To make mistakes is only human. I’ve run a stop sign or two in my day, accidentally overdrew my bank account and have even overslept when I was supposed to be at work. People in Hollywood are not immune from mistakes. If anything, there is a spotlight constantly put on them, giving their actions a bigger significance since their fame has given them influence over millions of people. So what is the difference between two celebrities, say like Mel Gibson and Meryl Streep? One has proven to be the epitome of class and has used their fame as a platform for social change. The other is Mel Gibson and has a history of homophobia, racism, alcoholism and misogyny.
After a not nearly long enough exile from the Hollywood eye, Gibson has been openly welcomed back to the A-list after his film Hacksaw Ridge. It’s as if some kind of embargo has lifted and studio execs can confidently bring him back on to films without fear of moral outrage. Or perhaps the support of his return has something to do with the rise of Trump and his terrible rhetoric. Whatever the case, someone like Gibson– whose misdeeds aren’t based on speculation but actual, recorded facts that are just one Google search away –can come back and be thrown high paying, high profile jobs while women (and minorities) have a hard time making it past these executive’s receptionists.
Mel Gibson is currently under consideration to direct the sequel to Suicide Squad, but instead, here is my list of 5 female directors (in no particular order) that should get the job instead.
(Click ‘Next’ to begin the slideshow)
Kathryn Bigelow
One of the most obvious choices is multiple Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow. She has great experience blending tense drama with gritty, realistic action sequences. One of the biggest problems with Suicide Squad was how the tone never quite fit the story. The drama and the action sequences felt like two very different creatures battling for the audience’s attention, but instead just dividing it. Bigelow also has experience developing strong female characters, which Suicide Squad is in desperate need of. The biggest disconnect between the DC films and Marvel is their approach. Marvel is embracing the campy, comic book tone that blends humor with drama. DC’s approach is much different as they try to channel a Nolan-esque vibe while stylistically vamping the visuals up so that it looks like a graphic novel, but feels like a serious drama. Bigelow can add the realistic feel that DC is trying to go for while keeping a visual style that allows the film to walk the line between comic book and reality.
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Ava DuVernay
Now I bet you’re thinking that Ava DuVernay would not be a good fit for the DC cinematic universe that is being created, but that is exactly why she is needed. DuVernay has always favored unconventional, more socially conscious approaches to film, and with Suicide Squad being the most diverse superhero film DC/Warner Bros has put out, DuVernay could put her skill to make the sequel finally worthy of that accomplishment. Nothing in her filmography screams “action movie”, but you can see glimpses of stylized action in Selma that shows you the potential she has. Having also just released an enlightening documentary about prison as a new form of racial slavery in America, I’m sure she can put some much needed social relevance into Suicide Squad. Also, I would love to see what she would do with Viola Davis and how that changes the character of Amanda Waller.
Julie Taymor
You can’t argue that Julie Taymor has a unique visual style that turns any film into moving art. Working on film’s like The Tempest and Frida, she has shown that she can easily create worlds with effortless visual flair. We have even seen her flawlessly blend music and gorgeous visual together to create a powerful experience like she did in Across the Universe. If the studio decides to want to continue to treat Suicide Squad like a stylistic music video with comic book characters, Taymor would be the best person to choose, and given her history, she would probably elevate the film to more than that too.
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Marjane Satrapi
You may remember Marjane Satrapi from her best-selling comic Persepolis, and the film of the same name, but you should also know her for her dark comedy film, The Voices. Satrapi obviously has experience with comic books, so she naturally understands the style and tone, but also brings to the table a wealth of humor. Suicide Squads demise came because the film was marketed as a dark comedy, but delivered hardly any jokes. Not only does Satrapi know about writing irreverent humor, but she has a lot of experience with dark humor and bringing it to life. If she channels even half of The Voices tone into the Suicide Squad sequel, the film would already be leagues better.
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Lilly and Lana Wachowski
The Wachowski sisters are the real deal. They have worked on action, fantasy, sci-fi, and sometimes all three genres in the same film. They have experience with world building, which is something the DC universe is desperately struggling with. The Wachowskis would be an asset to any film, and can easily transform Suicide Squad into a unifying force in the DC films. They can repair the film’s tone problem while evolving the visual aesthetic and creating an engaging story even with so many characters involved. Just look at Cloud Atlas. They have all the talented needed in this arena to not only reinvent Suicide Squad but also to even jumpstart the whole DC cinematic universe all over again.
Give Women a Chance
I know I said I would only have 5 choices, but this last one is infinitely better than the rest. Instead of being forced to choose from the small pool of female directors, why can’t we get new ones to make the pool bigger? Why can’t they give a female one chance to direct a film like Suicide Squad (that desperately needs to be overhauled anyway), when men like Mel Gibson get forgiven after several disgusting mistakes? The change has to start at the top, and this provides an excellent opportunity to get new blood into the film industry. It’s the same industry where women are forced to fight to be heard and to direct.
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