Wonder Woman is the Hero We Need
After a few very rough months of outrage, protesting, the Women’s March, my feminist blog posts, Wonder Woman is the hero I need and I think she’s the hero we all need. Wonder Woman takes us to the early twentieth century, on an idyllic island, Diana is raised as a warrior princess. She trains among her Amazonian sisters to save the day should the God of War, Aries, ever rear his ugly head. All of a sudden, Themyscira is disrupted as Steve Trevor, a young American soldier, falls out of the sky in a German plane. He crashes into the ocean and is rescued by Diana. The Amazons clash with German soldiers on the beach and when Diana learns of the war in the world of men, she leaves her safe and happy home to charge into battle and save the day.
Watching Wonder Woman was like receiving a large dose of endorphins. Wonder Woman kicks ass, saves the day, and leaves us all with hope that the world can be a better place. Here’s my definite list of reasons why we all need Wonder Woman right now:
Wonder Woman is feminist as f***
Wonder Woman is a leader, and check out the awesome paradise the women reign over. Meanwhile London is a gray, post-industrial revolution, “ugly”, landscape.
Sexual Liberation
On Themyscira, there are no men. Wonder Woman/Diana has never met one before and finds early 20th century ideas about courtship comical. Steve Trevor’s description of marriage and views on pre-marital sex are hilarious to Diana. It’s cool, she knows what men are for — procreation — she can take care of pleasure herself.
Female friendships are important
Too many films spend time telling us how women cannot get along and cannot coexist without hating one another. Many popular films fail the Bechdel Test miserably. On Themyscira, women coexist harmoniously, their home is idyllic and peaceful — it’s not until men arrive that their home is threatened by violence and strife. Additionally, the Amazons live for a long time and refer to each other as sisters. They treat one another with kindness and respect. It’s simple, but beautiful and a long needed, trope-smashing stance for a Hollywood blockbuster.
Strength and Compassion can coexist
Wonder Woman does a great job of casting off the stereotype that women who are strong also must be cold and dispassionate. Diana feels the weight of the world on her shoulders and forms meaningful relationships while saving the planet. She befriends Steve, his rag tag band of smugglers, and townspeople. Additionally, she has deep and strong relationships with the women she left at Themyscira.
Lack of Female Representation in Film
As Jessica Chastain recently put it at Cannes Film Festival, “When we include more female storytellers, we will have more of the women I recognize in my day-to-day life — ones that are proactive, have their own agencies, don’t just react to the men around them,” she said. “They have their own point of view.” Wonder Woman swooped in to start addressing this problem. With female director, Patty Jenkins, Wonder Woman killed at the box office with the biggest opening weekend for a film directed by a woman ever. Additionally, it’s certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 93%. To the haters who say women can’t sell a movie, take a walk.
Gender Role Reversal
Steve Trevor is the girlfriend. When Diana saves Steve from the ocean, Steve is the damsel in distress. When Steve presents hands over formulas for mustard gas to literally Aries, he is a pawn. When Diana rushes into the battlefield, Steve was a helpless soldier, unable to hold his own on the battlefield. When Diana rushes to save the day and kill Aries, he follows behind at a snail’s pace. When the moment finally comes for Diana to save the day, Steve fulfills the only role he can: the girlfriend. Steve takes on the thankless role of giving Wonder Woman the strength to save the day, while sacrificing himself for the greater good.
Love Conquers All
Yep, it’s a cheesy premise, but I think we could all use a little cheesy right now. It’s been a rough few months in the US, but watching Wonder Woman proves that love is more powerful than hate. Wonder Woman gains the power to defeat Aries as Steve confesses he loves her before his sacrificial plane ride. Right now, I really want to believe love is stranger than hate. On that note, Happy Pride Month! Go tell someone you love them!
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