By Victoria Li ’18, Arts & Entertainment Editor

UPDATED ARTICLE

I’m extremely sorry for how my article turned out. My intent was to write about the controversy surrounding the lead actor of Wonder Woman, but my word choice disregarded a very serious issue that I am not qualified to speak upon. I know that the gravity of the Israel-Palestine conflict cannot be summarized or accurately portrayed in the way that I have done so in my article. Some of the sources I pulled from while writing were very biased, which played a factor in my one-dimensional analysis of the controversy. I did not intend to hurt or upset anyone, especially those who have been personally affected by this subject matter. (October 24, 2017)

“Wonder Woman”, a film featuring a superheroine and directed by a woman, has been the summer’s top grossing film, pulling in an impressive four-hundred million at the U.S. box office. Critical reception has been overwhelmingly positive amongst both professional movie critics and mainstream audience, with buzzwords such as “thrilling” and “spectacular” appearing in a myriad of reviews. Past superhero films starring women, such as “Elektra” or “Catwoman”, were cited as disasters, causing big studios to become wary of spotlighting women. “Elektra” was a box-office bomb, and both movies were confusing, dull, and had male directors and screenwriters. “Wonder Woman” has far surpassed both films, pulling in gushing reviews from left and right. With its gorgeous sweeping shots of Themyscira, the island paradise on which Diana grew up, and its incorporation of mythological lore and historical references, the film’s intricately woven storyline and visual mastery puts it at the forefront of a potential redemption arc for more solo female superhero movies.

Raised on an island hidden away from mortal sight, Diana grows up and trains with the Amazonians, a race of warrior women with an entirely matriarchal society. After an American spy, Steve Trevor, crash lands near her island, she learns of the war that rages beyond her tropical utopia. Weaned on the legends of the bloodthirsty Ares, Diana arms herself with the “Godkiller” sword and sets out for the warfront to destroy the god of war.

Unlike the male superheroes preceding her, Wonder Woman doesn’t need to be dark and brooding to entice the audience. Many people enjoy when superheroes struggle with human complexities, and Diana does, just not conventionally. Sheltered from the real world for her entire life, she approaches it without cynicism, taking delight in the simplest instances, such as seeing a baby on the streets. Her mother and Queen of the Amazonians, Hippolyta, had

warned her before that “men are easily corrupted”, yet she still maintains unyielding faith in humanity. “Wonder Woman” takes an interesting turn from traditional mythology here, as the Greek Amazons whom Diana’s family is based upon are often described with the epithet of “those who loathe all men.” Even though she has been inculcated with the pretense that men are inherently immoral, Diana is able to look past it and continue fighting on the behalf of humanity. Prompted by Steve Trevor, she come to the conclusion that “it’s not about what you deserve, it’s about what you believe, and [she] believes in love.” She is able to become a model of moral courage and feminism without taking the road of misandry her mother had encouraged.

However praised “Wonder Woman” is for being a groundbreaking feminist film, it does not emerge unscathed from criticism. Jessie Bernardo ’18 and Jada Smith ’18 have their own qualms about the film, regarding Steve Trevor, who is portrayed by Chris Pine.

“The movie was really good! The ending was amazing!” Jessie commented. “I cried when Chris Pine died!”  

Jada Smith criticized Trevor’s death as unnecessary: “Chris Pine did not need to die. He could’ve put a rock on the gas pedal and saved his own life.”

Dazzling eyes and muscular physique aside, Trevor’s death was pretty pointless, as he could’ve achieved the same result and still have been alive using Jada’s method, but I guess cinematic effect always triumphs over practicality.

The lead woman has not been immune to public disapproval either. People see Diana Prince as representative of the ideal woman: breathtakingly beautiful and inhumanely strong. As a role model, she presents unattainable standards for actual women and girls. Gal Gadot has also come under fire for her support for the most recent major Israeli attack on Palestine in Gaza. Gadot herself is a former soldier for the Israel Defense Forces. On one hand, she is an icon for mainstream feminism, and on the other, she is a Zionist who has a controversial stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict. Meanwhile, Wonder Woman’s lack of armpit hair has sparked debate amongst some people, who claim that she wouldn’t care about body hair after being raised on an island inhabited by female warriors.  Ironically, mainstream feminism seemed to be more critical of Diana’s shaved armpits rather than focus on real world issues.