A hero’s “wonder”-ful love
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Cristina Cabrera Jarro
February is here!
Love is in the air, in delectable chocolate boxes, and in the smell of sweet roses.
If you love movies, it is also the rom-com, chick flicks, romantic, and dramatic period piece film season. We could debate endlessly as to which is the best romantic film of all time. For me, a millennial, it’s a three-way tie between Disney’s animated film Beauty and the Beast, James Cameron’s Titanic, and Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday. I am also a fan of Hollywood classics like Casablanca and Singing in the Rain, and I will confess that I have never seen Gone with the Wind in its entirety. (I promise I will soon.)
As I was trying to select which of these to discuss for this month’s blog, a film from a completely opposite genre came to mind: Wonder Woman” (2017). Yes, the superhero, action-packed tale of an Amazonian princess who fights alongside mankind in a war to end all wars.
It sounds absolutely romantic, right?
Well, not exactly.
However, there is a lot more love involved in the story than you would expect. Love is actually a key component in the development of Wonder Woman’s character, and in the overall theme of the movie.
Just like in romantic films, sometimes in action films there is a motivation of love that drives the characters to do unimaginable things. But love always finds a way.
Like my Disney-themed blog where I admitted to being a Disney adult, I am now admitting I am a fan of superhero movies and comics. I even attend comic and anime conventions in South Florida. But please, do not ask me if I prefer DC or Marvel. For me, they both have produced some of the most iconic heroes of our time, and out of all of the heroes, Wonder Woman is my favorite.
SPOILER ALERT: As I discuss the representation of love in the film, I am officially alerting readers that I will reveal pivotal plot moments. So, if you’ve already seen it, or you don’t mind, read on! If you haven’t seen it, and you do mind, sorry for spoiling it. Please watch it soon.
Here we go.
In the film’s opening sequence, an adult Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) provides us with a Genesis-like monologue, pausing every so often, to contemplate events that she has lived through:
“I used to want to save the world. This beautiful place. But I knew so little then. It is a land of magic and wonder, worth cherishing in every way. But the closer you get, the more you see the great darkness simmering within,” she says.
“And mankind? Mankind is another story altogether. What one does when faced with the truth is more difficult than you think. I learned that the hard way, a long, long time ago. And now, I will never be the same,” she concludes.
It’s a loaded statement for someone who technically would not have even encountered the world of man were it not that it literally came crashing into hers in the perfectly protected, peaceful island of Themyscira that exists frozen in mythological Greco-Roman times.
Up until that moment, Diana had only dreamt of combat, almost pretend-playing “warrior.” Once she sees real action, there is fear. But there is also this great moment when we see how she gets involved to protect her Amazon family. We also see how the Amazons protect her, the youngest and most inexperienced in battle. In a selfless act of love, the character of Antiope sacrifices herself by taking a bullet that was meant for Diana. With casualties, the Amazons win, but as Diana stated in her opening words: “Now, I will never be the same.”
As the Amazons interrogate a captured Steve Trevor, who crashed his plane in Themyscira as he fled from the Germans, he reveals that a war (World War I) is raging outside. Diana realizes that humanity has once again been corrupted by the god of war, Ares, and someone has to defeat him and help restore the goodness of mankind. Without request, and without permission, Diana accepts the mission.
She collects weapons for the journey—a shield, the Lasso of Hestia (also known as the “Lasso of Truth”), armor, and the Godkiller sword—and attempts to sneak away with Steve. But like a good parent who always knows when a child is up to no good, she is stopped by her mother, Queen Hippolyta.
Trying to stand up tall before her mother, she announces her decision to leave.
“I know,” Hippolyta says. “Or at least I know I cannot stop you. There’s so much you do not understand.”
“I’m willing to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, like you once did,” Diana tells her.
It is a comment of respect and admiration for her mother and queen. Up until that moment, the two have had a complex mother-daughter relationship. Hippolyta’s loving and protective nature did not initially allow for Diana to train like a warrior. Now, she is reluctant to let her leave Themyscira. Hippolyta exemplifies a deep, maternal love for her daughter, even when Diana does not fully understand or agree with her mother’s decisions.
Eventually giving in, Hippolyta warns, “Be careful in the world of men, Diana, they do not deserve you,” and then heartbroken adds, “You have been my greatest love. Today, you are my greatest sorrow.”
In the real world, we journey with Diana and Steve to London, England. It is grey and smoggy, a stark contrast to the crystalline, Mediterranean ambience she has grown up in.
“It’s hideous,” Diana remarks.
It gets worse as they journey to the frontlines. The only hints of color, possibly symbolizing hope and life, pop up in the clothing of the team Steve assembles to help.
As they wait in the trenches, an eager Diana wants to make a move.
“This is not something you can cross. It’s not possible,” Steve explains.
“So what? We do nothing?” Diana asks.
“No, we are doing something. We are...We just...We can’t save everyone in this war. This is not what we came here to do,” he says.
“No, but it’s what I’m going to do,” she tells Steve.
A frustrated but determined Diana walks away revealing her true identity. The Allied soldiers watch the transformation in shock. She climbs up a ladder onto the barren and ravaged battlefield and begins one of the most heroic offensive moves that earns her the right to be called Wonder Woman. She inspires others to fight back in a battle they felt was lost.
From this scene forward, we witness the bullet-repelling, shield-and-sword-wielding, lasso-whipping superhero that is iconic and befitting of Wonder Woman. If you observe Diana’s fight style, it is never one to kill her opponent, but to disarm, stun, or knock out. She takes special care to protect civilians if they are caught in the crossfire. And while she was capable of holding her own, Diana could not have accomplished her mission to save mankind and end the war without Steve’s help.
Diana and Steve’s relationship is also a key component of the plot and character development. Throughout the film, their relationship evolves from one of mutual respect and partnership to eventual romantic affection. Steve is the first man Diana encounters outside Themyscira, and his courage, selflessness, and love for her inspire her. Their love is significant not just in a romantic sense, but as a partnership where both characters grow and learn from each other.
In their first encounter, Diana saved Steve in her world. It was fitting that in their last encounter, he would save her in his. He not only risks his life for her, but at the end of the movie, he sacrifices his life to ensure that a deadly weapon doesn’t harm innocent lives. His last words to Diana before he dies are an expression of his trust in and love for her, urging her to continue her mission.
“It has to be me. I could save today. You could save the world. I wish we had more time. I love you,” Steve says.
In the final battle scene, Ares taunts Diana for her trust, hope in and compassion for mankind.
“Look at this world, Diana. Mankind did this, not me. They are ugly, filled with hatred, weak, just like your Captain Trevor, gone, and left you nothing,” Ares taunts.
“They’re everything you say, but so much more,” Diana counters.
“They do not deserve your protection,” he replies.
“It’s not about deserve, it’s about what you believe, and I believe in love,” she concludes.
And with love, Diana’s true and god-given powers are unlocked, destroying Ares, and ending his influence. The fight ends, and we see men previously fighting on opposite sides, now helping each other up.
Later, in Trafalgar Square, London, everyone is celebrating the end of the war. Diana approaches a memorial where photos of soldiers killed in combat have been posted. She approaches Steve’s image, and almost crying she reaches out and gently touches it. She smiles briefly, and walks away.
We transition into the 21st century, where a more experienced Diana recites a modified version of her opening monologue:
“I used to want to save the world. To end war and bring peace to mankind. But then I glimpsed the darkness that lives within their light. I learned that inside every one of them, there will always be both. A choice each must make for themselves—something no hero will ever defeat.
“And now I know, that only love can truly save the world.
“So I stay. I fight, and I give for the world I know can be. This is my mission, now. Forever.”
From my favorite fictional superhero, to yours, and all of the real-life ones we know, let love always be our guide in doing what is right for mankind and for the world.
