Movie Review: Wonder Woman is the hero we all need
July 12, 2017*Disclaimer: This was an original post on my Tumblr, but now I'm transferring it here.
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Over the weekend, I went to see the already box-office hit Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, and directed by Patty Jenkins. (Update: I actually saw it for a second time yesterday! Nope, still not over it.) So unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you’ll know that Wonder Woman is the movie everyone is literally talking about. It’s currently the #1 movie in the world, garnering $223 during its opening weekend last week. It’s also being called the best superhero movie ever. And for a good reason. (From this point on, this post will include spoilers so please don’t read on if you haven’t watched yet!)
As a young woman, believe me, I was absolutely blown away when I watched this film. I’ve been a fan of superhero movies for quite some time now, and for the first time ever, the world got a female superhero lead taking up the reins of her own movie. The feeling of watching a film that mainly uplifts the spirit of women everywhere is indescribable. For young girls like me, Diana was more than a superhero. She was a symbol of how strong women can actually be. The gender representation in this movie is so strong that there has been a shower of praises for the film, both from women and men.
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| Photo © Wonder Woman Film/DC Comics/WarnerBros. |
To prove my point, one particular scene really struck me. (And I think it did a lot of people too!) The scene called “No Man’s Land”, shows Diana in full armor as Wonder Woman stepping into the battle front of World War I. The place is called No Man’s Land because German and British forces both could not advance on either side because of intense fighting. Steve Trevor, Diana’s love interest in the film, tries to stop her by saying she can’t step out there because it’s too dangerous and no man has ever done it before. Diana persists and responds firmly after putting on her tiara, “It’s what I’m going to do.” So she climbs the ladder out onto the battlefield and starts to march towards the Germans on her own. Despite being constantly shot by all sorts of guns and bombs, these were nothing to Diana and she continues until she actually reaches the other side. That entire scene really gave me legit goosebumps! I still can’t remove the scene from my mind until now. It may be one of my most favorite superhero film scenes ever.
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| Photo © Wonder Woman Film/DC Comics/WarnerBros. |
I love how Diana did not listen to the fact that she couldn’t do what men could not do. That’s basically the entire film. There were a lot more scenes between her and Steve (and other men) which denotes her gender. Don’t get me wrong - I love Steve, and his character deeply cares for Diana; he’s just concerned for her. What he doesn’t realize is that he doesn’t have to be. Clearly, she can take care of herself.
Another scene which struck me as powerful was the scene where Diana follows Steve into a room full of political men and generals. In the scene, Steve tried to get the attention of his superior, and Diana, confused as heck as to why the men were so rowdy, close by. When the men notice that there was a woman in the room, they fell silent and started whispering, “Why is there a woman here? What is he (pertaining to Steve) thinking??” Later on, Sir Patrick (played by David Thewlis aka Professor Lupin from Harry Potter) comes out and tells Steve that had it not been for Diana’s presence in the room, the men would not be silenced and he would not be able to speak.
This movie is so powerful in many ways. Aside from the scenes, Diana’s very origin speaks for that very statement. The opening sequence introduces us to Themyscira, the paradise-island inhabited by Amazons, an all-female race created by Zeus. Aside from the fact that the island was entirely testosterone-free, the Amazons were warriors. They were fierce and strong warriors. The scene where the Amazons battle with invading Germans on the beach really blew me away. I felt like I could go out and punch a man single-handedly. That’s how much of an impact this movie was. To add to that, among the cast who played the Amazon warriors were actual Olympian athletes. If that isn’t badass enough, then I don’t know what is.
Director Patty Jenkins is also a huge part of this historic movie. In fact, saying that she’s a huge part is an understatement. She deserves almost all the credit from this movie (but of course we have to give it to Gal and Chris as well, they both played their part incredibly). Despite the huge success, Patty Jenkins still remains humble and grounded. She thinks that gender does not really matter when directing a movie. According to her, she wasn’t just directing a female lead, she was directing a person. For her, it was all about the message of the film. She does believe though that diversity is still very important in films. I mean, it should not be a big deal that a female director is now breaking box office records, but since it doesn’t happen very often (or at all), it is a big deal. It simply shows that there is a lack of diversity still in Hollywood. Jenkins, and other female personalities believe that.
In fact, Wonder Woman is indeed a film that the world desperately needs right now, whether the world knows it or not. The film was set in World War I, a time when all seemed grim and hope seemed lost. This was represented perfectly by Steve, who just wanted to end the war, even if it means risking everything. Then, just as when things were getting worse, here comes this warrior - a woman - who strongly believes she can and will end the war once she kills Ares, the god of war who started it all. Ares later on almost convinces her that mankind is corrupted and does not deserve their help. Diana almost believes him when she sees Dr. Maru, the German chemist responsible for the creation of a gas bomb that caused millions of lives. She then remembers Steve, who showed her that despite mankind’s ugliness, there is still some light in them.
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| Photo © Wonder Woman Film/DC Comics/WarnerBros. |
At a time where the world is at its most vulnerable, I think we can learn a thing or two from Wonder Woman. First is that maybe, just maybe, we should also let the women take the lead. It might make a huge difference. And second and more importantly, that despite all the horrible things happening to the world right now, in the end, love will always win. There was a bombing in Manchester; what did people do? They held a benefit concert in support all the victims. Spread love, not hate. I think that’s the most important message Wonder Woman can give us. Diana said in the movie, “I choose to believe in love.” And that’s true. We should all choose to believe in love, as cheesy as it may sound.
To end, here’s a quote from Director Patty Jenkins just to make my statement: “I wanted to tell a story about a hero who believes in love, who is filled with love, who believes in change and the betterment of mankind. I believe in it.”
♥, Murgaloo
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