Why are we still talking about Wonder Woman?
Since its release several weeks ago, Wonder Woman has been surrounded by controversy and one of the most talked about films of the year so far. But what is it about this addition to DC’s superhero feature portfolio that sparked and is continuing to generate so much debate, and is it worthy of it or does it stem from something underlying in Hollywood and society?
The most wide-spread controversy was produced by a viral, now deleted tweet claiming lead Gal Gadot’s $300,000 salary was exceeded by Henry Cavill’s similar debut in Man of Steel by almost $14 million, surely highlighting Hollywood’s gender pay gap. This caused global outrage, especially on Twitter, with people stressing the importance of the female-led superhero film in the industry and its box office success. However, other factors have since come into play, as Cavill’s alleged figure is not backed up by reasonable evidence and likely includes the bonuses actors can receive after films’ release due to box office success. Gadot’s salary doesn’t seem to take this into account either, or that of further debuting superhero actors’ pay; Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans were reportedly paid similar or even lower amounts for Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger.
Another well-publicised incident concerning the film was a Texas cinema’s female-only screening, met by complaints of selective equality. The cinema claimed to have shown select group screenings in the past for military veterans and that this choice was made in the spirit of the film. In the midst of so many male-led or male-heavy examples, can we blame women for wanting the maximum empowerment out of such a rarity as a female-led superhero feature?
And the feminist importance of Wonder Woman is not something to be taken lightly. The central character of Diana Prince was created in 1941, inspired by early feminists of the time such as birth control pioneer Margaret Sanger, and has been an independent figure in comic books for decades. Her first, big screen appearance comes after a decade-long wait for a solo female comic-book lead in Hollywood — the last being Elektra in 2005 — and sits at the end of a 55 film-long list featuring many solo male leads, from Iron Man to Captain America. Aside from the victory of such a mainstream feature being directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins, it also now holds the US opening weekend box office record for films with a female director.
This accompanies the female-empowering nature of the character and story itself; the all female, all fierce, Amazon warrior race living on an island without men; Diana’s headstrong nature and intelligence, exemplified by her speaking 180 languages; Diana’s mission to protect a stranger’s world out of sheer, personal incentive and through using her own gifts.
But the film has also faced criticism in its feminist fight. Narrative-wise, Diana spends a lot of time trailing male lead Chris Pine’s character Steve Trevor, in order to support his plan rather than following her own. It could be argued that this is because of her plunging blindly into our world and following need for support in unfamiliar territory, as well as their shared aims and the vagueness of her plan to ‘find Ares’. However, it does cause a lack of narrative drive on her part, which matches her naiveté but not her intelligence. Other moments which grate on the feminist senses include a line of dialogue after a group of men watch Diana throw a man across a pub: “I’m both frightened, and aroused.” This seems to unnecessarily suggest female objectification, despite Diana’s portrayal as a badass warrior. Is this because the industry thinks the male demographic needs sexual gratification for watching a female superhero, able to fully engage in a physical altercation? One could argue the same of male-led films for female audiences, with few resisting the temptation to feature a topless scene and the results of extensive physical training undertaken for the lead role. But considering the higher frequency of male gender bias and female partial nudity or wearing of revealing clothes in film, this is out of balance.
There is also the issue of simply how much skin Wonder Woman’s costume forces her to reveal. The main excuse is that the clothing of the time wasn’t practical for fighting, explained in a scene where Diana tries on various Victorian outfits and complains of her lack of physical freedom. Because of this and the minimal focus on her costume, I believe the script and actors pull it off, and it is impossible to ignore that Diana is a warrior and Gadot’s portrayal of her as a physically well-built woman rather than the model size some might expect, supports both positive body image and the truth of the character.
So where does Wonder Woman sit in the superhero genre? I feel that Gadot is a fantastic lead in her own right: down-to-earth, charismatic and earnest as Diana, with an equal, naive charm and strength befitting the warrior princess. As a film, her chemistry with Pine and the morally-motivated storyline enable a satisfying balance of believable relationship development and stunning action and special effects, avoiding what can be an often excessive focus on the latter in the genre.
Despite its success, it is hard not to be sceptical about all the surrounding controversy; how often do you see it on such a scale for similar, male-led films? It feels as if it might be inevitable for such female counterparts, as they are so uncommon and challenging in the male-dominated genre and world of Hollywood, but we should not be expected to work harder in order to validate them.
I think, while certainly not the film of the year, Wonder Woman is making strides for gender equality in comic book films, whether this is only in its core or if it does truly translate into its execution. We can only hope that Diana’s future, big screen appearances continue to push this further and that other films follow her message.
Edited by Cheyenne Abrams.
