Wonder Woman: New Movie, New Costume

Awaiting Wonder Woman in 2017

By Shrey Sankalp

Okay, let me clear something up right off the bat – this piece talks about the upcoming Wonder Woman film, and not the great/terrible Terrence Malik film (I don’t know, Terrence Malik’s a controversial dude, you’ve got to see his films to determine what they are) this piece borrows its title from (that’s just due to the writer’s severe creative handicap).

Now that we’ve got that cleared up, let’s talk about Wonder Woman!

I don’ have to emphasize how important this film is to the future of DC films, do I?

So far, DC has been all flash with snazzy visuals and cool costumes, but they’ve hardly had the quality of films to back that up, and we both know that cool visuals and cool costumes only get you so far.

Man of Steel was held down because of these reasons, and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (the first and last time I’m completely mentioning that mouthful of a title in this piece) flat out tripped on itself because of that.

But for everything the film got wrong, it got one thing very, very right, and that was Wonder Woman. This incarnation of Wonder Woman was everything you would envision her to be – regal in the way she carried herself, a strong and brave warrior, and a genuinely thrilling on screen presence, complete with an excellent costume. (Full disclosure: The costume isn’t comic book accurate, but it blends the classic design with the designs seen in the costumes used in Zack Snyder’s 300 for a utilitarian yet visually interesting look)

DC sure must have realized the goldmine of a character they were sitting on, because they sure didn’t waste time greenlighting a film about Wonder Woman, with Gal Gadot reprising her role and Patty Jenkins behind the camera.

Apart from Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman will be the only film in DC’s repertoire so far to be free of Zack Snyder’s influence, and from the snippets seen so far (courtesy of the Comic Con trailer), the film feels decidedly different – the color palette is lighter, the action seems more grand, and the costume has been livened up in terms of color as compared to the muted hues seen in the Batman v. Superman costume.

The film is showing a different era, where Wonder Woman fought in the first World War, and the aesthetic goes with that very well. (Perhaps the costume seems brighter as it’s seen 100 years before its appearance in Batman v. Superman, in which case the costume would have scarred and faded over battles fought throughout the century)

The reaction to all these changes so far has been mostly positive, to a point where Wonder Woman is already being heralded as the film that will save DC’s cinematic universe, and while that’s a valid point in itself, there are bigger connotations attached to Wonder Woman that I’m afraid we’re overlooking.

DC/Warner Bros

For better or worse, we’ve been a patriarchal society for long, in nearly every sector.

And while I’m glad to say that’s changed in the last few decades, women are still criminally underrepresented in many forms of media.

Films, unfortunately, have been one.

While comic books have started to emphasize women and give them meatier roles instead of just objectifying them in a skimpy costume, comic book movies have kept them largely sidelined. As great as Black Widow or Catwoman may be, they still play second fiddle to the hero, and that’s something that had to change.

And Wonder Woman took that step.

If you’re familiar with the comics, Wonder Woman was a character came into existence to provide representation to women, and provide inspiration to girls all around the world, and in the era they were meant for, they did their job well.  

But times have changed, and along with them, so has the way we consume our media, necessitating the need to impart the message in a more appropriate form.

And what better way to do it than on film?

Directed by a celebrated female director, the film has got the basics – the look, feel and costume – in place, and with the talent behind and in front of the camera, the tools to tell the story they need.

I have little doubt the film will be excellent, but even if it misses the mark, it will empower a whole generation of children. 

When you see the number of Wonder Woman costumes on the street on Halloween,  you’ll know what I mean, because Wonder Woman’s costume isn’t just a mandatory costume that the hero wears before they rush off to fight crime – it’s a symbol of empowerment, hope, and that no mountain is high enough should you have the will to scale it.

That’s what a hero is anyway, isn’t it?