Michelle Barbero, Staff Writer |
Students had the opportunity to watch the hit summer movie, “Wonder Woman,” on campus the weekend of Friday, September 8 to Sunday, September 10.
The movie was originally released in theaters on June 2, 2017 and made 813.2 million dollars in box office revenue. Directed by Patty Jenkins, this movie brings William Moulton Marston’s “Wonder Woman” to life. When watching the film, people are first introduced to “The Paradise Islands” where Diana (Gal Gadot) grows up as princess of a community of Amazon warriors. Diana is very unfamiliar with life outside of the islands she grew up on until she meets an American army pilot, Steve (Chris Pine), serving in World War II. When Steve tells Diana about the horrors of the war in the outside world, she takes the opportunity to leave home to protect mankind from Ares, the Greek god whom she believes to be causing all of mankind’s strife.
One aspect of what makes this movie so memorable is Israeli actress Gal Gadot’s performance as Wonder Woman. She acted out the role with a level of confidence that only the real Wonder Woman could possess. Sandie Angulo Chen of Common Sense Media states “born to play the role of ‘Wonder Woman,’ Gadot proves that women can be fierce and loyal, as well as empathetic, in director Patty Jenkins’ epic, satisfying origin story.”
Despite the popular opinion that Gal Gadot was born for the role, there was controversy around the world about her being cast as Wonder Woman. Several countries with a large Arab population banned the film. According to The Washington Post, the film never made it to theaters screens in Qatari. “The theater did not explain why the superhero move had been pulled, but two other Middle Eastern countries, Lebanon and Tunisia, had previously barred the film over Ms. Gadot, an Israeli actress who served two years of compulsory service in the country’s military,” shares Valerie Richardson.
In addition to this overseas controversy, there is also a debate as to if “Wonder Woman” is a successful example of a feminist film. Not only was this movie directed by a female, but it also featured a strong female lead. SUNY Oneonta sophomore, Ian Carroll, believes that “Wonder Woman” is successful in “showing how empowering women can be.” One of the most prominent examples of the character of Diana being a leader is when all the male soldiers tell her it is too dangerous to cross the battle field into enemy lines. Despite what the male soldiers say, Diana fearlessly crosses the battlefield and the men soon follow her lead.
All the women of “The Paradise Islands” are depicted as unbreakable, skilled soldiers. When men landed on their island, they reacted in a defensive manner ready to battle as long as it took to keep each other safe rather than retreating and hiding until the threat was gone.
The combination of Diana’s leadership, the fearlessness of the Amazonian women, and Patty Jenkin’s successful directing all make the movie “Wonder Woman” a successful example of feminist film.
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