Wonder Woman is directed by Patty Jenkins. It tells the origin story of its titular character. When American army pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) crashes on her Themyscira, the island refuge of the ancient Amazons, he meets Diana, the princess of the Amazons (Gal Gadot), who decides to travel with him to man's world to put an end to the terrors of the First World War.
Superheroes are meant to inspire people to be their better selves. Early entries in the genre (Richard Donner's
Superman, Sam Raimi's
Spider-Man) took for granted that people are worth fighting for. Increasingly this notion has been questioned, particularly in DC films. Last year's
Batman v Superman saw Superman, the archetypal superhero declaring that, "No one stays good in this world." Even the generally more upbeat Marvel movies have taken an increasingly deconstructionist approach to heroism. In the climax of
Captain America: Civil War Tony Stark tells Steve Rogers, "You don't deserve that shield."
Wonder Woman is the only film in recent memory to ask if humanity is worth saving and to respond with a resounding yes.
What I find really interesting is that this movie more hopeful and inspiring than many recent films in the genre despite it taking place in WWI. The First World War is one of the darkest chapters of the modern era. This
was a period that produced T.S. Eliot's
The Wasteland and the nihilistic
horror stories of H.P. Lovecraft and one that informed the darker
aspects of J.R.R. Tolkien's
Lord of the Rings. Unlike in WWII, when the Wonder Woman comic was originally published, there were no clear good guys and bad guys in the Great War. Begun as a result of the assassination of Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an event which then escalated into a worldwide conflict thanks to a series of complicated alliances, the war was largely pointless (I apologize for the sweeping generalizations). It devastated Europe and it's population to such an extent that the people who grew up in that period are known as the lost generation.
When I first heard that the film was going to place place during this conflict I was concerned. Would this film double down on the darkness and pessimism of
Man of Steel and
Batman v Superman? Fortunately, seeing
Wonder Woman allayed these fears completely. Far from falling into the same dour cynicism of its predecessors, this film addresses the hopelessness of those movies head on. Hope in the midst of great darkness is, in many ways, this movie's thesis. Having Wonder Woman rise from the horrors of World War I with real hope for humanity is a really inspired choice on the filmmakers part.
At the start of the film, Diana takes it as a given that humanity is worth saving. The evil men do, she believes, is because of the influence of Ares, the Greek God of War. Ares is reimagined in this film as a rather satanic figure. A fallen angel who is envious of Zeus' favor toward humankind. Diana holds on to her naive beliefs through most of the film, despite seeing all kinds of evidence to the contrary. It's only when she kills General Lunendorff, who she mistakenly believes is Ares, and sees that the conflict has continued, that she realizes that man has an inborn capacity for evil. It is then revealed that a certain unassuming character is actually Ares and that he has been subtlety toying with humanity throughout the centuries, in the belief that they will eventually destroy themselves and with the aim of hastening that outcome. He asks Diana to join with him and she refuses and tries to kill him once again using the "Godkiller" sword that he mother told her was meant to destroy Ares. Ares destroys the sword, revealing that Diana herself is the Godkiller. When she still refuses to join with him he tries to kill her.
This is where the film falters a little for me. Thematically it works. At this point the real conflict is a psychological one, as Diana must
decide whether to join with Ares or to stand with humanity. Diana's faith in humanity may have been shattered but she will not be a party to the proliferation of war and destruction, yet she feels tempted to strike out at those who carry it out. It's only when she witnesses Steve Trevor's sacrifice that she realizes humanity's capacity for greater good and decides to fight for peace and love she believes in. She, like the humans and like Ares is faced with a choice between hate and love and she chooses love. The problem is that the battle between Wonder Woman and Ares is not very involving.
The real stakes in this scene involve the poisonous gas that Steve Trevor decides to sacrifice himself to destroy rather then let it fall into the wrong hands. The reasons he does this, rather then letting Diana, who could easily destroy the gas and still survive, are pretty contrived. Trevor's death is a dramatic necessity, he needs to sacrifice himself in order for Diana to complete her arc. It seems the writers simply couldn't find a way to make this happen that made sense in the context of the story. This is not uncommon for superhero origin stories. Even some of best ones (
Iron Man,
Superman,
Batman Begins) falter a little in the third act. Perhaps this is a poor excuse but there it is.
Of course
Wonder Woman also feels culturally significant because it's the first really decent film to feature an inspiring female superhero. Hollywood execs may be patting themselves on the back for this but, honestly, it's
long overdue. A debate has arisen over the way Wonder Woman is portrayed physically, with many expressing concerns that her clothing is too revealing and that the film feels exploitative as a result, something which undermines the film message of female empowerment. While I think this controversy is a little overblown, some of it does concern me. Many have pointed out, in the film's defense, that there is a double standard when people complain about Wonder Woman's lack of pants and feminine physique, but look past all male action stars who are so often seen shirtless and with unrealistically toned upper bodies. For me though, this is exactly the problem. Hollywood, in general, promotes unrealistic standards for body image that can be damaging for adolescent men and women who may not have the ability to look like a supermodel or a bodybuilder. As a result, many end up with anxiety about their body image that can lead to more serious problems, like anorexia or steroid use. So, while Hollywood executive's criticizing of the film's casting of a supermodel may be a little hypocritical, this choice is endemic of a larger problem. It
may not represent, as James Cameron suggests, a step backwards for
feminism in Hollywood, but it is certainly not a step forward for
promoting positive body image.
I really like Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. She is able to completely encapsulate the character's sense of compassion and also convey her somewhat naive worldview. Not since Christopher Reeve has an actor so perfectly embodied a superhero. Chris Pine is also great as Captain Steve Trevor. He is able to make the character feel flawed while still maintaining his dignity and sense of heroism. He is supposed to represent humanity's potential for goodness and Pine conveys this beautifully. Lucy Davis lends the film a great sense of humor as Etta Candy, Trevor's secretary. Trevor's band of mercenaries, played by Saïd Taghmaoui, Ewen Bremner, and Eugene Brave Rock are perhaps less successful in this department, and come across as a little two dimensional. At least, though, they have more defined characters then Captain America's Howling Commandos, whose personalities began and ended with their ethnicity. David Thewlis, I'm sad to say, feels a bit miscast as Ares. He's right at home as the unassuming Sir Patrick Morgan, but as soon as it's revealed that he's actually the God of War, he's a bit hard to take seriously. Danny Huston and Elena Anaya also feel a little out of place as General Ludendorff and Doctor Poison, their over-the-top antics contrasting with the film's otherwise sobering portrayal of WWI. Rounding out the cast are Connie Nielson as Diana's mother Queen Hippolyta, Robin Wright as Hippolyta's sister and general Antiope, and Lily Aspell as young Diana. All three do an excellent job and provide Gadot with a strong foundation for her character.
Matthew Jensen's cinematography is quite striking, creating a contrast between the idolized beauty of Themyscira and the bleak war-torn European countryside. Rupert Gregson-Williams (The Prince of Egypt) provides a stirring score, adding weight to some of the film's more emotional moments. Patty Jenkins directs the film with real heart and emotion. The action scenes in particular, though not perfect (some of the cutting is a little quick and the climax feels like a relic of the early 2000's) work because of our emotional connection to the characters. The battles in the movie have real stakes and the characters make choices and reveal there inner heroism within these scenes. The film's central set piece, where Wonder Woman rises from the trenches to drive away the German troops from an innocent village, is probably my favorite scene in any comic book film since the train fight between Spider-Man and Doc Ock in
Spider-Man 2. Inspiring and emotionally resonant, this scene could be seen as emblematic of my hopes female superheros on screen, the DC Extended Universe moving forward, and the future of the superhero genre in general.
Wonder Woman is by no means a perfect movie but it's a movie that, I think, overcomes its flaws because of its heart, its thematic resonance, and its cultural significance. To paraphrase a line from
The Dark Knight it's the film the character deserves but, more importantly, a film we need right now. At least, its one that I needed.
Score: 9/10
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