WHY IS THE WONDER WOMAN MOVIE SO IMPORTANT?

By Mekhala Singhal (Team Creative)

Wonder Woman is a superhero we’ve all grown up with- be it through comic books or animated TV serials about this fascinating character, we’ve all been exposed to her strength and wonder (!!!) already. The 2017 film is the first ever live-action theatrical depiction of this character and there are many reasons why this movie has made the impact that it has (and many reasons why it should).

Directed by Patty Jenkins (the first ever female director for a superhero movie), the Wonder Woman film has already made history. For instance, it is already the highest grossing female-led comic book superhero movie ever. While the advertising and outreach for this movie was visibly far less than that we usually witness for other mainstream superhero movies, this movie sets a precedent for any future films within the various superhero universes; female superheroes and female-led superhero movies are both important as well as deserving of the same appreciation that we (often mindlessly) provide male superhero films with.

Considering we live in a time where superhero movies dominate the blockbuster releases, not only does the Wonder Woman movie now provide children and young adults who look toward the superhero universes for inspiration with a female role model, but it also ensures that a female-led movie, in a world where superhero movies are not only male-centric but also masculinity-centric, has thrived and been recognised.

The roles we see in conventional superhero movies have been switched around for this movie- the male character is the one who needs saving. This allows for young girls watching the movie to understand that the older movies might be wrong, that maybe they don’t actually need a superhero (or a man) to come and save them.

Although the Wonder Woman movie is a milestone, it shouldn’t be and it is a shame that we had to wait over a decade for a female-led superhero movie to be released again. To not grant this movie the attention and appreciation it deserves is to contribute to the cycle of refusing female-led movies (in general) a place in cinematic history.

However, the world is witnessing a revolution of sorts with the release of this movie- there are people flocking to movie theatres and cinema halls for a chance to see Gal Gadot on screen, with war-appropriate armour and a badass story.