JUNE 7 ― Last weekend I had the opportunity to watch the new superhero action movie based on DC Comics’ Wonder Woman (spoiler alert).
Besides being my namesake (Wonder Woman’s human name is Diana Prince), I have always been enthralled by this beautiful and strong female character with long, wavy black hair (not unlike mine) ever since my brother first introduced me to her when I was a little girl.
She had an awesome costume too ― bulletproof cuffs, a magic lasso that made people tell the truth and a gold-and-red tiara to top it off.
As can be expected, I was excited to watch a modern reimagination of the film!
In this latest Hollywood version, Wonder Woman hails from a magical paradise island of warrior women.
She leaves her home in order to save the world from the destruction wrought by the God of War, Ares, which takes the form of World War I.
And so a much-loved and hitherto sheltered princess leaves the comforts of her home and her family to fight the bigger fight and hopefully bring about a greater good.
The film itself was a wonderful work of art. Its action scenes were so well choreographed that I was sitting on the edge of my seat with my eyes glued to the screen the whole time.
Perhaps I was personally invested in it, but seeing a strong and fearless woman fighting for her cause while being true to herself was inspiring stuff.
Wonder Woman surrounded herself with a group of people who were supportive of her, even if they did not believe in the same thing she did. And I guess that’s why the team worked, because everyone accepted her for who she was, even if she wore a corset and armoured skirt in the middle of a European winter.
It also didn’t matter what her gender was ― war was not the sole domain of males. Finally, due to her perseverance and courage, she managed to achieve what male soldiers failed to do.
As a comic character, Wonder Woman has been a symbol of female empowerment since 1941 when she first appeared in All-Star Comics. This privileged superhero who decided to dirty her hands and change the world because she believes everyone deserves better was in fact named by the United Nations (UN) as an honorary ambassador for the empowerment of women and girls and for gender equality in 2016.
Although her UN appointment was short-lived and controversial, it was an interesting gong by the distinguished international organisation. It was also in line with the idea envisioned by her creator, Dr William Moulton Marston, who once wrote: “Not even girls want to be girls so long as our feminine archetype lacks force, strength, and power…. Women’s strong qualities have become despised because of their weakness. The obvious remedy is to create a character with all the strength of Superman plus all the allure of a good and beautiful woman.”
At the end of the day, the story of Wonder Woman is a challenge of gender stereotypes. She symbolises how women are more than capable of taking control of their own destiny, becoming a hero and fight alongside men.
As a child, Wonder Woman influenced my self-esteem and future aspirations. She taught me that I can be beautiful, strong and a leader while choosing to be who I am and to dress how I liked.
She also taught me that life is bigger than myself and I should not rest comfortably in my sheltered life when the rest of the world is in need.
As a pop culture image and female role model, Wonder Woman had an impact on my life, and I have no doubt that she will continue to inspire future generations of young girls, giving them hope, purpose and confidence in themselves.
At times, it felt like the characters of the film were talking to me, especially each time they called out her name ― Diana. But while it may be a bit of wishful thinking, I do believe that there is a little bit of Wonder Woman in myself, and in every woman out there.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
