it is the same music, it can change and grow – like the characters in the movie. 

‘Birds of Prey’ Soundtrack 

1. Doja Cat – “Boss Bitch”

2. Whipped Cream (feat. Baby Goth) – “So Thick”

3. Megan Thee Stallion & Normani – “Diamonds”

4. Saweetie & Galxara – “Sway With Me”

5. Charlotte Lawrence – “Joke’s On You”

6. Maisie Peters – “Smile”

7. Cyn – “Lonely Gun”

8. Halsey – “Experiment On Me”

9. Jucee Froot – “Danger”

10. K.Flay – “Bad Memory”

11. Sofi Tukker – “Feeling Good”

12. Lauren Jauregui – “Invisible Chains”

13. Black Canary – “It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World”

15. Summer Walker – “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby”

16. Adona – “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”

Bibliography – 

Bell, J. (2023a). The Meaning Behind The Song: Diamonds by Megan Thee Stallion & Normani. [online] Old Time Music. Available at: https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-diamonds-by-megan-thee-stallion-normani/ [Accessed 14 Dec. 2023].

Bell, J. (2023b). The Meaning Behind The Song: It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World by James Brown. [online] Old Time Music. Available at: https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-its-a-mans-mans-mans-world-by-james-brown/.

Deville , C. (2020). Halsey – ‘Experiment On Me’ (Prod. Bring Me The Horizon). [online] Stereogum. Available at: https://www.stereogum.com/2072858/halsey-experiment-on-me-bring-me-the-horizon-birds-of-prey/music/#:~:text=For%20her%20contribution%2C%20%E2%80%9CExperiment%20On[Accessed 14 Dec. 2023].

Grossvogel, D.I. and Haskell, M. (1975). Heads or Tails: Women in American Movies and Society. Diacritics, 5(3), p.49. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/464548.

Mulvey, L. (1975). Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema. Screen, [online] 16(3), pp.6–18. Available at: https://ia802801.us.archive.org/4/items/visual-pleasure-and-narrative-cinema/Laura-mulvey-visual-pleasure-and-narrative-cinema.pdf.

Mulvey, L. (2017). Thoughts on Marilyn Monroe: emblem and allegory. Screen, 58(2), pp.202–209. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjx019.

Page, F. (2023). The Meaning Behind The Song: Experiment on Me by Halsey. [online] Old Time Music. Available at: https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-experiment-on-me-by-halsey/ [Accessed 14 Dec. 2023].

Sollosi, M. (2020). How the badass, all-female ‘Birds of Prey’ soundtrack came together. [online] EW.com. Available at: https://ew.com/movies/2020/02/07/birds-of-prey-soundtrack/ [Accessed 14 Dec. 2023].