‘PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN’
R 1:48 ★★★★
2017 was the year we collectively fell for Wonder Woman on the big screen. Propelled by cultural tides, embodied by Gal Gadot, she was the hero we so badly needed. On the heels of Patty Jenkins’ blockbuster, be prepared to fall in love with Wonder Woman all over again, thanks to the wonderfully sensitive and insightful superheroine origin story “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” written and directed by Angela Robinson.
Robinson maps the psychology of Wonder Woman onto the life story of her creator, Dr. William Moulton Marston (played by Luke Evans), who led a very unconventional life for his time.
A dashing Radcliffe psychology professor with a headstrong, genius wife, Elizabeth (Rebecca Hall), Marston encounters a beautiful undergrad, Olive (Bella Heathcote), in class, who becomes their assistant, friend and confidant. It’s through their psychology research into human emotion, and theories of dominance and submission, that the trio open up to one another and fall in love.
Marston declares that these two together are the perfect woman — Elizabeth is bold, smart, unfiltered and funny, while Olive is soft, guileless and pure of heart. Once they buck tradition, convention and “normalcy” to build a life as a threesome, it’s only a matter of time before their sex life takes on a new dimension, and they delight in role play and light bondage. His inspirational light bulb for the comic book is the wonderful women at home, and he draws on their traits and experiences to create the iconic female superhero.
Robinson employs a 1945 decency hearing headed by Josette Frank (Connie Britton), of the Child Study Association of America, as a narrative framing device to draw out Marston’s explicit explanation of his character. Frank’s inquisition forces him to justify his reasons for creating a character for children with so much, well, kinky stuff. But Marston, passionately articulates his belief that coded messages in a popular medium aimed at the next generation could create a trend of loving respect for powerful women and a pleasure in submission to them. It’s a radically feminist notion.
In “Professor Marston and the Wonder Women,” you’ll discover the surprising psychology behind Wonder Woman, and perhaps a newfound appreciation for her powers to crumble social norms with sensuality. Truly, it is a wonder of a movie.
Starring: Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall, Bella Heathcote, Connie Britton and Oliver Platt. (Strong sexual content including brief graphic images and language)