David Ayer continues to defend the much-maligned DCEU film.
[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]he already floundering DCEU seemed to pin its hopes on Suicide Squad and now its hopes are on Wonder Woman. However, the fallout of Suicide Squad continues. David Ayer recently spoke about his movie, via Empire, and clarified some important details. When Ayer speaks he appears to have such a clear vision of who the characters are and what the tone of the film should have been. None of this comes out in the actual movie. These tidbits actually seem to point out how much interference there was by either Warner Brothers or DC executives.
The original script started in Belle Reve.
Ayer said that this was where the audience was always supposed to get to know the cast of characters. Originally, characters were to sit up in their cells and we were to see a montage of their past lives and how they had came to be in the prison.
Ayer called Suicide Squad an ‘anarchic punk rock art movie.’
After describing the film as an ‘anarchic punk rock art movie,’ the director said, “the film, in a lot of ways, is really about the splitting of the personality and addiction, and the dark side of the soul.” There was punk aesthetic and rock music but the only anarchy was in the editing room. The cut that premiered gave no single character the screentime or material to consider the film being about things as complex as addiction or the dark side of the soul. It is possible that most of those themes were lost in the cut Joker and Harley scenes, though Ayer specifically named June Moon when making said comments.
Batman was always going to appear.
Ben Affleck’s caped crusader was a prerequisite to appear when David Ayer first signed on to direct.
There’s no R-rated cut.
Fans may have clamoured for it but Ayer said that an R-rated cut was never in the cards as such a decision is made, “before you turn the cameras on.”
Scott Eastwood isn’t playing anyone special.
The son of the Hollywood legend is not playing anyone other than a straightforward military type. Those hoping for Dick Grayson, Roy Harper, or even Deathstroke are sure to be disappointed. That is not to say those characters will not appear in the DCEU but Eastwood is simply Rick Flag’s second in command.
The death toll was never going to live up to the title of Suicide Squad.
Ayer said that there were never any plans to kill off more than two characters, specifically saying there was never a third death.
‘Pinky’, was a late addition.
Rumors have said that Boomerang had some harsh sexist and racist lines so it wouldn’t be surprising that the subtraction of dialogue was replaced with a pink plush unicorn to masquerade as personality.
Joker’s grill and damaged tattoo originate with the death of Robin
Ayer was quoted as saying that after the death of Robin, at the hands of Joker, Batman smashes in his face and imprisons him in Arkham Asylum. This causes Joker to to tattoo damaged on his forehead. This is also what leads to Joker having the grill in his mouth.
We saw the ‘Dossier’ cut.
“There’s a linear version we did where it opens up with June in the cave and tells the story in sequence with the arrests and Batman, and then we go to Belle Reve. Honestly, there may be six or seven different versions of the film. In that version, [test] audiences were left with a lot of questions and a little disoriented as to who to watch and why. So we came up with what we call the ‘dossier’ version which has Amanda presenting the backstories and origins of the various members.”
This is a very telling quote, if there were 6 or 7 cuts of the movie there is no way to produce a good movie out all of them. I, for one, would have preferred to see a linear version of the story and for all we know that was the best cut.
Amanda Waller has been at it for 20 years.
Ayer called Waller an apex predator and an intelligence officer. The icey and calculated Viola Davis was one of the better parts of the mediocre film. Waller’s experience easily explains how she would know who the Batman is.
No regret over Slipknot.
The director said that someone needed to die early on and Slipknot was it.
Pink Floyd and the Joker.
The scene with Joker surrounded by knives and guns was inspired by the classic band from London.
The Director did not feel he was at the mercy of the DCEU.
When asked about any oversight creatively Ayer said, “My best analogy is: this is a fleet of ships crossing the ocean, but you get to be captain of your own vessel.” If this analogy is accurate, are all DCEU films the titanic?
Jared Leto’s Joker more than a cameo.
Ayer seemed irked when speaking about how some critics have called Leto’s performance a cameo. If you’ve been keeping up with the drama then you’ll know much of Joker’s scenes were cut, Leto even saying there was enough material for a solo Joker movie. Alas, Suicide Squad squandered one of the few characters people wanted to see more of. After all the backlash about this iterations appearance, it was the Joker alone that most audience members wanted to see more of.
Flash cameo.
When Boomerang’s flashback is shown we get a brief cameo from Ezra Miller’s Flash. Ayer said this was obvious because the two are traditionally foes, as Captain Boomerang is a seasoned member of Flash’s gallery of rogues.
The movie is Amanda Waller covering her tracks.
Waller’s mistake of letting the enchantress break free is what drives the plot. She is making up for her own mistake with the Suicide Squad. Ayer continued on to comment that the plot of Suicide Squad was, “actually extremely complex!” Make your own conclusions about that remark.
It is doubtful any of these clarifications or trivia facts will dispel the notion that this film was a failure on so many levels. Sure, heightened expectations can cause knee-jerk reactions from fickle critics, as some would argue–fans of the movie will cite the box office returns. All the general public can do now is wait, and hope, that Justice League or Wonder Woman delivers.
