Birds of Prey has expertly managed to bring a number of comic book characters to the big screen. We’ve never seen the Black Mask in the cinema so far but Ewan McGregor was given the opportunity to fully realize him in the DCEU, effectively creating him for the big screen. In the comics, Black Mask is a death-obsessed crimelord who seems to derive psychological power from a mask carved out of coffin wood. How did all of this translate?
While some of Sionis’s characteristics have been changed from the comics, other mannerisms are absolutely spot on. Here are 10 of the acting choices that McGregor made that showed he absolutely nailed his portrayal of this character.
STRENGTH BEHIND THE MASK
There’s a distinct difference in personality and stance between Roman Sionis and the Black Mask. As soon as the villain puts on the mask his whole body seems to change. It’s as if he holds himself very differently, becoming more of a crime boss.
In Birds of Prey, the character is more flamboyant but unsure of himself. There’s a certain confidence that comes with the mask that Roman simply doesn’t possess without it. Whereas he can be paranoid normally, much like in the comics, the mask transforms him.
VIOLENT DESIRES
There’s a certain level of violence in Sionis’ life that he adores. He seems to take pleasure in the dark and disgusting. He’s even filled up his apartment with disturbing images of death and enjoys watching his assassin Zsasz peel off his enemy’s faces.
The Black Mask has a similar obsession with pain and torture in the comics. He often puts his victims in situations where their deaths will be drawn out and incredibly gross. It’s a trait that McGregor actually conveys with glee.
NEED FOR CONTROL
Roman Sionis is the head of a criminal empire and sees most objects as his property. There’s an element of the character that is like a spoilt and bratty child in the film, which doesn’t play off the same way in the comics, but the need for control is still there.
There’s a desire to have everything in order, and a certain level of control he needs to have over people, places, and objects of great value. When he is losing control the character can become erratic and will sometimes act out violently to resolve his feelings.
SKILL WITH A GUN
Black Mask’s character is known for the simplicity of his design. He often wears a suit, a black mask of course, reminiscent of a rotting skull and his weapon of choice is a simple handgun. It’s the sort of weapon used for quick executions or protection in a crisis.
However, much like in the comics, despite rarely having to do any dirty work himself, Sionis is still an extremely talented marksman. He manages to hit Renee Montoya with a great shot from quite a distance, with McGregor’s form and technique on point throughout.
MONETARY OBSESSION
It’s easy to argue that one of the things that this DCEU film did better than some others was that it put forward a compelling villain. It was a lot of fun to watch Roman Sionis on the big screen but it was also easy to completely understand his motivations.
Unlike other villains as of late which have been made sympathetic in some way Black Mask’s desire to simply acquire more money is absolute and pathological. It propels the whole film forward as he becomes obsessed with acquiring his fortune.
TEAMWORK
Sionis is known for working with other criminals in Gotham City. But teamwork is always difficult for him, to say the least. Much like how he hires Black Canary and Victor Zsasz, he often works with other villains at an arm’s length.
He’s never afraid to double-cross anyone but will make them feel trusted when needed. Even Zsasz would have been shot in a second by Black Mask if he felt like he was about to betray him. He enjoys having a team around him to do his dirty work, however.
PARANOIA
Black Mask in the comics has been portrayed in a number of ways. Some versions of the character feel superior in intelligence and worthy of the crime boss name. However, other versions of Black Mask have been shown to be quite paranoid.
The character we get in Birds of Prey plays more off of that paranoia. It goes some way towards explaining why he would want to hide behind a mask as well as the lack of trust he has in his team. This paranoia is portrayed even in the simplest of his dastardly actions.
STANDING BEHIND OTHER VILLAINS
Speaking of teaming up with other villains, he’s known for doing a bit more than this. Whether it’s the Penguin, an assassin like Deathstroke, or even Zsasz, Sionis is known for actually standing behind them at all times.
He usually sends other people to do the dirty work for him. He’s not very good in a fight, as seen in the film and has to, therefore, put up a number of protective barriers around himself to prevent himself from coming face to face with the hero.
VENGEFUL NATURE
Black Mask is very bitter about many things. He holds a grudge for a long time and will do anything to get his revenge. Sometimes this vengeance is actually quite sadistic. We’ve seen a number of violent actions in the comics based on this emotion.
In the movie, Sionis goes as far as to tie his enemies upside down and have their faces removed. It’s a horrible fate that he even threatens Harley Quinn with for wronging him in the past.
ATTENTION SEEKER
Whether it’s the mask, the empire of crime, the flamboyant outfits, or the need to commit violent acts, both in the comics and in the film Black Mask is an attention seeker through and through.
As he continues to get more power and wealth his actions become more and more over the top. With this power comes paranoia, but he even meets this while still trying to stay in the limelight. Ewan McGregor’s whole performance is about drawing attention.
