Birds of Prey might not be the biggest blockbuster movie that the DCEU has ever released, but it was a big hit amongst a core group of fans. All different kinds of people saw the movie and enjoyed it, but many female fans in particular related to the narrative and the characters.
There was no shortage of empowering and inspiring moments in the movie, and the great thing about Birds of Prey is that it didn’t feel like pandering. The girl power moments were relatable, funny, and realistic, and given that the movie had a main cast of diverse, unique women, it never felt shoehorned into the narrative. Here are some of the best scenes that spoke to a feminist audience.
Harley Quinn and her perfect breakfast sandwich
One thing that was refreshing about this film was that it actually allowed its female characters to be messy and even a little gross. The aesthetic was fun and campy, but it was also gritty.
Harley’s obsession with her perfect egg sandwich and wanting to eat more than anything after a break up is something that many people can relate to. Instead of forcing the women in the film to be perfect, it allowed them to eat greasy food and be disasters at times, and this is empowering in its own way.
When Harley Quinn adopted Bruce and set him on that creepy guy
For fans of Harley Quinn, seeing her in Birds of Prey was an exciting departure from how she was portrayed in Suicide Squad. She was still just as chaotic and over-the-top, but she had more autonomy over herself.
Instead of being an object for men to act on, she took control of things. When the creepy guy at the exotic pet store harassed her, Harley wasted no time letting Bruce make a meal out of him, and this was a pretty empowering expression of her chaotic energy.
The time that Black Canary defended and saved Harley from bad guys
When Black Canary and Harley Quinn first meet, they aren’t exactly friends. It’s clear they both have similar issues and are both trying to find their own power and freedom under the watch of sadistic men.
While Harley is looking for emancipation, so is Dinah. While Dinah might not even like Harley Quinn, when she sees that she’s in danger and about to be abducted into a van by men who want her dead, she fights to save her. This is definitely a moment women can relate to as women looking out for other women and keeping them from being assaulted happens often.
When Harley Quinn used a huge confetti gun to beat everyone up at the police station
Birds of Prey isn’t shy about violence, and it has some pretty gory scenes. But, it’s also not afraid to add a sheen of glitter and femininity over that violence. When Harley Quinn goes to the police station with her giant bazooka, she uses things like glitter and paint to attack the cops.
The stylized fighting was fun to watch, and it was a great moment to see Harley handle things in her own way.
Every time Huntress came out of nowhere and was a skilled assassin
Huntress is an interesting character because she’s clearly written in a way that makes gentle fun of tropes. As the withdrawn assassin with a traumatic past, she’s a female archetype many recognize from action films.
However, this character gets to be both an extreme badass and highly skilled while also being rather socially awkward and uncomfortable around others.
Renee quitting her job
Renee might not have as many specialized skills, or superpowers in Black Canary’s case, as the other women in the movie, but her story is one of the most relatable. She’s a woman who is great at her job and works really hard.
However, she’s looked over for promotions and not taken seriously. So, when she decides to say screw it and take matters into her own hands by quitting the police force, it was definitely an inspiring thing.
Harley Quinn throwing a hair tie to Black Canary
One of the smallest moments in the film is also one that many people can’t stop talking about. Many women and non-binary people noted that this was clearly a film that wasn’t just made by men because of this small detail.
Anyone who has long hair will understand that fighting with your hair down and whipping around your face makes no sense, but this fact is often ignored in movies so that women look more traditionally attractive. This small moment reflected the difference in tone and gaze in the film overall.
When all the women banded together and beat up Roman’s men
Probably the most exciting and empowering moment in the movie action wise was when Harley, Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee all teamed up together to beat up Roman’s men.
We got to see these women from very different backgrounds band together to protect Cassandra. They all were extremely fun and kick-ass to watch, and it was also just a great cinematic moment as well as being a good example of women bending together.
When Harley Quinn beat Black Mask
After the large battle, Harley still ends up having to face off one on one with Black Mask. This is an important character development moment for her. While The Joker isn’t in this movie, Roman also is a stand-in for sadistic, controlling men of all kinds.
In a way, her killing Black Mask and beating him is her also getting the upper hand on all the other men like him in the world.
The ending scene where they all got tacos and margaritas
While the action scenes where the women of the film literally kick ass were often great and inspiring, female empowerment isn’t all about being able to inflict physical violence.
The scene at the end where these women still find some way to connect with one another despite their major differences in worldviews is inspiring in its own way. Plus, it’s another moment that’s really relatable and shows how many women actually interact with each other.
