by Jessica Mansfield and Gill Pringle
Well, it’s only taken 75 years, several Batman and Superman-related movies and TV shows, billions of dollars both spent and made, and one firecracker supporting performance in a lacklustre film, but we finally have a Wonder Woman film that all fans, new and old, can be proud of.
Set in 1918 and following Diana’s (Gal Gadot) quest from the Amazonian Themyscira to the world of man to put an end to the Great War, the film is an exciting, emotional journey bolstered by a wide-eyed, heartfelt, powerhouse performance by Gal Gadot, whose Diana Prince is a brilliant example of female strength.
Talking to FilmInk, Gadot and Chris Pine spoke about the importance of the iconic female role model and the timeliness of her screen debut.
“I am very flattered by it,” Gadot remarks, in response to director Patty Jenkins saying that she truly embodies Wonder Woman on-screen and off. “I just think that it’s crazy that this iconic character has been around for 75 years and we have never got to see her origin story. I think that men and boys, growing up they had Superman and Batman and Spiderman to look up to, and we didn’t really have a strong female figure to look up to, and I think that this is so important that finally we can have a strong female figure, not only for girls but also for boys. Everyone keeps talking about women empowerment and you can’t empower women without educating men. You need to be inclusive, so being a mother of two, I am just very thrilled that finally it’s happening and I am hoping that there will be more and more strong female figures.”
“She has super powers, she can lift tanks and stuff, and I can’t. She’s talking about running through No Man’s Land and I’m like, ‘are you out of your mind?’” Chris Pine weighs in, discussing the differences between Gadot’s Diana and his character, Steve Trevor, a British Intelligence Officer who washes up on Themyscira before joining Diana on her mission. “The great thing about the disparity [between them] is that she’s infinitely hopeful because nothing can stop her, so it provides someone like me, who has seen the worst of mankind, with the hope that he needs. I think that when they first meet, he is a jaded, 20th century man and without meeting this wonderful woman, he probably would have just sunk into that morass of despair that war can bring. She is the hope that allows them to go through No Man’s Land and see that there is possibility to defeat some bad people and save innocent ones.”
The significance of donning the iconic cuffs is not lost on Gadot, who, rather than letting the pressure take over, used it to drive her performance. “I had a few moments like that where you feel like it is bigger than you. It’s not about me at all, I am just a vessel. When I (SPOILERS) first walk into No Man’s Land and I do the reveal, we did it in one shot. It felt very empowering.”
Despite the film’s early 20th century setting, many of the challenges faced – dark times, international and political tension, death and destruction on a widespread scale – are reminiscent of the scenes played out on our televisions every day. A film like Wonder Woman is a timely reminder of the importance of having heroes of all kinds to look up to. “I think, let’s start small,” Gadot decides. “The world has so much drama, and complicated, dark things that are happening, but I think that if we start small and if we are focused on making our surroundings better and being good to one another, maybe we can create a ripple effect for a better society.”
Wonder Woman is in cinemas now.
