This past week, the DC comics film Wonder Woman hit theaters. Director Patty Jenkins worked hard on the film, using a large budget in order to make the film a success. Jenkins wanted to do the film justice and states that in creating the film, “I’m just trying to make the greatest version of Wonder Woman that I can for the people who love the character as much as I do and hope that the movie lives up to all the pressure that's on it.”
[Photo: The Playlist]
There was a great deal of pressure on Jenkins for this movie to become a success. And the stakes were higher than just the cost. Wonder Woman is the first mainstream female superhero movie. If it was a success, then this means more females can hit the screen in the future, kicking ass and taking names.
Both DC and Marvel had yet to create a female-centered superhero movie. While there are good and strong female leaders in Television shows, (Jessica Jones, Agent Carter, and Supergirl) plus female superhero sidekicks (Avenger’s Black Widow, Suicide Squad’s Harley Quinn, etc..) there has never been a female lead on the silver screen. Until now.
Gal Gadot, star of the film talks about the Wonder Woman film saying,
"That's the challenge — how to tell a story of a woman and make it universal… We are all used to having male protagonists in movies [directed by men]. But the way Patty has captured the Wonder Woman character, she is very relatable to everyone. Boy, girl, man, woman — everyone can relate to her.”
In the male-dominated superhero franchise, with mainly male directors and protagonists, Jenkins wanted to be sure that any gender could connect with Diana’s character.
However Jenkins discovered that women directors becoming more rare,
“Women made up just 7 percent of all directors on the top 250 films, a 2 percent decline from 2015, according to San Diego State University's Celluloid Ceiling report.” -Tatiana Siegel
Jenkins' success was immensely important for future female directors, female protagonists, and the superhero franchise. There is no better person to direct the film
than a woman like Jenkins, who understands the character and women in
general.
The first weekend of the movie was a huge success. Deadline.com reports that Wonder Woman made $103.1 million at the domestic box office the first weekend. Jenkins success of the film represent a great win for female superhero franchises in the future.
Producer Charles Roven remarks, ”I actually think that with the pressure comes an opportunity," he says. "Historically, audiences in this genre are male — 60 to 40 percent — but if you can really tap the market and maintain the males and actually add a significantly greater female audience, it's a great win-win. You've accomplished something that hasn't really ever been accomplished before.”
The movie itself, beside the success, teaches both women and men about the power of the female and the power of breaking a stereotype. Gal Gadot’s portrayal demonstrated that women can be both lovers and fighters. That women are not merely sex symbols, but they can be strong, wise, and just as competent as men.
Godot says, ”Wonder Woman can be very charming and warm and have so much compassion and love for the world. She can be soft and naive. At the same time, she just happens to be this demigoddess who can beat the shit out of you and can be a super badass and smart and confident. Ultimately, she's very relatable.”
Princess Diana effectively cut off the shackles of the female stereotype, bursting forward with a new vision of the strong female, while teaching both young girls and boys about the strength of women and that women are not these fragile creatures, but can be strong and can be goddesses, while still being able to love and fight for those they care about. Wonder Woman emits strength and power just like any male superhero in past films. And this kind of strength is immensely important for young girls to see. Having a role model like Wonder Woman for little girls to look up to will teach them at a young age that they have both inner strength and outer strength, and that things seldom get done when we simply stand by. She teaches these girls that in order to excel in a male-dominated society, one must be willing to take risks and go after what they believe is right. At the same time, young boys are taught that men are not the only strong sex, that women are not always damsels and that they can fight with just as much strength and passion as a man can.
“I’m willing to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.” -Diana
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