When Caitlyn Jenner came out, I congratulated her. Same with Michael Sam. And, every time, people responded positively. It is a good thing. I was once that gay kid who wondered if there were others. I couldn't see them in media, I had no idea. And that loneliness was lethal. Truly, lethal. I just needed a reason to know that I was not going to be a fat, ugly kid, a pariah forever, and I might as well end it now. It's not like my family could help (I would later learn that they would, but that's not what we're looking at, here). So, even if I didn't have a direct relationship with the famous, if they could do it, if they could voice their experiences and I could see the parallels, I had hope.
What was it my buddy, Harvey Milk said," You gotta give them hope." With each famous individual coming out, hope grew. With ever gay cinema character, hope grew. With every recognition that didn't end up in death, hope grew.
In a world where white straight male privilege is becoming more and more obvious and the Old Guard is so resistant to that change, now, more than anything, visibility, especially in a universe with instant access, is becoming even more and more dire. I don't know how many of my friends, good people, smart people, made comments when I would congratulate another person coming out, would say things, like, "aren't we beyond this? We don't need to acknowledge that any more."
Yes, we are. We are beyond this.
'Cause I have smart friends.
But the world? That's a very different place. People, as a whole, are a much larger mixed bag of responses. They aren't so forgiving. They know racism is bad. Sexism is bad. But they have not, for whatever reason, accepted that things like feminism and civil equality are good. Racism still profoundly, exists. Sexism and homophobia STILL exist, even with so much evidence otherwise. I cannot figure it out.
So I turn back to the kids of today. They need to see equality.
Movies, as a whole, do try, I do believe that. From the "Oscars so white," Hollywood realized they needed to address their approach. Do they succeed? Not always. But there was an attempt, as the reddit users might say.
But the movie theaters still aim for those white male film goers, never really realizing that, well, if you make a good movie, it doesn't matter the demographic, really. Look at Titanic. If ever there was an example of women making the cinematic decision making process, there you go.
And yet? No other Titanic like movies. There were some clones-but all of them kinda sucked.
I'm also struck by the movie Brokeback Mountain, one of those rare titles that was both critically acclaimed AND made a crapton of dough. When the husOtter and I went to see it that Saturday night, the movie was PACKED. Not only that, it was packed with....cowboys. Now, I'm not joshing you with the Village People cowboys. It was evident as we stood there by the concessions, these men and women were from the Front Range, no more than thirty minutes from the theater on the outskirts of town. Their demeanor? Decidedly rural. But they watched the movie in silence. No catcalls. No shudders about the content. In fact, they spoke up about the realities of the film, we noticed, about rustling and getting herds converged. See? You can never really count on the demographic. All people go see all movies. That's why we need more good movies; that's why we need to cross all lines.
Please note: I am no innocent. I did, just now, possibly stereotype a group of people with my expectation. That is what's wrong. We ALL need to work on this. Yes, even me.
Which brings us to this weekend's blockbuster.
Wonder Woman. Important in the comic book world but, also, important in the representation of women in a society that likes Superman and Batman, both literally and figuratively. I cannot really report on her comic book heritage, as it wasn't a title I frequented. But, strangely, I understood her in the pantheon of heroes that make our common culture. She was every bit in the equal of Superman and Batman. In fact, she was one to bare her face to the world, not a secretive creature like Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent.
It's interesting in that I bring up Superman. As I watched this movie, I was transported to that time I saw Christopher Reeve fly back in the 70s. Upon repeated viewings of that original titel, the movie is mostly good, holding up against time. But, as a child, my heart soared as much as the man in the red cape.
There's something of that childhood joyfulness here, too. The story is pure, novel for many, and has an ethereal quality. There's a sense of hope, played by Gal Gadot's Princess Diana. She carries with her a specific weight and, given the potent and clear choices made by Patty Jenkins, it's evident on the screen. We have ethnic characters that aren't stereotypes. A Native American is a strange shaman type, he even gets along with the other characters and not regulated to the side. We have violence that comes with guilt by the protagonist when she commits them, her heartbreak that when she saves the day, the fighting does continue. The only nudity is male (take THAT! white boys! See? Didn't like it, did you?) All the tropes dissolve completely under our audience's eyes, and in that, comes a welcome picture. There are action sequences, and yes, there is violence, but that's something to be said about bringing a new shine to old proceedings.
Now, I am lucky. In high school, I was addicted to Hong Kong Action Cinema, of which, women play a frequent strong role in many martial arts films. I mean, Michelle Yeoh, anyone? So, to some extent, this is what I was expecting. Ass-kicking with the usual aplomb.
We get that.
But we also get an origin story, much like Krypton, a home island named Themyscaria, instead of planet, and someone bred to be a hero-to the point that she cannot seem to be happy without action. This is an usual trait. I see it with Captain America too. Someone who cannot find themselves unless they are actively doing something. Wonder Woman smiles during the action progression. This is-unique. She's is fulfilling her destiny, as the tale unfolds, as she is supposed to be given the role of "god-killer." In this sense, the god in question is Ares, the Greek purveyor of war.
In fact, in this entire parable, her final duel with the super villain actually falls a bit short of the story that went beforehand. I'm used to big battle scenes, heck, if they are evenly matched, it should take forever. But, the excellent writing gives us two powerful individuals who have no way of giving to the other side, so we get a series of blasts that seemingly come out of no where.
It doesn't work.
But, by that point, we don't really care.
With 95% of the movie rolling along at a decent clip, such missteps are dissolved quickly in light of what went before.
In that way, I'm recommending the tale. It is epic, exciting, and has enough visual bluster that it is worthwhile on the big screen. In fact, it even goes on to prove something I have noticed that the Marvel Universe has already done. It doesn't seek to be an art film. It allows the characters and actions take their lives as their own and goes with it. There's no attempt of dark, gritty style; but, instead, a sense of purpose and journey.
Welcome Wonder Woman. Can you go kick some more butt for us, please?
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