What is a Wonder Woman made of?

We analyzed the 2017 movie to define once and for all the portrait of the greatest heroine of all time

In 2017, years of wait culminated in the first super heroine movie of the current age of cinematographic production. One of DC comics most acclaimed movies, Wonder Woman had extreme relevance for finally bringing to the big screen the greatest heroine of all time and representing a new superhero paradigm to the contemporaneity.

But, cultural and social impact side, did the movie deliver a surefire representation of the princess of Themyscira?

To answer this question, we need first to understand who is Wonder Woman. Created in 1941 by William Moulton Marston, Diana Prince would be the archetype of the ideal woman: beautiful, smart and powerful, the feminine counterpart to Superman.

In the highly masculine context of comic books, her creator didn’t want her to be only a repetition of the masculine characteristics from the superheroes of the period, but a positive portrayal of qualities at that time associated to femininity, such as compassion, diplomacy and pacifism.

In this manner, Wonder Woman introduces a new understanding about being powerful and how we can solve conflicts, in addition to demonstrating amorous characteristics not as weaknesses but as indispensable qualities to change the world.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

1-The War to end all wars

Now, beginning the movie analysis, the film starts with Diana’s characterization in her home environment, Themyscira, an island populated by amazons whose only duty is to protect humanity.

The adaptation of the event that changes Diana’s life is very faithful to the comics, with the exception from the time period, which was changed from World War II to World War I. Steve Trevor, an American pilot falls into the island during an air combat and is rescued by our protagonist. Steve is disturbed by the “war to end all wars” end communicates his distress to Diana.

The princess from Themyscira is conflicted about the situation and her sense of duty makes her help the pilot. She is moved by the stories she knows, in which Ares, the God of war is responsible for corrupting humanity and generating armed conflicts. Her mom, the queen Hippolyta, has a different judgement: man don’t deserve the amazons' help because they only cause destruction.

This conflict is central to the movie and it is through it we see the main character’s growth and the thematic expression of the tale.

The contrast is everywhere. Not only in these two distinct viewpoints, but also on the ways of life of the men and the amazons. Diana sees herself amidst all kinds of absurd situations, which makes us reflect about the rules in our society, the machismo ever- present and our notion of morals.

The opposition between the color palette from Themyscira (bright, vivid, beautiful and paradisiac) and London during the war (cold, bleak, somber and sad) reinforces this difference of worlds and enriches the photography of the movie.

2 – The journey of the heroine at no man’s land

Because she thinks men are good, Diana believes that in the moment she defeats Ares the conflict will end. Diana’s idealist posture is showed along the narrative each time she encounters the prejudice and contempt from men.

Her will to counterpose the rules from men’s world is forfeited in favor of more practical action to find Ares. This way, she abides conducts in conflict to her own and doesn’t act when she would like to, opposing her ideals as an amazon.

This tension between action and inaction troubles Diana’s conscience until it hits its summit when she and Steve are on the trenches, on their way to their mission. It is a disorienting scene, that puts the spectator in the middle of the war’s action. We see ourselves as confused and frustrated as Diana when seeing people asking for help without being able to aid them. But soon this whole situation becomes unbearable and our heroine makes a decision.

(Steve) “We can’t save everyone”

(Diana) No, but it’s what I’m going to do”

"No man’s land" is such a powerful scene because it presents a choice which shows the main character’s growth and her placement as a heroine. Diana has, in this moment, the same powers she had in the beginning of the movie, therefore what makes her a heroine are not her powers, but the choice to defend her beliefs despite any other pressure to do otherwise.

We are used to life’s sacrifices, with the cynical and realistic view that we can’t save everyone and many times we need to let terrible things happen to avoid even more chaos and suffering. Hence, Wonder Woman’s choice is an expression that we can reach our goals whilst being faithful to our beliefs, because they are able to offer us the force to face an entire army.

This act was the first step on Wonder Woman’s journey to become a real heroine, but the final part was yet to come.

3- It is not about deserve

During the greater part of the movie Diana is acting under the mindset that good actions must be directed towards those who deserve them. Only in the final act of the movie, when she is confronted with the reality that the answer to her dilemma is not so simple, men commit bad actions because it is their nature, her paradigm begins to shift.

If men are bad, why should she save them?

This is the premise which prompts a furious heroine to go out destroying everything on a rampant of rage, until faced with the image of her opponent, Dr. Poison, subjugated, with her mask flying in pieces revealing her scars, in a symbolic act used by the movie to demonstrate the fragility of those who commit the biggest atrocities. In the chaotic world we live in, our fragilities can make us have good or bad actions, but those shouldn’t be related to other people’s merits. So, Wonder Woman comprehends.

“It’s not about deserve, it’s about what you believe in”

This phrase demonstrates Diana’s growth as a hero. No more she accomplishes something because people deserve, but because she believes in doing her best, even for a world which only delivers chaos, violence and suffering.

“I believe in love”

This sentence follows Diana’s prior premise about belief, and can be seen as irrational and cheesy, but it is actually an expression of Wonder Woman’s essence, going against so many other heroes’ more traditional perspective. In a world of war, our heroine has the weapons and abilities to subjugate anyone in a physical confrontation, but opts to utilize whenever possible her intelligence and diplomacy.

Diana is a pacifist warrior, who literally fights using the truth (her lasso) to achieve a better world. And for understanding that and representing this journey in a realistic and well-developed manner this movie creators delivered a great job.

Verdict

Wonder Woman bring us a cast bearing touching performances with an undeniable chemistry, and, a thrilling story guided by a narrative arc of personal development from its main character along the debate of an ethical dilemma relevant to society.

With intense action sequences and gorgeous scenery, the film utilizes the narrative resources to express the princess of Themyscira values’ in an epoch tale, but, still pertinent to the 21st century.

So, yes, Wonder Woman is an incredible representation of the acclaimed heroine’s essence and does justice to the legacy of this cultural icon.