Director Patty Jenkins
As earlier periods of motion picture history could be described as the heyday of the Western or the Musical, we are clearly living in the age of the Superhero. It seems like each summer brings the need for new articles on the evolution of the form — from Heroes for America! (And now the world.) or “A Stink Bucket of Disappointment” or just some criminally wacky fun? (which was certainly far more the former than the latter) — and the current moment certainly calls for a nod in the direction of the upcoming release of the feature length film Wonder Woman.
Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot shooting Wonder Woman
Now, finally, a contemporary major studio release that features a female superhero — and not only that, but the most popular super-heroine in comic book history, a character created by William Moulton Marston as a testament to the power, independence, and strength of character of the women in its creator’s life. For a story at least as interesting and jaw-dropping as anything that screenwriters can whip up, Jill Lepore’s The Secret History of Wonder Woman delves into the incredible stories of Olive Byrne and her mother Ethel Byrne (and aunt Margaret Sanger), of Marston and his wife Elizabeth Holloway and their unconventional family, and of the genesis and early years of Wonder Woman.
For this movie, another milestone is being reached: it is directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins. The only previous feature film directed by Jenkins is the feature Monster, (which she also wrote), starring Charlize Theron in an Academy Award-winning performance as Aileen Wuornos, the infamous serial killer who died by lethal injection in 2002. Since then, Jenkins has been directing television shows, particular for the pilot of The Killing (another production featuring a strong female protagonist), Entourage, and Betrayal. Now, Jenkins has directed the highly anticipated feature Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, written by Allan Heinberg. Here is a video interview with Jenkins about the movie, and here is an interview from FilmInk.
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Here is a follow-up to the Women Pioneers of the Cinema: Patty Jenkins and the Wonder Women post from a few days ago (see below). For Mekado Murphy’s New York Times “Anatomy of a Scene” series, Patty Jenkins narrates a key scene from Wonder Woman, along with a nice tip of the hat to a strong inspiration for her — Richard Donner’s Superman from 1978.
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