The Dark Knight Harley Quinn

[Nepenthes]

^ Horrible manips. Harley should be sweet and pretty, none of this messy heroin chic or goth stuff. She should only look disheveled after killing people or running from Batman.

 

[Nepenthes]

I think they can make a believable Harley Quinn character for this movie. They can portray her simply as a psychiatrist who is morbidly fascinated by the Joker and serves as his accomplice, omitting all the camp aspects of the character (such as wearing a red costume, wielding a huge mallet, calling Joker "Puddin" etc.)

except it would be pretty cool if she used an ordinary mallet or hammer to kill people with. And 'puddin' doesn't have to be campy, could just as creepy too.


In general, an audience should be caught between attraction to Harley, pity for her condition, fear for her life (from hanging out with Joker), and revulsion at her acts. When a sweet young lady electrocutes someone you don't really know what to think, is she just a fcked up biiitch or did someone screw her over.
To me Harley is Little Red Riding Hood who joins up with The Wolf to scalp Grandma, then rob her.

Costume should be variety of iconic 'girly' outfits .....Cheerleader, Fairytales, Marlyn Monroe, Burlesqe, Pop Brat eg Britney Spears, Madonna .....these are girls that traditionally ENTERTAIN us in a modern sense, being harlequins. She'd only have small Harlequin motifs on these costumes e.g. tiny card symbols on her face, painted masks, little bells (creepy) and silly pigtails. Then have her dress-up in the spandex for a final scene- it would work well because she's clearly having fun with it

 

[bunk]

^ Horrible manips. Harley should be sweet and pretty, none of this messy heroin chic or goth stuff. She should only look disheveled after killing people or running from Batman.

Totally. It's the juxtaposition that makes it so great. Same with Joker, the way he has a somewhat normal clown like appearance on the outside who happens to be an absolute monster on the inside. Oh wait...

 

[El KnightoDarko]

except it would be pretty cool if she used an ordinary mallet or hammer to kill people with. And 'puddin' doesn't have to be campy, could just as creepy too.


In general, an audience should be caught between attraction to Harley, pity for her condition, fear for her life (from hanging out with Joker), and revulsion at her acts. When a sweet young lady electrocutes someone you don't really know what to think, is she just a fcked up biiitch or did someone screw her over.
To me Harley is Little Red Riding Hood who joins up with The Wolf to scalp Grandma, then rob her.

Costume should be variety of iconic 'girly' outfits .....Cheerleader, Fairytales, Marlyn Monroe, Burlesqe, Pop Brat eg Britney Spears, Madonna .....these are girls that traditionally ENTERTAIN us in a modern sense, being harlequins. She'd only have small Harlequin motifs on these costumes e.g. tiny card symbols on her face, painted masks, little bells (creepy) and silly pigtails. Then have her dress-up in the spandex for a final scene- it would work well because she's clearly having fun with it

Agree with most of your points.
I am averse only to the idea of Harley showing up in costume. It would not fit the tone of Nolan's movies IMO. Also, we have to bear in mind the fact that Nolan did not want any sort of 'costume' for Scarecrow, and allegedly included the mask only after Goyer persuaded him into doing so.

 

[El KnightoDarko]

I believe this to be the ideal characterisation of Harley Quinn:

 

[Hunter Rider]

El KnightoDarko is my favourite pic postert:

What is that from ?

 

[El KnightoDarko]

El KnightoDarko is my favourite pic postert:

What is that from ?

Thanks Hunter! I try my best! t:

Those pages are from the Batman: Secrets mini-series that ran in 2005.

 

[The Guard]

Sigh...the "tone" of Nolan's movies does not forbid COSTUMES, people. Nor does it forbid absurd costumes.

It simply asks for a logical REASON behind the costumes (Not that previous films didn't, mind you). I.E, Batman's image is to frighten, The Scarecrow's mask was protective and used to scare people. So if The Joker looks like a CLOWN, and this is the metaphor behind his and Harley's motives and methodology, then I will have no problems with a Harley Quinn who looks a bit like a jester. She doesn't have to look like some pseudo-rip off of the character. There's NOTHING wrong with a little greasepaint, a jester hat, etc. The full outfit, yeah, that might be a little much visually, but not the key elements of it.

 

[bunk]

No, I think she needs a trenchcoat to be believable.

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

Agree with most of your points.
I am averse only to the idea of Harley showing up in costume. It would not fit the tone of Nolan's movies IMO. Also, we have to bear in mind the fact that Nolan did not want any sort of 'costume' for Scarecrow, and allegedly included the mask only after Goyer persuaded him into doing so.

But don't you think there's a massive difference between Scarecrow (in the film) and Harley?

Crane intended to be as inconspicuous as possible. He was performing immoral and illegal testing on inmates. His mask was simply added stimuli for the fear effects, and it was easy for him to stash in his briefcase. He wasn't interested in being a costumed villain.

Characters like Harley (and the Joker) are into that flourish. They're loud and in-your-face.

The Scarecrow's subtlety worked because of the nature of his character in the story. Downplaying Joker and Harley in that same way is a mistake, and I don't think it's one that Nolan will make. I don't think he ever intended for Scarecrow to be the barometer for the rest of the series' villains. Don't forget, Crane was just a doctor at a hospital. But what he ushered in is a wave of escalation, and like Gordon comments - villains with the same theatricality as Batman.

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

No, I think she needs a trenchcoat to be believable.

A black leather one.

 

[Kebab gud]

no.. a dark red one.. and fishnets under! :P

 

[El KnightoDarko]

Sigh...the "tone" of Nolan's movies does not forbid COSTUMES, people.

It simply asks for a logical REASON behind the costumes (Not that previous films didn't, mind you). I.E, Batman's image is to frighten, The Scarecrow's mask was protective and used to scare people. So if The Joker looks like a CLOWN, I have no problems with Harley Quinn looking a bit like a jester. She doesn't have to look like some pseudo-rip off of the character. There's NOTHING wrong with a little greasepaint, a jester hat, etc. The full outfit, yeah, that might be a little much, but not the key elements of it.

I agree. Elements of the costumes that have some kind of functional use should be incorporated into the movie. Otherwise we'll just have a bunch of normal looking people engaging in outrageous acts.
What I am averse to, is characters wearing colorful and elaborate costumes in the movie. Face it, a fully-costumed Scarecrow would have looked ridiculous considering the kind of tone Nolan set for Begins. Likewise with Harley Quinn in TDK.

 

[The Guard]

Not even functional use. If she's a metaphorical evil jester to a sadistic clown who dresses like one himself, then I've got no problem with her putting on a theatrical getup. That fits the character.

A fully costumed Scarecrow in BEGINS would only be ridiculous in the context Nolan placed his Scarecrow. Nolan's Scarecrow was essentially a doctor/businessman who used his mask to frighten people, and had no interest in anything larger beyond that. He kept his Scarecrow activities under wraps.

In a story where The Scarecrow was say, a serial murderer seeking revenge on former bullies/tormentors, who WANTED his actions to be known, and wore his getup for a specific purpose, and the costume itself was functional (makes him look more intimidating and protects him to a degree), or looked like a thrown-together disguise, it could look great.

 

[Leon the Professional]

I'd be very happy with something like that, just have her keep the jester hat. She has gone crazy, after all.

Or maybe instead have her dye one side of her hair red and the other side black, then keep her hair tied into two ponytails at the sides of her head.

Also, Joker should carve her a bit of a smile too, although a less prominent one, kind of like here:

 

[StorminNorman]

Zooey

 

[El KnightoDarko]

But don't you think there's a massive difference between Scarecrow (in the film) and Harley?

Crane intended to be as inconspicuous as possible. He was performing immoral and illegal testing on inmates. His mask was simply added stimuli for the fear effects, and it was easy for him to stash in his briefcase. He wasn't interested in being a costumed villain.

Characters like Harley (and the Joker) are into that flourish. They're loud and in-your-face.

The Scarecrow's subtlety worked because of the nature of his character in the story. Downplaying Joker and Harley in that same way is a mistake, and I don't think it's one that Nolan will make. I don't think he ever intended for Scarecrow to be the barometer for the rest of the series' villains. Don't forget, Crane was just a doctor at a hospital. But what he ushered in is a wave of escalation, and like Gordon comments - villains with the same theatricality as Batman.

I'm not saying that they should downplay the Joker or Harley's character in any way. Again, the only thing I do not want is Harley showing up in a colorful costume, as I personally think it would look ridiculous.
I believe the main focus of the movie should be on the twisted relationship between Joker and Quinn, the way Joker coerces her into aiding him in his crimes, and abuses and mistreats her while Quinn bears it all. They can very well do this without showing them engaging in outrageous theatrics, or wearing very colorful costumes and such.
Basically, I believe they should preserve the core essence of each character, while maintaining the tone and feel that they have established in Begins.

 

[bunk]

Back from the dead! My Brittany Murphy thing... I should redo it as Kristen Bell.

 

[Steelsheen]

Thanks Hunter! I try my best! t:

Those pages are from the Batman: Secrets mini-series that ran in 2005.

this could be a really good basis for Harleen Quinzel. but instead of working for the DA office (since we alrady have Rachel Dawes for that) she could be an intern at Arkham.

 

[El KnightoDarko]

this could be a really good basis for Harleen Quinzel. but instead of working for the DA office (since we alrady have Rachel Dawes for that) she could be an intern at Arkham.

Yep, that was exactly what I was thinking.

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

Basically, I believe they should preserve the core essence of each character, while maintaining the tone and feel that they have established in Begins.

This is where we disagree. I don't think Begins (or rather, the majority of it) is indicative of the tone of TDK and beyond.

It is explicitly said in the final scene. The times, they are a changin'.

The whole point of grounding the first film in realism was to heighten the change that comes when all these freaks start popping up. They're comic book characters plunked down into a real world. I saw Begins as a transitional film, moving us from a world almost identical to ours into one more like the comic, populated by costumed weirdos.

So, in short, if the entirely grounded world of Begins continues throughout TDK and beyond, I'll eat my hat, 'cause I don't think that's what Nolan was going for.

 

[Nepenthes]

Agree with most of your points.
I am averse only to the idea of Harley showing up in costume. It would not fit the tone of Nolan's movies IMO. Also, we have to bear in mind the fact that Nolan did not want any sort of 'costume' for Scarecrow, and allegedly included the mask only after Goyer persuaded him into doing so.

Do you mean the comic costume or all the other costumes I mentioned?

I don't care so much about the spandex it would just be icing on the cake for fanboys. What would be PERFECT for the character would be the twisted versions of modern pop icons. Marylin Monroe (happy birthday Mr.J), a cheerleader (Go Mr.J!), Red Riding Hood (to the Jokers wolf) Britney Spears High School Girl (hit me baby one more time) Madonna style conical bra etc.

After that the spandex wouldn't be so much a 'character costume' like Batman or any other hero it would just be another crazy get-up. It would be silly but yeah, it should be, and the costumes leading up to explain the logic. She's a girl playing dress-up, a true harlequin twisting on other modern harlequins. Also I imagine the comic version spandex looking more like Pris from Bladerunner.

 

[Paste Pot Pete]

After that the spandex wouldn't be so much a 'character costume' like Batman or any other hero it would just be another crazy get-up. It would be silly but yeah, it should be, and the costumes leading up to explain the logic. She's a girl playing dress-up, a true harlequin twisting on other modern harlequins. Also I imagine the comic version spandex looking more like Pris from Bladerunner.

A 'costume' is actually more logical for Harley than any other villain. She's dressing up to impress the Joker, basically. That's a big motivation, and a simple, believable reason to wear a costume. She's trying to fit into his clown motif.

 

[TwilightPro101]

I'd be very happy with something like that, just have her keep the jester hat. She has gone crazy, after all.

Or maybe instead have her dye one side of her hair red and the other side black, then keep her hair tied into two ponytails at the sides of her head.

Also, Joker should carve her a bit of a smile too, although a less prominent one, kind of like here:

Really digging K.B. as Harley. She's got the look nailed.

 

[TheCaptain22555]

I regularly suggest Rachel McAdams but she's too clean cut. The way Brittany Murphy got down in 8 Mile makes me think she'd fit right in. I'd love to place my head in betwixt her painted breastesses.