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Cathy Yan Essay

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Cathy Yan, the director of the film Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), has deliberately used the setting of the Black Mask Club, Roman’s Apartment, and the Founder’s Pier to influence my further understanding of the main villain, Roman Sionis. Roman Sionis is a narcissistic and wealthy villain abandoned by his family. He desires to own and control everything around him by using his power and wealth to abuse ‘weaker’ figures like women. The film focuses on the interaction of Roman Sionis with the five women, Harley Quinn, Dinah, Montoya, Huntress, and Cassandra Cain. This film focuses on Roman’s interaction with. Cathy Yan has deliberately used the setting of the Black Mask Club to influence my understanding …show more content…

After a long fight, Roman kidnaps Cassandra Cain, and Harley Quin chases them to the Founder’s Pier. Cathy Yan’s deliberate use of the setting, Founders Pier, influenced my understanding of Roman’s piteous narcissism and hopes. A long shot is used to show the Founder’s Pier, allowing me to see the statues of important figures of Gotham’s past lined across the pier. Roman slides alongside these statues to hide from Harley. This shows the pitiful hope of Roman wanting to be one of these important figures in Gotham City. However, his true statue that proudly stands in his apartment is nowhere to be seen in the Founder’s Pier. This shows the pitiful truth of how he is not an important figure in Gotham, no matter how hard he tries and how narcissistically he believes he is. As Harley walks through the pier, Roman taunts her and says, “You need me”, trying to reassure himself that his hopes are true. Harley does not reassure Roman, instead confronts him, saying, “Your protection is based on the fact people are scared of you”. Harley then shoots Roman, but misses. This gunshot represents emancipation and disobedience. Harley, on behalf of Dinah, Huntress, Montoya, and Cassandra, is showing Roman how they are not something that he owns. She shows how Roman cannot control them, as they are each an individual who also holds power and thoughts; “But I’m the one they should be scared of. Not you.’cause I’m Harley f***ing Quinn”. A reaction shot is used to show Roman’s anxious response to women rebelling against him. Eventually, Roman is pushed off the pier by the hands of a woman and faces death. He is killed in the Founder’s Pier, a place that serves honour to important figures, symbolising how he failed to be honoured unlike he hoped. Instead of his figure aligning with the others, it falls off the pier, miserably. This further

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