
Similarly, the history of the Amazons, told in a dense but beautifully rendered backstory by Hippolyta, evokes a painterly quality reminiscent of Caravaggio. Jenkins films many of these scenes in wide shot, reveling in the majestic nature of this culture. The scenes set in Themyscira have a dazzling array of colors including the gold of armor, the cerulean blue of the sea that surrounds them, warm creams, and deep browns.
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It’s free of the Hellenic influence you’d expect from a story that takes such inspiration from Greek myth with the Amazons creating their home in a way that respects the lush nature around them rather than destroying it. Diana leaves behind the only life she’s ever known, heading to late 1910s London to stop the war she believes is influenced by the god Ares.Ĭinematographer Matthew Jensen, production designer Aline Bonetto, and costume designer Lindy Hemming form Themyscira into a gorgeous utopia that utilizes a variety of cultural touchstones. Even a man like Captain Steve Trevor (an endlessly charming Chris Pine), who brings news of World War I when he crash-lands on the island disrupting this all-female sanctuary, gets saved by her. She grows from a kind, young girl into an inquisitive, brave, young woman who never hesitates to helps those in need. But Diana longs to be trained in the art of war by her aunt, Antiope (a stellar Robin Wright). No Amazon is fiercer or more protective than her mother, Queen Hippolyta ( Connie Nielsen). As a young girl, Diana enjoys the loving protection of the Amazons of Themyscira, a secluded island paradise created by the gods of Olympus. Written by Allan Heinberg, with a story also by Zack Snyder and Jason Fuchs, the story uses a variety of inspiration culled from Wonder Woman’s 76-year history. It’s inspiring, evocative, and, unfortunately, a bit infuriating for the chances it doesn’t take. It is a sincerely good film in which no qualifiers are needed.

In turn, “Wonder Woman” isn’t just a good superhero film. But more often than not she wears a bright, open smile that carries the optimism and hope that is true to the character’s long history as well as a much-needed salve from what other blockbusters offer. At times, her face is inquisitive, morose, and marked by fury. Through moments of quiet verisimilitude and blistering action sequences, Jenkins’ gaze often wisely returns to the face of her lead heroine, Diana ( Gal Gadot).

It wasn’t the glimmer of a blade or even the picturesque shores of Themyscira, the utopian paradise Wonder Woman calls home. But early in the film I noticed the terrain that director Patty Jenkins turned to most often in order to create the emotional through-line. It’s arguably easier to sell Wonder Woman as a vengeful heroine in the vein of countless others, but less distinctive. As a longtime Wonder Woman fan, I worried her distinctive edges would be sanded off when it came time for her standalone film.
