Wonder Woman director shares journey
Director strives to balance character’s strength and compassion
Some have suggested Patty Jenkins was an unlikely filmmaker to bring Wonder Woman to multiplexes.
But she had circled the project for a few years after directing Charlize Theron to an Oscar for portraying a serial killer in 2003’s Monster. Jenkins speaks to us about her new movie. On Wonder Woman finally arriving on the big screen: “It’s stunning for me,” Jenkins says. “I’m one of those fans who has been wanting to see (a Wonder Woman movie) for a long, long time.” On being loyal to the story’s main ingredients: “I think the lore is sprinkled all over the entire movie,” she says, although the backdrop has been changed from the original Second World War setting. On collaborating with Gal Gadot in the title role: “I think that one of the things that we both connected on and we both believe in to a great extent is the magic of Wonder Woman,” Jenkins says. On a key sequence in the film: “The scene that I felt the most duty to, as a comic book fan and Wonder Woman fan, was (the battle confrontation in) No Man’s Land.” On why it’s pivotal: “The first step into battle in costume is an amazing and important moment, and it’s one that is wonderful to distinguish from other (superheroes),” Jenkins says. “I want (audiences) to be teed up completely for the moment that she turns into Wonder Woman.” On Wonder Woman’s unique personality: “She’s incredibly strong, but she also stands for something which is the opposite of being violent — which is love, truth, compassion,” the director says. “For her to lose any of that for any reason would have been a huge shame.” On a notion that action films are for males only: “There’s an idea that action movies are more attractive to one gender than the other or different kinds of people, or whatever,” Jenkins says. “The truth is action is not any different than any other part of a story.” On filming her first action movie: “I had incredible people working with me on many different aspects of how we were going to tell the story,” she says. “As a woman, it was interesting sometimes that I would say, ‘I think (females) might fight a little differently than (males) might fight.’ ” On balancing a movie with good and evil: “The challenge’s to see both the good and bad of mankind, and Steve (Chris Pine) really ends up representing the good and the complexity of mankind.” On fleshing out the villains German General Ludendorff (Danny Huston and especially Dr. Maru a.k.a. Dr. Poison (Elena Anaya): “Every villain has their belief system that makes perfect sense to them,” Jenkins says. “What I loved about (Dr. Maru) is that she feels great damage, and therefore wants the rest of the world to understand great damage.” On assessing the complicated task of transforming Wonder Woman to a movie: “I’m both honoured and surprised at the position that we find ourselves in,” she says.
“We all want to bring, not only a hero to the world, but a message of helping anybody find their voice.”
She’s incredibly strong, but she also stands for something which is the opposite of being violent.