Spoiler alert: If you have not yet watched the Wonder Woman movie, released June 2, 2017, then please bookmark this blog post and come back to it later.
My family and I went to see Wonder Woman this weekend. My daughter, G.N., age seven, said, “Wonder Woman went to the war. I liked seeing her fight.”
This is important! Girls and women need role models who fight, not just with costume-drama witty remarks or mean-girl social tactics, but facing danger to fight for values and big ideas.
Before going to the movie, I read about (here and here) women who cried during the battle scenes, especially the scene in which Diana Prince goes over the top of the trenches and leads a charge across no-man’s land. I cried, too. They were good tears. I want to remember them and carry them with me.
Wonder Woman (Warner Bros. 2017)
The no-man’s land scene has several elements. First, Diana is in the trenches with her companions, becoming increasingly outraged at the horrors of war and the suffering of the civilians trapped behind the lines. Her companions tell her no, it’s impossible, and it’s a distraction from their main objective, a spy mission. She sheds her civilian clothes and rushes up the ladder wearing her distinctive Amazon armor. Her presence attracts gunfire from the opposing lines, which she deflects with her bracelets. She marches forward and the rate of fire increases. (This was the part when I cried the most.) She uses her shield to deflect heavy gunfire and shells, but becomes pinned down. Her friends realize she is drawing all the fire and use the opportunity to go over the top, stop the machine guns and shells, and cross no-man’s land to the village.
Seeing Diana on screen charging across no-man’s land hit me in a tender spot I didn’t know I had.
Moms can relate to this. We encounter injustices every day, and we are told we can do nothing about it. It has always been that way. That is not the mission. It’s impossible. You will die. No one will help you. We hide our true selves under clothes that are meant to help us fit in.
To throw off the disguise and to say yes to fighting back is a tremendous release of frustration. I think that’s why I cried. The no-man’s land scene reminded me of times when I have channeled my anger in constructive ways. In the future, when I am facing a challenge that scares me, I will think back about Diana’s charge into the gunfire and access that feeling again.
Moms’ battlefields are not as obvious as World War I trenches, but they are real. Humans are flawed, and there are too many situations in which people are being treated badly because of their differences. My family’s battle has been to get a good education for our children and the children in our community. Your battles might involve health or safety, or helping the world understand your child’s differences.
Moms, I hope you also find the Wonder Woman in yourself and carry her with you into battle. Find your no-man’s land and go there.
Sources:
- Wonder Woman on IMDB
- Why I cried through the fight scenes in “Wonder Woman”, Meredith Woerner, Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2017
- Why are women crying when they watch “Wonder Woman” fight?, Andrea Mandell, USA Today, May 31, 2017
- The Wonder Woman “No Man’s Land” Scene Is Rooted In History, Myth and Arts, G. Roger Denson, Huffington Post, June 23, 2017
- Why “Wonder Woman” matters to women — and is already changing the movies we watch, Carrie Wittmer, Business Insider, June 3, 2017
- “Wonder Woman” (Movie Review): Believe Me, It’s Good, Evil Genius Mum, Geekmom, May 30, 2017
- Wonder Woman Movie Review, Nadia, Hawaii Mom Blog, June 2, 2017
I’m a proud contributor at Alamo City Moms Blog, part of the City Moms Blog Network. Here is a roundup of great Wonder Woman commentary from City Moms Blog sister sites:
- Thank you, Wonder Woman, Christie, Jacksonville Moms Blog, June 8, 2017
- Why Wonder Woman Is Exactly the Role Model Women and Girls Need, Miki Beach, Burlington VT Moms Blog, June 28, 2017
- Raising Wonder Women: Parenting Lesson’s From DC’s Latest Blockbuster, Charadonahue, Portland Moms Blog, June 20, 2017
- Wonder Woman 2017: The Modern Maternal Woman, Amber Gregg, Dallas Moms Blog, June 8, 2017
- We Have Super Powers, We Just Don’t Realize It, Meredith, San Francisco Moms Blog, October 19, 2016
- Run the World {Girls}: A Beauty Time in History, Ashly, San Diego Moms Blog, June 20, 2016
- All Moms Are Wonder Women, Andie, New Orleans Moms Blog, March 30, 2015
