I walked out of the theatre after watching Wonder Woman, feeling a complete sense of empowerment and self-belief that I can take on the world. No wonder it’s a global blockbuster sensation. Superhero movies so far empowered only half the world’s population. Patty Jenkins, the first woman director of a studio super-heroine movie, empowers the other half.
When I first heard the title, I thought it was corny, expecting the film to just be a male version of Superman . I have never been a fan of superhero movies, despite subjecting myself to several versions of “Superman”, “Batman” and “Spiderman”, more to humour my spouse than for my own interest. The worlds these movies inhabited were artificial to me, and I could never suspend my disbelief enough to buy into these characters. So it was magical to feel the goose bumps on my skin and the rush of blood as I watched Diana (Gal Gadot), Princess of the Amazons take on the various men who tried to stop her.
The dialogue that epitomises the entire theme of the film is the one between Queen Hippolyta and her daughter Diana (Wonder Woman), while trying to stop her from leaving on her mission to end World War I. “If you choose to leave, you may never return”, her mother warns her. Diana replies, “Who will I be if I stay?” It sounds like just a few simple words strung together by screenwriter Allan Heindberg, but the meaning runs deep. It taps into the underlying and sometimes unmet need of every woman to make something of her life, to be more than the homemaker, to give herself an independent identity devoid of her personal relationships. To be a proud achiever first, a wife and mother, next! Diana fulfils her destiny, undeterred by personal ties or the fear of the unknown.
Too often, young girls are told, don’t dream without limits, don’t cross the line, don’t stray beyond the boundaries and don’t take chances. As mothers, we tell ourselves that one spouse needs to take responsibility, make the sacrifices and not neglect our duties. The pressure to conform, toe the line, meet society’s expectations and constantly think of the consequences of one’s actions, have been drilled into our heads. Diana speaks to each of us, young and old, and says, “Why not?” Too long have our wings been clipped and kept folded.
Young girls today need a good role model and I can’t think of a better one than Diana. It is no surprise then that on October 21, 2016, the United Nations named Wonder Woman a UN Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. It’s time for each of us to discover the ‘Wonder Woman’ within ourselves and soar.
(Lata Murugan teaches screenwriting at Mindscreen Film Institute)
