Unveiling Wonder Woman 1984: A Cinematic Journey into Iconic Heroism
Introduction: Few new cinematic superheroes come with the confusing legacy and cultural heritage of Wonder Woman. The world’s first superhero created and read by women has existed for more than 80 years in the DC comics universe. We’re talking about Diana Prince, also known as Wonder Woman, who has never been anything more than strong, compassionate, and just. The recently released Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) took director Patty Jenkins back to her home base with a time-hop around the decade most synonymous with big hair, big shoulders, and big movies: the 1980s. Here we sink into the supernateria of Wonder Woman 1984 and examine where it fits with other superheroes on the big screen.
Thematic Depth: At its heart, Wonder Woman 1984 is a story of hope, love, and the eternal challenge between light and darkness. Bathed in the greed and excess of 1980s greed and excess, Diana Prince finds herself betrayed by the same truths that anchored her to life and deluded by her unshakable desire to reunite with her deceased beau Steve Trevor. Hollywood’s entropy rails against Wonder Woman’s steadfast truth and justice, illuminating our inner conflicting struggle to overcome the evil that lives inside each of us.
Gal Gadot is electrifying as Diana Prince (AKA Wonder Woman) in the eponymous hit film: resolute, yet helpless with grief; cold as ice, yet delicate as a spring flower. Initially dedicated to her homeland, she evolves into a compassionate champion of all. This film is rich with humanity and meaningful themes.
Visual Spectacle: The movie hopscotches from the concrete jungles of Washington, D.C. to the mythical idyll of Themyscira, rarely pausing to catch its breath. Nothing is superfluous, especially when it comes to sensory pleasure. Nothing. Patty Jenkins’s attention to detail in designing the world of Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) is such that the vibrant colour palette, brilliant cinematography, and stylish stunt choreography create an immersive effect. The neon-clogged 1980s have never looked better.
Among the film’s more exciting moments is the rooftop battle atop the Washington Monument where Wonder Woman performs her gymnastic feats and moral courage, and the concluding battle over the great metropolis of Washington, DC where she confronts the villain Maxwell Lord.
Thematic Relevance: Beneath its arresting cinematography and high-octane action sequences, WW84 speaks to the core issues of what it means to be human – to desire, and to feel compassion. It’s an exploration of how desire taken to extremes can lead to self-isolation, and how compassion guides us toward harmony. It’s also a consideration of the meaning and value of hope.
But in reality the egregious, chillingly remorseless villain Maxwell Lord (perfectly cast as played by Pedro Pascal) is the allegory for the dangers of acquisitiveness and the hunger for transcendent power, as he winds up engineering the worst possible outcome to his yearning by engineering everyone’s desires and getting exactly what he knows he doesn’t deserve. Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) similarly stands as the paragon of altruism and selflessness for the sake of someone else.
Conclusion: Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman 1984 is a superhero film, yes, and a very good one. It’s also a cinematic narrative tour de force; a masterclass in thematic illumination, visual ambience, and emotional veracity. And it’s an ultra-optimistic gift to Diana Prince and Wonder Woman fans worldwide: complex, intelligent, gorgeous to look at, and, above all else, deeply human without ever once becoming cynical about who we might be otherwise. The film invites us to climb aboard the wings of a hawk and soar. It’s a hoot, but it makes you weep at the same time. It roars and cries your name. Just trust it: the girl you love is dying.
