The Lesson is: Do not believe what they are saying about Sucker Punch. You heard me. The first thing to do is talk about the narrative structure since it is probably what invites the most confusion and scrutiny from viewers. By now everyone should know that the movie takes place on multiple levels of reality which basically constitute fantasies that Baby Doll Emily Browning uses to cope with her harsh and seemingly hopeless situation.
Anyway, the plot. She accidentally murders her sister when trying to save her from their fucked up monstrous stepfather. In the meantime, she befriends some other inmates and hatches a plan to get them all out of there. The mental institution is the oppressive, rain-soaked reality that Baby Doll leaves as soon as she hears Doctor Gorsky Carla Gugino talking about using fantasy to gain ownership over reality, to find inner strength and learn to cope.
From then on, Baby Doll is an orphan inductee to a brothel run by a version of the chief orderly, Blue Oscar Isaac. In this world, Blue is a pimp and racketeer and Madame Gorsky looks after his girls for him.
After they see her dance for the first time, everyone takes an interest in her, especially Rocket Jena Malone with whom she becomes friends.
These items have analogs in her fantasies and each one there are four are informed in some way by the events in the Bordello fantasy.
