"When Feminism Meets Male Gaze in Wonder Woman’s Media Portrayal"

 

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Now let’s jump right into the topic, footie fic hub founded by a woman so we’re 100% women supporters right here. The topic will be not so far from women. This idea first came out when I did my gender and communication class presentation, then out of nowhere it felt like I wanted to share widely to the world, to help you guys observe and understand what my point is. The article is going to talk about Wonder woman. The most distinguished strong, independent female superhero from DC Comics by Warner Bros itself.  Most of us definitely see her as an icon of feminism, don’t we? How they portray Diana as a woman with principles. Especially in Wonder Woman 2017, she was raised on an island called Themyscira or paradise island. The island is full of women, there are no men living there but they do train like an army, may I say the way they train is more than the usual army. 

This film, directed by Patty Jenkins, was a big milestone in cinema history. Jenkins broke barriers as the outset woman to direct a superhero blockbuster, and her vision gave us a fresh and inspiring look at Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman. The movie was praised for showing female empowerment, compassion, and strength, setting a new standard for how women could be represented in superhero films. But here’s the interesting part of it, even though Patty Jenkins directed the film, the script was written by three male screenwriters, Allan Heinberg, Zack Snyder, and Jason Fuchs. This makes me wonder and brings us to the main question of this article: Can Wonder Woman (2017) truly be called a feminist film? Let’s dive deeper in analyzing it and see how the film balances between empowerment and some old-fashioned objectification.

Wonder Woman’s origins go all the way back to the 1940s when she was created by William Moulton Marston. 

Marston envisioned her as a character who could break away from the traditional stereotype which is male-dominated superhero narratives of that time. He wanted Wonder Woman to stand for love, peace, and equality, pretty much a feminist symbol who could inspire women to see their own strength. Fast forward to 2017, Patty Jenkins brought this vision to life on the big screen. She carefully balanced Marston’s original intent while making Diana Prince a modern superhero who resonates with today’s audiences. Jenkins highlighted Diana’s compassion, strength, and independence while placing her in a world full of challenges that tested her principles. Through this film, Jenkins showed that a character created almost a century ago could still be a powerful yet related voice for feminism in today’s society.

The first intention of the movie was to bring Wonder Woman as a main and complicated character as it said earlier, while for me the “Male Gaze” still can be seen through some scenes. The concept of the male gaze, introduced by Laura Mulvey, explains how women are often portrayed in media through a perspective that centers on male desire and objectification. In film, this gaze influences how female characters are framed, often showing them to match the old fashioned/traditional expectation about looks or visually appealing rather than fully developed individuals. This approach can shape misrepresentation especially about what exactly feminism fights for in the first place. 

In Wonder Woman (2017), while Patty Jenkins’s direction focuses on Diana’s strength and compassion, the influence of the male gaze can still be felt due to the involvement of male screenwriters. Several notable examples are Diana's costume, which, although rooted in her comic origins, emphasizes her physical beauty for the needs of male viewers. Even in empowering scenes, such as her entrance into No Man’s Land, the framing and lingering shots subtly highlight her appearance alongside her heroism. 

Steve Trevor’s role in the story, his character particularly supports Diana’s growth and mission, but somehow Diana is shown as a woman who needs a guide from a man. Steve leads and guides her to his world which mirrors the old stereotype which says women always need guidance from a man. It totally shifted the main point of the story. Those kinds of scenes illustrate how the male gaze still exists even in a feminist narrative, creating a complex portrayal of Wonder Woman that both empowers and objectifies.

Aside from the massive male gaze in the film, this film shows remarkable aspects of Wonder Woman. We get to see it by how Patty Jenkins’s direction emphasizes Diana’s strength, compassion, and agency, presenting her as a truly empowering character. A standout example is the No Man’s Land scene, where Diana steps onto the battlefield, defying the orders of those around her. This moment is not only visually stunning but also deeply symbolic. It highlights Diana’s bravery and unwavering commitment to protecting innocent lives, making her heroic acts feel genuine and inspiring. In this scene, Jenkins focuses on Diana’s actions and resolve, portraying her as a warrior who leads with both heart and power. But can you guys be more critical of this scene, like  the duality they put into Diana's character? 

From just one long line scene or battlefield scene like in the no man’s land, she is shown as a true feminist there, empowering, not letting people tell her what to do, instead she fights it all, she is stronger than any men over there yet she is still objectified. By the way camera moves in certain can be so called private areas (thigh, pelvis, ass), it is still the opposite of what feminism try to convey at the first place. The influence of the male writers on the script introduces elements that complicate this empowering portrayal. The romantic plot with Steve Trevor, for instance, occasionally detracts Diana’s independence. While their relationship adds emotional depth to the story, moments where Steve becomes the focal point of Diana’s decisions subtly shift the narrative from her heroism to their partnership. For example, Steve’s ultimate sacrifice frames Diana’s climactic realization of love and getting weak before she realizes what she has fought for since the first.  

The contrast between a feminist character and being objectified all at once still confuses me. I never thought this way until I got my gender and communication class. Not so many people would think this way also. They would probably take Wonder Woman as a yes indeed empowering character without realizing how this character is still being trapped in traditional stereotypes. I guess it all happened because we all used to the “male gaze” until the audiences couldn’t differentiate and identify the male gaze itself. They probably have no idea about what male gaze and female gaze. So to wrap things up, my conclusion is that this film can't be identified as a feminist film because of the objectification. 

Her costume is still too much paying attention to the aesthetic than it uses, an armor costume intended to cover the body from any harms the enemies will launch but we didn’t get that from Diana in this movie. Several male gaze makes me perplexed about what exactly the message this film wants to deliver is feminism with an objectification? or I’m mistaken because the feminism I know is really against the objectification of human bodies. No hate for the movie, I love DC I love superhero characters, I love wonder woman. These opinions stated just because I love superhero movies so much, I want them to represent female superheroes purely as a developed character not just a character that fulfills old school stereotypes. We move on now, it’s a modern life, let’s respect each other, women and men, without degrading one another because we can set the new balance of life. Which we call EQUALITY.