Million Dollar Baby: "Mo cuishle"

Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby also stars a female boxer, but this film has a very different take on both the archetypal boxer's story, and the female boxer's story. Where Girlfight is an empowering, challenging story of a female boxer defying the expectations placed on her individually and on her gender, Million Dollar Baby is an emotional, exploration into human relationships and class struggles.

Arguably the most important part of the film is the relationship between Frankie Dunn and Maggie Fitzgerald. Throughout the film, an initially reserved
Frankie comes to become emotionally attached to Maggie, their relationship takes on a father-daughter vibe. Eastwood had to approach this relationship carefully, to be successful, the relationship had to be intimate, protective, but with ambition and pride. There is a fine line between a father-daughter relationship that is successful, and one that is paternalistic. In Girlfight, Guzman boxes to prove to herself, her family, and the world, that she is capable, that she's a "contender", that her gender doesn't define her abilities, and that she is worthy of respect. This stands in contrast with Million Dollar Baby and it's portrayal of the boxer's story. In an economic sense, the film returns to boxing's roots, Guzman is constantly reminded that boxing is not a profitable endeavour, but continue because she has something to prove. Maggie, on the other hand, has the typical boxer's economic motivation at the start of the film: a desperate attempt to escape poverty, to climb the social ladder in true American™ fashion, and to take care of her family. Her emotional motivation departs from that of Guzman's in a significant way however, whereas Guzman was trying to earn respect, Maggie tries to earn Frankie's pride.

The father-daughter relationship between Maggie and Frankie is reinforced by the fact that both of them have damaged relationship with their respective father/daughter figures. It is revealed that Frankie's daughter has cut off contact with him, and that Maggie's father is dead. These revelations color the characters initial interactions as well, with Frankie's cold,reserved demeanor possibly stemming from emotional damage dealt by his daughter, and Maggie's eager, stubborn personality reminiscent of a child looking to a parent for approval. As the film progresses, it appears as if Frankie is living vicariously through Maggie. Eastwood makes good use of the corner scenes in the film here as the typical coach prep, advice, strategy, and first aid, is a great visual metaphor for a father fixing a scraped knee, prepping his child for the challenges they might face.

The ring in this film then, isn't the prison that it is in films like Body and Soul and The Set-Up, nor the cage it is in Raging Bull. In this film, the ring is the sidelines,separating the actors from the audience it represents the there, but not-there barrier separating a father from his child. Frankie cares about the success of Maggie, but he is forced to stand by the side and watch her sink of swim on her own.
The film is narrated by Morgan Freem- I mean "Edie Dupris". The narration gives the film a retrospective tone, something that makes much more sense to the audience, as the film reaches out it's conclusion, and the films darker, tragic themes surface. It becomes clear that the narration is actually a message from Dupris to Frankie's daughter, presumably following his death. Eastwood's use of a narrator departs from the typical boxing movie we have seen. It allows the film to explore relationships not portrayed in the film, such as that of Frankie's daughter, or those in the future, such as Edie and Danger's future training and championship. Leaving Edie as the narrator allows Frankie to disappear after Maggie's death. "Mo cuishle" meaning "my heartbeat" suggests to us that after Maggie's death, Frankie's followed not long after.

Eastwood's inclusion of Euthanasia in the film is simultaneously heart-breaking, and ground-breaking. Many boxing films in the past have dealt with the physical destruction of the body that is risked in boxing, but none have done it quite so poignantly as Eastwood completely paralyzing his prizefighter in her moment of glory. The film establishes a sense of invincibility after Maggie crushes fighter after fighter in her "montage" to success. This illusion is shattered, by a rough-fighting boxer who's shove results in the end of Maggie's career. The destruction is two-fold, paralysis on it's own is no picnic, but, as Maggie puts it "I can't live like this, having seen what I seen, been where I been". Essentially, the high quality of life Maggie had come to known, made the tragic fall all the worse to bear. Unable to cope with the decay of her body in a hospital bed, she asks Frankie to help her die. Various discussions of fault and blame take place, as the characters attempt to cope with the situation they've been placed into, but eventually Frankie decides to do it. Maggie is released from her pain, and the characters are left to pick up the pieces.