For a studio that prides itself on allowing directors to continue the work, Warner Bros is certainly prone to strange executive interference. Or it may appear initially from recent comments made by Patty Jenkins of the 1984 Wonder Woman on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, which were subsequently chosen by media outlets around the world.
Discussing Gal Gadot’s first time as the Amazonian superhero in the acclaimed 2017 Wonder Woman, Jenkins revealed that he initially fought the studio to convey his vision of an affectionate and loving Diana of Themyscira, eventually winning an approach that would have seen the character involved in extreme ultraviolence.
“I felt that they wanted to hire me like a beard; they wanted me to walk the set as a director – but it was their story and their vision, ”said Jenkins of her early experiences with the studio.
“Even when I joined Wonder Woman, it was like, ‘Uhh, yeah, OK, but let’s do it another way.’ But I thought, ‘Women don’t want to see this. She being tough and tough and cutting people’s heads … I’m a fan of Wonder Woman, that’s not what we’re looking for. Still, I could feel that unsteady nervousness from my point of view. “
Jenkins has since accessed Twitter to point out that she was rarely “at war” with Warner Bros. and discussed conversations that took place more than a decade ago, (presumably) with executives very different from those who eventually gave Wonder Woman the go-ahead. Filmmaker Monster started talking about making a Wonder Woman movie in 2007, but it was only in the best part of a decade after she was invited to finally make the film with complete creative freedom. This makes sense when you watch the 2017 movie, which looks like a totally different beast from other episodes at the beginning of DC’s “extended universe”, like Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
Even the later Justice League, a lighter case clearly influenced by the success of Wonder Woman, did not portray Gadot’s Amazon battle in the way that Jenkins would. The filmmaker told Yahoo recently that she was “uncomfortable with who she was and how she was seen,” after director Joss Whedon oversaw scenes where the superhero is sexualized compared to his appearances in other films.
All of this brings us to Wonder Woman 1984, a case more or less that, while fun enough for the most radical fans, seems to have fallen into the trap typical of the superhero sequel that previously affected Marvel’s Iron Man 2 and Thor: The Dark World. Here is a film in which Jenkins clearly had complete creative control after his predecessor’s impressive box office and near-universal critical acclaim. So why did it leave a “meh” feeling?
The set piece sequences are spectacular – in particular, Jenkins’ bravery, which opens up the vision of a cross-Themyscira athletics marathon that makes modern Olympics look like a child’s egg and spoon race. Pedro Pascal, from the Mandalorian, brings an unusual mix of humanity and panache to the chewing furniture villain for the role of the villain Maxwell Lord. Gadot is as splendidly sculptural as ever in the lead role, and his fish game out of water with Chris Pine Steve Trevor miraculously revived is a joy.
The sequence also closely follows Wonder Woman’s essential mantras, her powerful and independent femininity, kindness and grace. He does not back down when he portrays masculinity in its most toxic form, but totally avoids any fall into nearsighted misandry. These are nuances to be valued.
So how can you not like it? Perhaps the only criticism that can be made of Jenkins is that there is little news other than the 80s scene and a new bizarre MacGuffin in the essential 1984 composition of Wonder Woman. One cannot help feeling that if this were a Marvel film, there would have been room to introduce other superheroes to lighten the burden on the other Princess Diana.
However, Jenkins has always preferred the stand-alone approach. Ultimately, the filmmaker managed to make the Wonder Woman movie she wanted to make, without any studio interference – again, a rare feat in Hollywood. It’s a shame that she hasn’t – very much – managed to do the same trick twice.