Tale of the Amazon's origin is a refreshing take filled with hope and courage
Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot, center) poses for a photo during World War I that she would have to pull strings in the present to reacquire.
DC COMICS/ WARNER BROS.
The new “Wonder Woman” film, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot as the title character, is set during World War I. That is unlike the DC Comics universe, which had her origin story happening during World War II. The distinction is important for one thing: World War I was known as “the war to end all wars.”
“It is a war not of nations, but of mankind. It is a war to exorcise a world-madness and end an age,” futurist writer H.G. Wells penned in 1914. While we, a century ahead, can look back at the irony of those words, back then, they symbolized hope, that somehow the horrifying carnage and destruction might stand as a lesson for all subsequent generations.
In the film, we expect the world to be grounded in a reality of bombs and bullets, not superhuman strength and mystical powers. This is first established when the contrast is set between the timeless and idyllic world of Amazon warriors – where Diana (Gadot) is raised amid an all-female society on the hidden island of Themyscira — and the intrusion of male-centered authoritarian control personified by military pilot Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) and the German enemies hot on his tail. This intrusion is heralded with great violence and terrible tragedy, setting the stage for a tale that not only exemplifies the virtues of this beloved comic book heroine, but also opens the door for some welcome commentary on feminism and gender roles.
When the men arrive and Diana sees what danger they pose not only to her people but the world itself, she realizes there is a much bigger battle to fight — one that pits her strength and cunning literally against Ares, the god of war. This, however, is not apparent at first and for quite a while, we are left to wonder if Diana may be a little deluded.
Still, she chooses to go into the outside world to find Ares, destroy him and, hopefully, bring a return to peace.
Director Jenkins deftly handles the script by Allan Heinberg from a story by the mix of Zack Snyder, Heinberg and Jason Fuchs by injecting the delicate balance of studied naïveté coupled with the experience learned on the island from her mentors: Antiope (Robin Wright) and her mother, Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen). This comes in handy when she joins Steve and his group of Allied spies as they attempt to learn secrets of a new and deadly enemy operation being mounted by the evil Gen. Erich Ludendorff (Danny Huston) and the insane scientist Dr. Maru (Elena Anaya).
Much of the action is violent and over the top, but because this is a female-centric film, it is rendered with a twist that will no doubt have many in the audience cheering.
When she first appeared in the regrettable “Batman v Superman,” we knew the studio was on to something. Now, we can hardly wait for more.
There is also an interesting local twist to this film, referenced in the imdb.com "Trivia” section: "In addition to other contributors listed with thanks from the producers, such as the Marston family, the credit for George Pérez is particularly prominent. He is a well-known comic book artist who was the one who created the modern conception of Wonder Woman in 1987 to considerable acclaim when he restarted the character's series with such changes including renaming Diana's home of Paradise Island into Themyscira.”
George Pérez is the brother of well known Taos writer David Pérez.
“Steve Trevor sarcastically refers to Diana's island home of Themyscira as ‘Paradise Island.’ However, this is a nod to the original name for Wonder Woman's home land (the island of Amazons) in the comics. In the 80s, the name of the Amazon Island was changed to Themyscira when comic book writers (George Perez specifically) updated and revamped the character. It has been referred to as Themyscira in all Wonder Woman media since then. Steve Trevor's sarcastic remark was actually written in to nod to fans who would remember the old name.”
Read more at: taosnews.com
