Yeah, I read your review way back when. Which was why I was surprised by the film -- I wasn't expecting to like it.
I had a very different reaction to the supplementary material -- possibly because I don't watch/am unfamiliar with the cartoons, and not following the comics at all. So really was oblivious to some of the stuff you mentioned in the series. Also the supplementary material gave Batgirl agency and she wasn't just an extension of Gordon or Batman, defined solely by her relationships to them -- which was a HUGE failing of The Killing Joke - the objectification of Batgirl, and why the book had a lot of negative criticism regarding it.
Also, I didn't see Frods as a two-bit thug, but a seriously dangerous psychopath, who'd taken out his uncle and managed to run an underground smuggling ring. Batman defines him as a sociopath who is obsessed with Batgirl and the sort that will charm you, and carve you up with a smile on his face. Granted he's not as flamboyant as the Joker, but in some respects he's smarter. For a while, I was worried they had changed it and were making him out to be the Joker and was relieved he wasn't.
What the supplementary material does is show it from Batgirl's perspective and explain why she was Batgirl -- that's the reason we get the conversation with the librarian friend. Also the library references and her love of surviellence -- lend credence to what she'd become later. It gives us insight as to why she was doing it -- which had nothing to do with Batman. The sex with Batman hammers home the point that Batgirl isn't in love with him, and was mainly turned on in the heat of the moment and Batman (assuming he's even capable of love) isn't in love with Batgirl and felt disturbed by having sex with someone he'd relegated to sidekick. He never sees her as his equal. Neither Gordon nor Batman see her as a person separate from them. Here she is given that separate identity -- she's a crime fighter. She goes out on her own to investigate the guy and she does take him down eventually. Batgirl saves Batman on the docks and takes down Frods. And almost beats him too death -- that's why she stops being Batgirl, not because of Batman, but because she came too close to the abyss and didn't want to become that person. (It's a reference to Heart of Darkness -- if you look into the abyss make sure it doesn't look into you. It's also why Batman pulls back from pursuing a relationship with Batgirl and doesn't see her as his equal -- because he sees her as innocent, she hasn't dived into the abyss.)
This theme is carried throughout. Without the supplementary material it's just another story about the Joker and Batman, using some female superhero's trauma to give them a male bonding moment. With the supplementary material -- it's a story about how different people handle the darkness. It has depth and texture.
And yes, I have read the original comic and always had issues with it, the supplementary material in the movie helped lessen those issues.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2019-12-01 03:57 pm (UTC)I had a very different reaction to the supplementary material -- possibly because I don't watch/am unfamiliar with the cartoons, and not following the comics at all. So really was oblivious to some of the stuff you mentioned in the series. Also the supplementary material gave Batgirl agency and she wasn't just an extension of Gordon or Batman, defined solely by her relationships to them -- which was a HUGE failing of The Killing Joke - the objectification of Batgirl, and why the book had a lot of negative criticism regarding it.
Also, I didn't see Frods as a two-bit thug, but a seriously dangerous psychopath, who'd taken out his uncle and managed to run an underground smuggling ring. Batman defines him as a sociopath who is obsessed with Batgirl and the sort that will charm you, and carve you up with a smile on his face. Granted he's not as flamboyant as the Joker, but in some respects he's smarter. For a while, I was worried they had changed it and were making him out to be the Joker and was relieved he wasn't.
What the supplementary material does is show it from Batgirl's perspective and explain why she was Batgirl -- that's the reason we get the conversation with the librarian friend. Also the library references and her love of surviellence -- lend credence to what she'd become later. It gives us insight as to why she was doing it -- which had nothing to do with Batman. The sex with Batman hammers home the point that Batgirl isn't in love with him, and was mainly turned on in the heat of the moment and Batman (assuming he's even capable of love) isn't in love with Batgirl and felt disturbed by having sex with someone he'd relegated to sidekick. He never sees her as his equal. Neither Gordon nor Batman see her as a person separate from them. Here she is given that separate identity -- she's a crime fighter. She goes out on her own to investigate the guy and she does take him down eventually. Batgirl saves Batman on the docks and takes down Frods. And almost beats him too death -- that's why she stops being Batgirl, not because of Batman, but because she came too close to the abyss and didn't want to become that person. (It's a reference to Heart of Darkness -- if you look into the abyss make sure it doesn't look into you. It's also why Batman pulls back from pursuing a relationship with Batgirl and doesn't see her as his equal -- because he sees her as innocent, she hasn't dived into the abyss.)
This theme is carried throughout. Without the supplementary material it's just another story about the Joker and Batman, using some female superhero's trauma to give them a male bonding moment. With the supplementary material -- it's a story about how different people handle the darkness. It has depth and texture.
And yes, I have read the original comic and always had issues with it, the supplementary material in the movie helped lessen those issues.