Spoiler Warning: This post will discuss the new Wonder Woman film.
I've tried to speak in broad generalities so as not to reveal major plot points, but beware if you haven't read it
yet.
I’ve been trying to figure out what to say about the new Wonder Woman movie that does it justice.
I loved the film. As I sat in that theater on a Monday afternoon watching the
film, tears just welled up in my eyes. It’s not the film is sad, but I was so overcome
with joy that I cried. This doesn’t necessarily that it is a perfect film. No
film is ever perfect, and you could pick apart specific details of the plot and
stylistic choices. However, as a woman, some of those things seem insignificant
in the grand scheme of things. Wonder Woman is a game-changer in the superhero
film landscape.
In an earlier post, I wrote about the “suggestive content”
label that the film received. When watching the film, other than the awkward
flirting by Steve Trevor, I’m still not 100% sure why it was given this label
other than one potential interaction between Steve and Diana early on in the
film. While sailing to London from Themyscira, Steve asks Diana if she is
familiar with “pleasures of the flesh” after she insists that he sleep next to
her. She so matter-of-factly responds that she had read the twelve volumes on
the subject by Clio (unfortunately not a real treatise on the subject) and is
well-versed in the concept. He wonders aloud if he should read this to gain any
insight. She replies that he wouldn’t like it because Clio ultimately came to
the conclusion that, besides their necessity for procreation, men are not
necessary for bodily pleasure. Given the MPAA’s proclivity for its Puritanical
attitude towards female sexuality, this is likely the suggestive content
alluded to in the rating descriptor.
Yet, there is more going on in this moment than just the
liberation of female sexuality from the grip of the patriarchy. It further
affirms the idea that woman do not require the assistance of men to accomplish
anything but a basic reproductive process. It’s a message of female empowerment
that continues throughout the film. Without getting too deep into spoiler
territory, each time Diana is confronted with men telling her that the task is
impossible or seeking to “protect” her from the horrors of the world of men,
she just pushed past them and asserts her own authority, acting without second
thought and ultimate success. It’s an important message that women of all ages
should hear.
This brings me to the next thing that brought tears to my
eyes. Directly in front of me at the movie theater, there was a father and his
two young daughters (one was probably 8 or 9 and the other about 10 or 11). The
girls were so excited to see a woman save the world. As they were walking to
the seats, the girls were excitedly chattering about seeing Wonder Woman save
the world. At the climax of the film, when Diana must make the choice to the
save the world from Ares, I could hear them anxiously whispering to their dad
whether or not Wonder Woman would come through, would she save the world or
would it be the men who had accompanied her? This father reassured in the most
wonderful way possible and of course I’m paraphrasing a bit. He simply told
them that of course Wonder Woman will save the world because girls can save the
world too. Girls don’t need to be rescued; they can do the rescuing. Even now,
thinking about this moment days later, it brings a tear to my eye.
Like all superhero franchises, there is a love story. Some
friends felt that it was unnecessary to the plot. It may have been, but it is
also a convention of the genre, so I am less concerned by its inclusion. I don’t
believe that it diminished the character in any way as it was tied to the Diana’s
love for humanity in general.
Honestly, if I had any complaint, it’s one that I have with
the DC film style which very much emulates Zack Snyder’s general aesthetic:
overuse of slow motion in battle scenes. Since first coming on the comic book
scene in a big way with 300, nearly
all of Snyder’s film uses this technique. In some ways, it does emphasize the
badassery of the fighters, but it just feels overdone at this point. So even
though this film was not directed by Snyder, director Patty Jenkins did stay
true to the overall Snyder/DC aesthetic.
Criticisms aside, this is an important film. While not the
first female-led superhero film, it definitely did better than others have done
in years past. (I’m looking at you Electra
and Catwoman). The film has been
successful in terms of box office. Wonder Woman punched her way through the
glass ceiling of the comic book franchise films. Its success makes me even more
excited for the MCU’s Captain Marvel
in March of 2019.
So to women and girls everywhere, yes, women can save the
world too. Wonder Woman just save the DC film universe.
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