Imagination & Sucker Punch… Explained?
DRAGONS, STEAM POWERED SOLDIERS
GIANT SAMURAI WARRIORS WITH GATLING GUNS…
I went into Sucker Punch
Zack Snyder went into production armed with one hell of an imagination. Was it enough?
Sucker Punch wasn’t a great movie but once again, Zack Snyder delivered another stylized and action packed adventure that was entertaining at times but I just didn’t get it.
Still, the movie is geared towards video game nuts and geeks and I fit perfectly into that category so there were elements of the film I loved. But I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who hasn’t played a game where you have to defeat bosses to collect items and move on.
If you don’t know dungeon bosses, you are unprepared for Sucker Punch.
I’ve decided to structure my review in the style of Sucker Punch since the film is basically a video game you get to watch. There are items to collect so lets get to it.
*Spolers ahead*
Item 1: Map
What is Sucker Punch?
Simply put, Sucker Punch is the story of a girl who is committed into an insane asylum. She then leads a group of girls on a journey through not one but two fantasy worlds. The first is a social club where the girls dance for the ‘clients’ of the incredibly smug and effective ‘Blue’. An evil club owner who also happens to be the head orderly in ‘reality’.
The girls are presented with a plan to collect 5 items in order to complete their quest and escape the club/asylum. Their fight to gain these items takes them into a more elaborate and fun fantasy world where huge slow motion battles take place. Nice.
The treat here is Zack Snyder’s wild imagination. The battles in this fantasy world range from fighting giant Samurai to steam powered dead soldiers to technologically advanced alien robots. In addition to these wars you are also treated to dragons, blimps, aerial battles and bunny robots.
It’s a lot to take in but each distinct section of this movie is absolutely beautiful and exciting.
The problem is that there is one hell of a complicated and vague storyline connecting them.
Item 2: Fire
The Characters
I suppose the only real thing connecting these fights together to form a cohesive story are the main characters.
Baby Doll, Sweet Pea, Rocket, Blondie and Amber.
Still, the whole time you are cheering for them to escape you’ll also be wondering if they are actually achieving their goal at all. It gets complicated when the girls encountering a problem in the ‘super fantasy world’ but only deal with the consequences in the ‘regular fantasy world’. It isn’t until the end when you see the results of their actions in reality. Got all that?
It’s complicated and tough to follow but the fights are sweet.
Item 3: Knife
The Action
This is what I paid to see. Intense and stylized action sequences hit hard and often and the film really doesn’t disappoint if you can get over the fact that it makes little sense at first.
These types of movies are difficult to pull off. I remember my dad joining me in the middle of The Matrix Reloaded one afternoon. Trying to explain why Neo’s skills are ‘realistic’ within the movie was tough. It’s the same kind of idea here but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The winner for me was the robots on the train. In typical Snyder fashion, the girls flip, kick and blast their way through the car in a single shot full of speed changes and money moments. It’s exactly what I loved about 300 and exactly what I was hoping to see in the film. In that sense, I definitely wasn’t disappointed but everyone knew it would be full of cool action.
It was the story that lost me.
Item 4: Key
Understanding The Story
I’m sure feeling lost was part of the overall experience but it wasn’t until an hour or so after the movie that I really started to piece together a theory.
Spoiler. If I’m not mistaken and I could very well be, the entire film is seen through the eyes of Sweet Pea’s imagination and not Baby Doll’s. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense but you really, REALLY have to think about it.
If it’s true, the story’s themes remain the same but are focused on the wrong person. Is that the Sucker Punch?
The hints that led me to this conclusion pretty much hinge on the bus driver at the end. He’s the one who gives Baby Doll the quest in the first place in fantasy land so it has to be Sweet Pea’s vision right? Because she can still see him once she’s escaped? I think so. It’s a good twist that I enjoyed pondering but my problem is if she sees him at the end, isn’t she still fantasizing?
There are a ton of hints that support this theory. For starters, when we are introduced to the Club it’s Sweet Pea who proclaims that she is running the show. Even when we first meet Sweet Pea in the theater she is under the care of a doctor telling her that her fantasies can be real.
I talked to a number of people who saw the film and took it as is. They completely missed the big twist. This brings up two important questions. Did I read too far into it or did they miss it? Both suggest that it’s not entirely clear but maybe that was the point.
Is Baby Doll simply Sweet Pea’s vision of someone who will fight for her when really she is really learning to fight for herself? It’s interesting to consider but all the hints are there. Sometimes twist endings are too well hidden though. This might be a good example of that.
According to Wikipedia, Zack Snyder defends the story by blaming the editing process.
“Director Zack Snyder has stated one interpretation of the film is that it is a critique on geek culture’s sexism and objectification of women.He further admits that part of the difficulty in interpreting the movie is due to him being forced to cut many crucial scenes before the film’s release in order for the MPAA to give the film a PG-13 rating, something that caused him much frustration.”
So Sweet Pea dreams up an escape plan and uses her friends in the asylum to escape?
Lets hear it from Sweet Pea herself Abbie Cornish:
“[Baby Doll] changes their whole perception of freedom, of hope, of escapism. And so their ways of life are challenged, they’re sucker-punched with this whole idea of freedom.” Digital Spy
What she really means is Baby Doll inspires her to escape right? We will have to wait for the extended DVD to find out I suppose.
Item 5: Me
The Verdict
In the end, I found myself counting down the seconds before the next action scene instead of investing fully in the story. That’s usually a bad sign especially if the action doesn’t deliver but thankfully it does. The action saves the film from truly being the disaster that many people are calling it. It’s not that bad.
The more I thought about the movie and the layers I probably missed, the more I thought about giving it a second chance. Is it worth a trip to the theater? Probably not. But it could be a worth while ‘rent’ someday.
Sucker Punch isn’t a movie for everyone. Some people will be lost but others will fall in love with the world Zack Snyder has created.
Either way you will be unprepared for Sucker Punch.
The one thing you can’t help but admire is Snyder’s incredibly visual eye and remarkable imagination. Why not try something completely ‘out there’ and see what happens. I have a lot of respect for filmmakers like him. It’s just cool to see what he comes up with.
Click here to check out more of my reviews and comment below if my theory is way off. I’d love some clarification if I’m wrong.
XTRA: /FILM has a great article up called In Defense of Sucker Punch. Great read.
Twitter
RSS Feed
Email
Youtube
Just came back from the theater…
Usually when I say I try to read spoiler-free reviews/info on the movies I intend to watch, I should add that I don’t let them affect my judgement on them. I get some point of view, and while I watch I try to figure out where the opinions came from, and at the end I have one of my own.
In this case the people who said this one was bad were completely right.
I usually am the first guy to say he loves movies with kick-ass visuals, with nice imaginative sequences, and so forth.
But in this case there was absolutely nothing else to hold the movie together. There was no reason for these sequences, as cool as they might be – to quote a nice line from another spot – the girl could imagine she was a bunny distracting a snake while the snake’s eggs were stolen, and it wouldn’t make any difference. In this case Snyder just wanted an excuse to incorporate the pretty things from his imagination which he can’t fit anywhere else. The comparisons to a 15 year old boy given the right to make a movie with all his masturbation fantasies in it were all true.
Probably went something like this: “Man, I got such great ideas for action sequences! Imagine samurais, steampunk soldiers, robots, dragons, blimps, velociraptors with rocket launchers riding flying sharks! We need a movie for those! Don’t care what the story is, could be sh*t for all I care!”
The thing that pissed me off was the simple fact that the story took part in the fifties, and Baby Doll could not possibly have the images described above in her fantasies. They were way too over the top for things she might have read in books. And how about the existence of Anime in the 50s? Most of these things were probably anime inspired, just like their schoolgirl outfits, and some of the enemies. This was a thing that probably a lot of people didn’t pay much attention to.
I had a lot of questions during this one. Why would they “escape” from the mental hospital to an effin’ dance/strip joint? Did they feel it would be an improvement? Maybe that was the female empowerment Snyder talked about in interviews. This was just… The whole “message” if there was one was absolutely ridiculous.
I would give this one more chance to be not offensively stupid when the Director’s Cut blu-ray comes out, seeing as Snyder tried to defend himself by saying a lot of stuff was cut out from the theatrical cut that would explain things better.
Major disappointment.
I came to the same conclusion. I think when we watch the DVD subtitles, we’ll see narrator: Sweet Pea. I don’t think Sweet Pea is still in a dream world at the end, nor do I think Baby Doll was imagined. If you remember the very beginning it mentions guardian angels and how they can take any form or be anywhere for us.
Along the same theory I think that dancing or performing for the men was actually a fantasy cover up for sex, rape or any other terrible things the guards would do to them.
I’m puzzled as to why the wouldn’t show Baby Doll’s face for a while at the end, but I’ll watch it again and figure it out.
A lot of bad reviews, but I enjoyed it.
I figured there was a chance that baby doll was imagined also but the fact that there are scenes where she is alone with other characters made me think twice. I’m with you though. Second viewing on DVD should help clear some things up.
It’s definitely a thinker at the end of the day. I’ve asked pretty much everyone I know who has seen it what there interpretation is and it’s been different every time. Interesting to hear peoples theories and thoughts on the film. Too bad most of the reviews are bad including my own.
If she had to go back to distract the guards at the end and have head her drilled, then I guess she was real, but it’s not worth analyzing.
I watched another review/dissection on http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/04/05/video-the-first-four-minutes-of-sucker-punch-deconstructed/ . A friend and I came to the same conclusion as jasonmckinnon that Baby Doll was imaginary, and that everything after the opening part where Sweet Pea is talking about the Guardian Angel is imaginary. I also think that Rocket is already dead and that Sweet Pea is coping with it and the movie is about her mental recovery…just a thought
And that the lobotomy is the relief of her pain/illness which she doesn’t actually escape from the asylum but is released.
I have to say I’m definitely enjoying reading other people’s thoughts on sucker punch. Both here and around the web.
Baby Doll doesn’t envision the brothel because she thinks it’s an improvement- it’s just how she sees the asylum because they are sexually assaulted and forced to do things they don’t want to. The brothel is not as much as an escape for her as the fuedal Japan scenes are, because that’s when Madame Growski says for her to free her mind. On the first level down, Baby Doll just sees the asylum for what it is, and on the next level down, she sees what she wants to see.
i came to a similar conclusion but with sweet pea as the imaginary character. the way i see it, baby doll accidently causes the death of her sister by shooting her with a 1911 pistol. she then is sent to the asylum where the doctor tells her father, “by the time i am done with her she’ll think she is in paradise.” baby doll then really does try to steal the map, get the knife, etc… all the while using her imagination to cope. she creates the image in her mind of what she wishes herself to be, which is sweet pea… a young woman whose sister is still alive. as the lobotomy gets closer, baby doll’s imaginary world begins to fall apart as it slowly transforms into the real world, notably by the death of the “sister” and the 1911 used as the instrument that destroys the remaining girls. then baby doll, knowing that actual escape is impossible, copes by imagining that she is sweet pea getting onto the bus. that is why the bus driver is the same guide as in the rest of her fantasies and the billboard on the road at the end says that the bus is headed for “paradise” falls or whatever. baby doll in reality is lobotomized and perpetually relives the ecape for the rest of her life.
Sounds pretty good to me. I was talking about it the other day and I mentioned that Baby Doll might not be the ‘focal’ point and it blew my friends mind. Gotta give Sucker Punch credit though. I’m still talking about it. Not a huge fan of the film but that says something about it’s staying power. Plus I wouldn’t mind seeing the train sequence again.
wow I’m agreeing with bryan i will have to watch it again but that would make perfect sense sweet pea eing the made up character.
being*
but thinking back Dr. Vera Gorski mentions to the surgeon that prior to her lobotomy, Babydoll started a fire, stabbed an orderly, and successfully ensured Sweet Pea’s escape.
So, it wouldnt make sense that sweet pea was imagined…
Definitely gets you thinking though. I’ve been confused for months now:)
Baby Doll see’s Sweet Pea when she first comes to the hospital, they get an eye conection, still imaginary?
Hi, no, all guys are real sweet pea and babydoll they are real, all the imaginary word is Babydoll’s and she trys to escape, but she understands that she needs to help Sweet Pea so for Sweet pea she becomes an Angel but still real person with her story of life, Babydoll thinks her escape now is lobotomy and shows all in reflection in eyes to doctor Roller, smth like that
the only think… were Amber and one more girl lobotomized or what ?? Because That guy shotted them…now going to watch 2 time 
Yeah, its me one more time, i fogrot to say that i admit 2 imginary worlds, but is there a conection about the “virginity” of Babydoll and all this Club ?? i think yes, and Story is for 2 (Bdoll and SPea)i think it is described the story of Sweet Pea’s angel. Who is a real girl and trys to escape then helps Spea… wha smth like that
do u agree??
OMG sorry for so maany coments but i got !!!!!!! omg, here it is here, how could the Bus Driver knew both girls ha ? how could he ? remember in the begining it says, “everyone has an angel, we cant know what form will he take, one day old man, onde day young girl but DONT let apriences fool you !!… they are NOT here to fight our battles, but to WISPER from our heart, reminding that its us” and The bus driver wispered to babydoll everytime, in the end he helped Sweet Pea, he knew her, the thing is clear he is ANGEL, babaydoll and sweet pea are real, babydoll imagines the club and fights, but the question… whos story, whos angel is it ???? Babydoll’s ? or Sweet Pea’s ?? Maybe Babydoll helps sweet pea to escape and know she feels free ? she gives her self to the Roller in club, and ” she looked like she wanted it” she wants to be lobotomised in reall, did she realise her plan ?? was it so ?? last thing…i think the angel, bus driver was angel for both!, and helped them both? as sweet pea got out, and babydoll got agree for lobotomy.. how do u think huh, please erase my first comment, dont read it…
I think the movie has grown on me a lot since I first saw it. The more discussion that goes on here, the more I want to see it again. I still think that Sweet Pea is the ‘main’ character of the story but like you, I think another viewing is necessary!
Maybe we are making it too hard, maybe it is simple, with no angels, no Sweep Pea’s story, maybe its just about Babydoll that trys to escape but she doesnt realise it and let sweet pea free, and now she is happy she did at least one doog thing, and can be lobotomised.. and thats all ? ( the 2 imaginary words are still alive)
Could be. I think it was Snyder’s intention to create conversations just like this.
jasonmckinnon, totaly agree, moreover, on wilipedia, is written the simple vison of movie, i am not sure if its official, but look 75 % to be, so check wiki, tomorrow i will watch the movie one more time and we will disscuss, long time passed since i dont disscuss such movies as this and shutter island..
ok, i did it i reviewed it ! something changed…
Now, i know she wanted to make Sweet Pea free, as the bus driver said, it would be a great sacrifice, which only she could do, she did. And now she can be lobotomised, after which she will feel free, fredom for life, she gave to Sweet Pea, and now she is has nothing to lose, or nothing that she hadnt done. Doc says:”i think i made her feel happy(as she wanted)” about angels i have doubts… and what i cant undersand, What were in real those 2 guys, first who plays poker, and turns the desk over, and sekonda from whom is the lighter stolen, were they doctors ???? where this dances some doc researchs… ??? how do you think..
Are you people really trying to figure out what was real and what wasn’t… ok well, you need to understand each and every example you see in the “Video Game World” is a second form of metaphor… You ever see that lame ass hollywood shit movie “Inception”… pretty much going deeper into dreams and they get more nutty… what thats this. Every action she has in her real life (The mental ward) is exaggerated in her mind so she can cope, and create reason to go on… while in this world, she exaggerate it more “Video game world” to again, deal with her (no nightmarish world)… anyway. Watch it again. Best movie (and story) ive ever seen. If you could create these worlds in your mind you would be able to make good movies like “The Shawshank Redemption”, and be able to visualize your life like it was “300″ in order to keep going on… meh, hope you all watch it again.
P.S., i cant spell, and i am not a writing teacher so PLEASE don’t get all up on my case about the way i wrote this just watch the movie again and respect it for what it really is.
and my god, none of the characters were “Imaginary” only “Exaggerated”… a good example is the “Major” (who in the end turns out to be some greedy janitor” who in “Video Game World” was a dragon… Get it? Would be boring to hear some little girl sucked a janitors dick to get a lighter to start a fire… so… they, ya know, RE-Imagine the story (to the second power)
… ok im done… sorry for taking up two posts.
Come on guys heres the answer. Baby was burdened with guilt of killing her sister. The only way for her to be FREE of this guilt was to be lobotmised which erases yor memory pretty much. Thats what she realized at the very end
Daveyo, no no no ))
the only think would let her free is lobotomy, after an honest real life, so, not to feel guilty, she had to save one life(babydoll), for the one she took( sister). And now, she may end her road,…. man, who was guy with lighter in real life ?? and that concert “love is the drug” in real what was it ??
I think a lot of people view this movie as just sexy, kickass, young females in la la land. I’ve watched it twice. The first time I watched it, I was aware of the parallels between reality and the other two levels of imagination, but when I watched it the second time- I had tons of fun pondering this movie and the “what ifs” wouldn’t go away.
I believe that it was Sweet P’s imagination. At the beginning of the movie, we see what Baby has been through. She actually fights for her safety and what was suppose to be the safety of her little sister. Baby’s point of view is shown quickly. (She’s at day 5 in a blink of an eye.) Before her brain is punctured, it snaps into what is Sweet P’s imagination and her point of view of the week’s events that took place.
This is where I think people miss a great story. In Sweet P’s imagination, the asylum is a dance/whore-house. Their pimp aka “club owner” is Blue. (The head orderly.) In reality, the head orderly really is pimping these girls out. (In the end, one of the other orderlys says, “I’m not hurting these girls anymore.”) After Baby’s first “dance”, Sweet P says, “..all that gyrating and moaning” – Baby is a fighter, and she does what she has to do to survive, so she actually “dances” better than the other girls. She’s so good at seducing the men, that it distracts the men from noticing when the girls make their move to steal the items they need. One orderly is actually the “mayor” in reality. He is the orderly that flicks the lighter and puts it in his shirt pocket at the beginning of the movie. At one point it is stated in the 1st level of imagination that the “mayor” is Amber’s client. Client is a word usually referring to “Johns”. (Especially if the whore is upscale.)Another point to make is that in Sweet P’s imagination-baby doll stabs Blue. At the end of the movie, we see that Baby really did stab the orderly. What happens in the imaginary world, happens in reality —it’s just a bit more beautiful. I won’t go through every bit of detail, but if you go back and watch it and pay attention- you’ll see it too.
As for the second level of imagination: Here’s my take. That’s when they, or baby in most cases, are doing the “dirty business”. The imagination is taken deeper in order to deal with what they’re being forced to do. It is Sweet P’s way of fighting. In her mind she is fighting through the “grotesque missions” (sex,sexual acts,dirty dancing) in order to achieve their items and ultimate goal of freedom.
I hope that people give this movie more than one chance. It is deeper than just a group of under-aged hotties fighting bizarre enemies. There’s substance there. It just happens to be masked by ass cheeks and makeup. (Fortunately or unfortunately. . . lol)
L3fty nailed. I agree with him in all the aspects. It’s not Snyders fault almost all of the critics are ignorant and half minded. The movie takes some thinking to get critic want the plot delivered to them on a silver platter they either dont know how to think or dont like to think for something.
Just saying
My take, for better or for worse, is based on dialogue that takes place in the last 10 or so minutes of the movie – when Sweet Pea is waiting for the bus.
First off, as she is approaching the bus, a boy gives her a strange look, very similar to the doctor’s reaction after lobotomizing Baby Doll. The wise man/bus driver later makes a comment saying “we have a long way to go,” and as the bus pulls away from the station, the final shot of the movie shows a billboard on the side of the rode that simply advertises “Paradise.” (Reference back to Blue at the beginning and throughout: “She’ll be in paradise…” referring to lobotomy.)
The movie is Sweet Pea’s imagination. The ending is Sweet Pea’s lobotomized imagination.
I’m fascinated by the whole concept and movie, so if you agree or disagree and want to discuss further, feel free to email me at hagainstbees@gmail.com. I’d love to talk more.
You know i just thought of this maybe this is the Sucker Punch Snyder was looking for. For people to create their own opinion much the like the movie’s theme of imagination, people imagine how they think it ends or what it means.
I also like your idea Clarke it makes tons of sense
Yes,
Clarke Sondermann, I will think about it ))
D
Oh, if Snyder would say here his opinion
Clarke
That’s a very interesting thought.
I love movies that make people think. It’s really disappointing that so many negative things have been said about this movie. I’ll pull a Baby and stab a critic. lol jk =P
And yes, Mr. Zeaver, maybe that was Snyder’s goal.
If so, it’s working well. lol
I’d like to point out that the world changes for baby doll after hearing Madame say, “your fantasies can be whatever you wish” or somewhere along the lines. Okay, the narrator was also sweet pea, and she talks about “guardian angels”, I believe that the story is narrated by sweet pea about baby doll, because baby doll ends up being her guardian angel. As do the whole “she wanted the labotomy” deal, I believe baby doll was just a sacrificial lamb, the “scapegoat” per say. She lost her innocence in the ward, since her dancing in the first layer imaginary world probably symbolized sex in the real world. No one is actually “entranced” by dancing, and it also explains why blue in the end freaks out saying “you can’t leave” because baby doll was good at what she did, she had guys under her control with her sex, and blue was hooked on her.
Oh, and another, slightly under developed theory I have is that in the very end, when sweet pea is getting on the bus, she has yet to go the the asylum, considering the Boy she sees is the Boy she encounters in the trench, and that is the first time we see the old man in the real world. But that’s just a little theory I have, this movie confused the hell out of me.
WOW is all i have to say, I JUST watched the movie for the first time and had some theories, but after coming here and reading up on everyone’s thoughts has seriously made me step back. This was purely an incredible movie.
To all those people who are disheartened for the movie’s appraisal due to critic’s negative comments, articles, reviews etc. I have three names for you: “Hamlet” “Frankenstein” “Blade Runner”
Three texts from three separate time periods, whom all have become widely popular, several years after the actual release.
what i seem to be missing is why did BabyDoll sacrifice herself in the end? was it so when she got the robotomy she could go into the world she imagines when she dances? was it so she could go into her own “paradise” instead of being a prostitute and losing her v-card to the “high roller”?
Why?! also please explain why BabyDoll didn’t escape the asylum. she didnt have to sacrifice herself she could have snuck out the same way the other girl did. i thought it was an amazing movie with an in-depth plot line but there’s some gaps in the story i can’t seem to piece together…
somebody email me these answers at sterling_boren@hotmail.com it will be GREATLY apprechiated.
Here’s what I think: The beginning of the movie and the main story is real. Babydoll accidentally kills her sister and her stepfather sends her to a mental hospital to have her lobotomized so she cannot speak against him to the police. Because she is sent to a MENTAL HOSPITAL, the girls she is around are MENTAL PATIENTS. This movie in itself is Sweet Pea’s attempt at telling Babydoll’s story with her own damaged mind. That would explain the whore house, and the further fantasy world as well. Sweet Pea creates these worlds to cope with the sexual abuse that her and the other girls deal with on a daily basis. I think the end of the movie, where Sweet Pea gets on the bus, happens before she ever gets to the mental hospital. The police approach her because she has probably done something to have her considered insane. She is later caught and put in the mental hospital. The sign that says ‘paradise’ at the end, is actually her leaving paradise and going to the hospital. Babydoll’s escape plan succeeds(well, not really, but Sweet Pea escapes), and this is Sweet Pea telling her story.
I’ve pretty much read almost every comment said, and some of them I never even considered thinking about. I watched Suckerpunch the other day and as good as the film was the storyline as some of you have said is incredibly confusing and takes a lot of deep thought to put together what the storyline might actually be. Long story short; I think that Sweetpea is narrating her view point on Babydoll’s plan, I also think that Babydoll was Sweetpea’s ‘guardian angel’ & with that being said, I also think that both of these girls share the same mission to escape from where they are whether it being the aslyum or the ‘club’ (as some people have called it) Babydoll as people have also said did succeed her plan by being lobotomised so that she can be ‘free’ of what had happened, the death of her little sister/the abusive step-father and her mother dying. Whereas Sweet pea’s escapism is near enough the same as Babydoll’s except her sister died in the aslyum and her sister wanted her to escape (Rocky was her name I think?) but the thing is Sweet pea didn’t want to be ‘free’ by lobotomised like Babydoll wanted. Therefore Babydoll sacrificing herself/being caught is her way of being free so that not only is she going to free herself but Sweetpea is free of the danger too, that being said I also have thought of other theories which like most people just confuses the hell out of myself. I don’t think it’s imaginery (the people/characters) But I do see that Babydoll and Sweetpea most likely get their strength from eachother and in the ‘fantasy’ world, which seems like the only thing that keeps either Babydoll or the both of them sane and gives hope.
Okay I give up trying to go into all this because I’m just confusing myself but in the end besides the muffled storyline of the film I think the action is great, it’s more than just a group of attractive girls fighting people.
Danielle,
i am totally agree, but i think we are have missed something, i have your story line and i cant get, how did the bus driver was in”real” and in mind, how did he knew both girls, how did the boy, got from fantazy to real if it was real in the end, and that sign “paradise” its something that change all our views… now i am thiniking as you, but i cant answer the wiestions, so we need a better theory, or you, or may answer please ?
There were some comments but when i tried to connect their words, there were problems as well, like it couldnt be only sweet pea image, sweet pea was babydoll..or i am wrong? 
Guys, i just got it !! the answer to my qestion and its easy !! ))
So know, i have no doubts !!
maybe some simple questions that doesnt change all, hey people who agrees with me ?? 
As Danielle said, everything is right, moreover some details which not everyone gets, Babydoll escapes for herself by being lobotomised and Sweet Pea in real, as Dc Gorski said ! But those 2 ingainary worlds, are only Babydolls and the end shows us how BABYDOLL sees Sweet Pea’s escape !!!, you see the colours make it a little unreal, then the bus driver, the boy this were Babydolls imgaine characters, and they are still unreal and in imagination of escape, if you say, and what about the Ad: “Road to Paradise” i explain ! Remember when babydoll in real said ” my dance says i will escape” and then Sweet Pea said: “then send me a postcard from paradise”. ! And know, babydoll attached this paradise to real escape !! Huh, for me no more theoris, i am sure
You all have really good theories. but im still confused about the end! Why wouldnt they show babydolls face? and so did they actualy use the 4 items to escape (while Babydoll would…seduce the men????)???
i hated this movie. it didnt tie together well and was extremely confusing.
I think the not-showing-babydoll’s-face thing is due to building suspense. Everyone wants to see her after the procedure. I don’t think there’s anything to figure out there. I think Alex is right. The end was Baby’s imagination as well. It was how she imagined Sweet Pea’s escape to be. You notice how Babydoll closes her eyes at the end.. ?? I think that ties in.
As for the ending actually being before Sweet Pea went to the asylum.. I think that is reaching.
@whitney… watch it again after reading some of these posts.
Now I am not so sure.. lol Maybe it’s not reaching. I didn’t see the support to that particular theory until a second ago. Hmm… If it was Baby’s imagination at the end.. then who is the boy? Notice how Sweet Pea looks at him in the trenches? Maybe he is the reason why Her and Rocket had to go to the asylum in the first place? Any thoughts on that?
I just keep going back to the theory that all the characters are real but it’s sweet pea’s imaginary world.
One line in particular keeps me coming back. Towards the end, Baby Doll tells Sweet Pea it was her story all along. I think that’s why she sees the man and the boy on the bus.
Her story. Her imagination. Her escape. Baby doll helped.
Thoughts?
hmm. reading the comments really opened my eyes… but did you guys remember when one of the girls said “the three who tried to escape died last time” or something? 3 of the characters died in the end… relations?
One key scene that hasn’t been discussed is Blue’s reaction and dialog to Baby Doll before the cops kick in the door. It’s as if he was upset by her new mental state, yet knew the lobotomy would have that affect….and he was the one that set that up in the first place and could have stopped it as well since he forged the paperwork.
Also, the only two girl patients we know are real, and have been seen in reality, are Baby Doll and Sweet Pea. Were the other three main girls just imagined? If not, there was no mention of recent deaths during the ending reality scenes…..
johnny, all the girls are real ! Babydoll, Sweetpea, and those 3 too !!!!!! and i can prove it. if you want ending proof, watch the moment when The Cock puts hand on the knife pocket with no knife, he killed smb, not sweet pea, not babydoll than whom ? Than Rocket ! the best example is in the begining !!! When Babydoll just enters the Hospital, there are a lot of girls playng chess or something like that. That means there were a lot of girls which could be those another 3 that tryed to escape. and HERE is the moment, the camera aprouchs and shows our 3 girls in real (dirty) Rocket, Amber and one more (dont remember) Here was the proof
Note when she said “The last 3 who tried to excape died and the next four as well” which forshadows the death of the other four.
But four did not die, only three…
well babydoll was lobotomized so in a way she did die
(Spoilers) About ‘the boy’ who is seen in the war scene and at the very end….when Blondie lifts his head he looks at Sweet Pea. He is a survivour of the war, and looking at Sweet Pea probably indicated she will survive too. At the end the boy turns his head to look at her probably indicating ‘we made it’. Also when they are talking about escaping they mention 3 girls died trying and later Rocket says ‘We’re already dead’…cause this be foreshadowing? cause Blondie, Amber and Rocket die… or can it be the imaginator telling you something will probably happen….Those are my thoughts…hope it made you think
I thought it was about a multiple personality.
Each of the characters representing part of the core person, who is basically Sweetpea. The condition seems to be a result of the trauma of losing her sister in a way that makes her fell responsible, either she didn’t protect her or she accidentally got her sister killed.
The whole of the film is played out in Sweepea’s head, the asylum represents her accepting the fact of her mental problems, the bordello might represent punishment for her “crime” and helplessness in the face of circumstances – this points to her knowing, on some level that the loss of her sister was beyond her control, but feeling guilty anyway.
Clearly the fight scenes simply represent her fighting to overcome problems. The bus driver/mentor might also be another aspect of herself or could be her representation of her therapist, helping her to free her from her self-imposed hell.
Just watched it a second time. I now think Sweetpea didn’t lose her sister, but the little girl represents her sanity. Baby doll represents her courage and defiance. Baby doll helped her defy her abusive father and the result was that “classic” punishment of abused children, being locked in the closet, this is where she lost her sanity – the death of the innocent little girl- in a way caused by Baby doll. Remember when Baby doll is rescuing Sweetpea at the end, she let’s her out of the closet and then sets fire to it? Very symbolic.
The “hell” of the bordello might represent the helpless child who was sexually abused.
All of this is just my own interpretation, but I like it.
Whatever, the film is exceptional, having both balls and brains.
Oh, one more detail I forgot to mention, if you look closely when Baby doll let’s Sweetpea out of the closet, it is actually a padded cell, another indication of the rescuing of her sanity.
Okay, after some discussion this is my final take (probably).
I think it is clear that the whole story takes place in Sweetpea’s imagination. There are many statements saying that Sweetpea is the “star of the show”, that she “controls the reality she created”, the “story is about her”, that along with her being the narrator and the only survivor, all make it pretty much conclusive that she is the one the film is about.
The fact that we start in a theatre setting with and “imaginary” character, Baby doll, tells us that this is not reality, right from the beginning – armed with all the knowledge picked up in the main story.
So we know Babydoll is not real, but what does this sequence represent? I see it like this; the death of her mother leaves Sweetpea at the mercy of her abusive step-father. Since Babydoll already exists, then we can assume that he has been abusing Sweeetpea, even while her mother was alive, and she created Babydoll to try to protect herself. When the child is killed, very importantly in the closet, I see this as the death of Sweetpea’s sanity or the last of her grip on reality.
The asylum represents Sweetpea’s acceptance that she has mental problems, the first step to recovery. Although the asylum is called Lennox House, the master key around Blues neck has MT. Pleasant stamped on it. Mount Pleasant was a real asylum that was burned down.
I think that all five of the escapees are different aspects of Sweetpea’s personality, Babbydoll representing that part of her that has courage, defiance and is determined to escape. Sweetpea is in constant danger of losing this courage, first to a lobotomy and then to the “high roller”.
When we first see sweetpea, she is on stage and Dr. Gorsky is telling her “you control what happens in this reality you created”, another indication that even the asylum is not real.
We are introduced to various characters and plot points, the map, fire, knife and key and then skip forward to Babydoll’s lobotomy. We are told later, when we come back to this reality, that she had been there a week, assaulted a member of staff, set a fire and helped an inmate to escape, but at the point at which Babydoll is about to be lobotomised, we change realities and move to the bordello where the escape story is told.
This can be confusing, is it a flashback story, running concurrently with the asylum story? Possibly, but that does not matter, what matters is why do we need the bordello reality at all? I think that it isn’t enough for Sweetpea to accept that she is mentally ill, she must also face what caused that illness. So the bordello actually represents her sexual abuse by her step-father. Only when she accepts that can she go on to fight her demons.
Again here, we are told that she is “the star of the show”. Dr. Gorsky is here as a confidant/mentor dressed up as a madam. She teaches Babydoll to bare her soul, remember these “dances” are voluntary, so instead of representing violations – sexual assault, I believe they represent her working through her problems, taking power from the fear and chaos. As the actions scenes show her doing very well. The sexy, Japanese, school-girl uniform, to me, represents both her lost innocence and the perverse attitudes of her step father, he sees her as weak and cute and sexy, but she is actually strong and courageous.
The map equals making a plan for recovery, fire – burning down her fantasies and fears, the knife is arming herself against difficulties, the key is an obvious symbol of the way to “freedom” or, in this case, sanity.
When these things are obtained, Blue finds out what is happening and kills Amber and Blondie, all hope seems lost as he has Sweetpea locked in a closet, again the place of despair where sanity is lost. When Babaydoll rescues Sweetpea, she then, very symbolically, sets fire to the closet, which, if we look closely is actually a padded cell. Another indication that it is Sweetpea’s sanity that is being saved.
In order for Sweetpea to finally escape, Babydoll must be sacrificed. Sweetpea must give up all her delusions if she is to fully recover, even those which protected her. So Babydoll has to go back to the “high roller” and the lobotomy. Babydoll is at peace then, re-integrated into the central persona she knows that, because of her sacrifice, Sweetpea has escaped and her demons can’t hurt her, or Babydoll, any more.
Finally the bus, represents the fact that there is “still some way to go”, before full recovery, but that the hardest part is over. The bus is going to Fort Wayne, a city named for General “Mad” Anthony Wayne and also known as “The city that saved itself”.
Well, all this might be utter tosh, but it works for me. Just the fact that a film can get me thinking so deeply about it means Zack Snyder did a great job, for me at least.
All this and kick arse action too.
I’m still blown away by how many theories out there and how many questions they have raised. There are so many amazing comments on this post I decided to re-open the debate with a new post you can find here:
http://jaymckinnon.com/blog/movies/dissecting-zak-snyders-sucker-punch
Great points Mukkinese!
I completely agree that in order for Sweetpea to escape, Babydoll must be sacrificed. I think not showing her face at the end kind of solidifies the notion that it is in fact Sweet Pea’s story. I’ve officially decided to add Sucker Punch to my Blu Ray collection now. I have to watch the film again and go even deeper into what Zak Snyder intended. I have this comment thread to thank for that.
Basically, i think all of the characters are real, and because of whatever problems, ended up at an asylum. Anyway, the entire film goes on, and babydoll is lobotomised. She then CLOSES HER EYES AND SMILES. To me, this means that babydoll thinks that sweetpea got away nicely and, therefore, babydoll can live through sweetpea in her mind without having to deal with her mum and sister dying. Also, on youtube, there’s a deleted scene between babydoll and the high roller, which makes the ending make more sense, and it’s much less complicated. Personally, i think babydoll sacrificed herself for sweetpea was because she knew sweetpea was the only one who was actually sane (because at the “club”, its told that sweetpea was only there to look after rocket when she ran away from home). This theory, for me at least, is easy to understand, and ties up all loose ends in the film. If you have anything to add to this theory, or just want to talk more about it, email me at marieparker94@hotmail.com . Thanks for reading!
Who says that the bus driver knew both girls? The driver just helped that poor girl (Sweetpea). Babydoll in reality did steal that knife, she did stab that guy, she did help Sweetpea to escape the asylum.
And yes, Babydoll was the angel of Sweetpea.
I think that the explanation is quite clear. At the start it talks about a guardian angel. This i believe is the bus driver. He took form in babydolls imagination. At the start he says that the last thing she needs is a reason and this will be a great sacrifice but also bring her peace. She is so tormented by what happened to her mother and sister that she seeks to help free everyone (although it only works out to be sweetpea) and then allows herself to be lobotomized (the sacrifice) so that she can have peace of mind. free from everything yet at that moment in time knowing that she had done all she could to save someone which is why she smiles.
Guys, watched thrice and I have an alternate theory as well. At first I thought it is two layer fantasy as well, but why cant it be just one layer, and the hospital is just a front of some illicit activities? Because for baby-doll, step-father is real, the murder of her sister (don’t know who did it) is real. The only indication of the first layer is the scene change immediately after baby-doll enters the hall (where girls play caroms in the beginning). Nothing else indicates there is another level, only the last 1-2 scenes, I suppose. And, baby dolls is not imaginary, because they show her, at the end. Two doctors talking (one of them being Gorski, is it her?) about “tortured souls”, why are they saying that, if it is reality? Do mental hospital doctors torture their folks? Anyway, we still dont know who was it at the end, because they dont show her face, just the doc’s point of view only. It might still be the Sweat pea herself (Because it might be her imagination all along)? What is the color of hair for the chaired patient in that scene, is it golden or brown?
I dont think the movie was that confusing . Shutter island and inception were alot more
So. Like Inception , there is a dream within a dream within a dream thing
Going on here. The reality is the one where baby doll accidentally kills her sister
And is sent to a mental asylum . Bec the head doc “Blue” calls the main interaction area
A theatre , her mind imagines the asylum as a hostess club . Everything that happens in the
Club thereafter is babydoll ‘s & the director zack snyders way of presenting a more glamorised fantasized version of what actually happened
In the mental asylum. Everything happened . Including the stabbing of blue in the shoulder . … Which is why there is a blood stain on the docs t shirt. The kickass battle scenes are baby dolls even more intense fantasising of reality at key , high adrenalin moments . In the end , she comes to understand the message in her head . That she never was meant to be physically free . The real world would not give her the freedom she seeks . She is too damaged by her past . Instead , self sacrifice would bring her peace n hence freedom . The only one who managed to b free from the mental place was sweet pea. And with the help of a real life angel / bus driver . Cleverly , the livee angel is the same in essence as the angel / wise man that speaks to baby doll in her fantasies . But sweet pea doesn’t recognise him bec he is not her fantasy .
I like creative , kickass movies . And this one had a super kickass sound track that
Set a great mood . Great stylistically .
I hate how people trash the movie as bad just cos they are too dumb to understand it .
A lot of elements req a lot of creativity n effort here .