The 11 Best Moments Of Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman

The following article contains spoilers. When a movie is 76 years in the making, we hope for some great moments, and in that regard, Wonder Woman does not disappoint. Based upon the iconic DC comic book character created by William Moulton Marston in 1941, this is the first live-action feature film to focus on the Amazonian Warrior, and is the fourth instalment in the DC Extended Universe. It's also the first live-action comic book movie to be directed by a woman since 2008’s Punisher: War Zone. Needless to say, anticipation was high as the release date of June 2nd approached, and fans around the world had very clear ideas about what they wanted from Wonder Woman. It's now apparent that director Patty Jenkins has hit all the right notes though, delivering a flawless introductory solo movie for this beloved character that's earning praise from critics across the board. Wonder Woman is a superhero unlike any other, and she leads with emotional intelligence. This means that she requires a tale and a storyteller willing and able to execute an approach that's both enthralling, and different. Patty Jenkins has succeeded in every way – and here are 11 moments to prove it. Young Diana Emulates The Amazons Wonder Woman is an origin story, and so we spend the first act of the film on Themyscira. This is vital to the movie, and the character, because it's her homeland that makes her unique. It's this specific origin that informs all her future choices, and strikes at the very heart of the point of her creation: she exists to provide an alternative perspective. She was invented – literally by William Moulton Marston, and figuratively by the character of Hippolyta (Connie Nielsen) – to be the embodiment of the idea that there is another way. Hippolyta hopes for a different purpose for Diana and, once she reaches Man’s World, her origin helps highlight the absurdity of patriarchy and violence. But, in these first scenes, she's simply Diana – Princess of Themyscira and daughter of Queen Hippolyta – and, like every young child, she wants to emulate the adults around her. The difference for Diana is that the adults around her are Amazonian warriors, and so we see her spying on their training sessions and trying to copy their moves. Yes, there's an adorability to seeing a child trying to copy the actions of grown ups – but that's neither the point, nor the impact of this scene. Instead, putting this scene right at the beginning of the film encapsulates the justification for the movie’s very existence, and speaks to the extent of the impact that these superhero tales have on society as a whole. It's in the nature of all children to want to emulate those adults that they see around them. Through marketing and media, pop culture saturates every aspect of society, and currently, pop culture is dominated men who are supported by women. Girls need leading heroes to emulate, too – and now they have one. Moreover, it's vital that girls have the opportunity to emulate women such as the Amazons, as opposed to passive female characters that only exist in the perspective of men, in most other superhero films. At the same time, the overwhelming innocence of the young Diana in this scene, as she tries her hardest to execute the same round-house kicks as the warriors she watches, echoes the idea contained in the story of another iconic superhero – that with great power comes great responsibility. The depiction of superheroes in pop culture has a resounding impact on the young, developing minds that follow them. If superheroes are quick to anger, fight among themselves, and require a giant threat to allow them to access their best selves, then that's what young people hold as honourable behaviour. Wonder Woman offers an alternative, because she leads with love, compassion, empathy and emotional intelligence. The Amazonian warriors that the young Diana ties to emulate do not fight for the purpose of defeating a villain – they fight in defence of that which needs defending. They do not seek to ‘avenge’ and they do not engage in vigilantism. They're neither aggressive, nor passive, but rather defensive and protective of the innocent, and the vulnerable. The Amazonian warriors are different, and we feel every measure of the young Diana’s ambition to be just like them. The Plane Crash And A Glimpse Of Diana Very soon, Diana (Gal Gadot) is all grown up and training with the Amazonian Warriors, under the mentorship of Antiope (Robin Wright). She's confused by the unusual abilities she seems to have though, which set her apart from her fellow warriors. As she heads to a clifftop viewpoint to clear her head and gather her thoughts, a propeller plane suddenly bursts through the protective energy shield that hides Themyscira from the view of the world, and it crashes into the ocean. Without hesitation, Diana dives from the cliff into the water and swims at speed toward the stricken aircraft. Inside, an airman struggles to free himself from his seat and begins to sink with the wreckage as the fuselage splits from the tail end of the plane. As he descends through the water, he sees the outline of the tail resting on the surface, and can suddenly make out a figure standing on it, watching him. This is a beautiful, fleeting moment that's a feast for the eyes and also shifts our relationship with Diana. It's the first time that we see her through the eyes of an outsider, and she appears as an unclear, vaguely human shaped outline – distorted by the currents of the deepening water. The airman – later revealed to be Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) – is unable to make out any detail, since she's standing against the light. This creates a sense of distance and detachment which contrasts with the closeness we've felt to her up to this point. But, despite this feeling of apprehension on his part - caused by a lack of knowledge and understanding about who or what she is - the mere fact of her presence provides a feeling of hope in what's doubtless a terrifying moment for him, which is a precursor for the way in which she's first perceived upon arrival in Man’s World. This moment also gives us a visually spectacular scene. Themyscira is a notably colourful and aesthetically rich setting – filled with blue and gold hues, and bathed in glorious sunshine. We've enjoyed, up until this point, this unusual palette - but Steve Trevor’s descent through the depths offers the first disruption of that artistic clarity. He's penetrated the sanctity of the Amazon’s hidden location, and this is mirrored in the visual distortions offered by the waters into which he's crashed. The Beach We're thrust into an early action sequence in the form of an assault on the beach of Themyscira. The crash of Steve Trevor’s plane was caused by the fact that German troops were giving chase to him by sea, and these boats soon arrive on the previously peaceful shores of the island. Diana has just rescued Steve from the ocean, and they're interrupted by the shouts of the soldiers approaching the beach. Above them, on the clifftop, the Amazon army arrives on horseback, led by Queen Hippolyta and General Antiope. Without a second thought, the warriors launch into action – defending their home against the invading force. We've seen how hard these warriors train and we've heard Queen Hippolyta’s rendition of tales of battles past – but now, we see these Amazonian warriors fighting for their lives, and for each other. As Diana and Steve take a step back, an advance team of warriors swing down onto the beach, armed with bows, arrows and spears. The German troops, however, are armed with guns, and what follows is a clash of civilizations with deadly consequences. The first shot is fired and a bullet strikes one of the Amazons. We see real fear and disbelief in Diana’s reaction, but this is soon overtaken by the rest of the Amazon army thundering onto the beach and bearing down upon the German forces with ferocity. As the Amazons and the German forces do battle, we find ourselves absorbed by a brutal scene. There's no real blood or gore, despite the copious deployment of gunshots and blades. Instead, the brutality lies in the realism. Many Amazons are slain, and we feel every blow that they suffer. This is because we've spent time with them on the island and have come to understand their purpose, their history and their philosophy of defence. This is also the first time we see the way in which the Amazons operate on a real battlefield, and it's markedly different to anything we've seen in any of the male-led superhero films that have graced the big screen in the past. They fight as part of a larger whole – striking individually, but also using each other’s physicality to strike greater blows. We see Queen Hippolyta lay waste to several aggressors, and realize exactly why she's a respected warrior in her own right. We see Diana disobey the order of Steve Trevor and begin to fight herself. But, amid the deeply affecting carnage, it's Antiope that steals the scene in the final moments. Queen Hippolyta has already described Antiope as the greatest warrior, and we've seen her training others to reach her level of skill. But here, we see her yell “Shield!” to her fellow warriors and, without breaking her determined stride, she pounds her way down the beach with her bow drawn. Leaping into the air, the Amazons provide their shields as a launch-pad, sending Antiope high into the air above a group of German soldiers. She turns in the space above them and fires three arrows simultaneously with deadly accuracy – before taking a deadly blow herself. As Diana cries for her mentor, and for the woman who believed she could fulfil her warrior ambitions, the audience feels the heavy weight of this onslaught, and the futile violence wrought by humanity on an otherwise isolated, peaceful community. “You Let That Little Thing Tell You What To Do?” In the aftermath of the beach battle, the surviving Amazons question Steve Trevor using the Lasso of Truth, and learn about World War I (also known as “the war to end all wars”). Diana is immediately filled with the compulsion to go to Man’s World and help to end the conflict – which she believes has been caused by Ares, the arch-nemesis of the Amazons. Against the backdrop of this debate, Steve Trevor is allowed to recuperate from his crash in an Amazonian pool. Diana, who has never encountered a man before, enters the chamber as Steve is stepping out of the pool. He's naked, and embarrassed, but Diana regards him with curiosity. She asks whether he's considered to be an average example of man, to which Steve replies that he's “above average” – a welcome moment of humour after the drama of battle. But the real joke is the one that follows, as Diana looks toward Steve and asks, “What’s that?” The naked Steve is flustered, before realizing that Diana is asking about his watch, and he explains that it's used to tell the time and ensure that he knows when he should be doing things. Glancing down, Diana simply asks, “You let that little thing tell you what to do?” In both Diana’s reference to the watch, and Steve’s modesty about his ‘manhood,’ the audience knows that the answer is a resounding “yes,” in both circumstances, and that this scene is another perfect skewering of the male gaze we're used to seeing in superhero movies. “Men Are Essential For Pro-Creation, But Are Not Necessary For Pleasure” Diana and Steve Trevor are heading for Man’s World in a sailing ship – just the two of them. As they bed down for the first night of their journey, we enjoy a brief interlude between them, in which we're privy to their conversation. Steve Trevor has to explain to Diana why the social etiquette that's informed his behaviour in Man’s World dictates that he must sleep in an uncomfortable spot elsewhere, as opposed to sleeping next to her. It makes no sense to Diana, because sexual politics are an absurdity to her. They discuss the man-made concept of marriage, and the social attitudes that go with it, and Diana begins to discuss her understanding of “the pleasures of the flesh.” She describes a series of books she's read on the subject, and Steve says he would have like to have read them too. Diana informs him that he wouldn’t enjoy them, because they conclude that, “men are essential for pro-creation, but are not necessary for pleasure.” And Steve is unable to argue otherwise. The Generals In The Board Room Diana is keen to go “to the war” upon arrival in London, but Steve convinces her that they must first speak to the “man that can do something about it.” “I am the man that can do something about it,” states Diana. But Steve is insistent that this is the way to expedite the process. And so, the two of them head to Whitehall. Upon arriving at the door of a board room, in which Generals and politicians are meeting to discuss military strategy and the need for Armistice, Steve tells Diana to wait outside while he goes in. She ignores him and follows him inside, at which point, the men in the room become increasingly uncomfortable – eventually insisting that she leave, because a woman should not be in that room with them. Diana becomes irritated by the reaction of the men, and admonishes them and Steve for holding such superior attitudes from their position of safety, while innocent people are being slaughtered. This is an important scene, because it's the first exposure Diana really has to the absurd social ways of humanity. She berates the method of waging war from a distance; of corrupt men making decisions for the benefit of the few, while sacrificing the needs of the many; and of the pointless goals of such brutal violence. As this largely untested Amazon warrior faces this room full of British Generals and politicians, she finds nothing but cowardice and shameful misogyny – but it's an early lesson for her in her quest to end the conflict. Wonder Woman Goes Over The Top As the real centrepiece of the film, this is the scene in which Diana of Themyscira truly becomes Wonder Woman. Steve Trevor has assembled a small team of men he's worked with before, and this group has brought Diana to the front – outside the town of Veld. As the team makes its way through the allied trench, Diana is appalled at the conditions, and is moved by the appeals of a woman and child, who describe to her the way in which the local people have been abused, starved and enslaved. Diana demands answers of Steve Trevor and his friends, and insists that they stop to help the local population. Steve explains that the area outside the trench is known as “No Man’s Land,” because no man can cross it without being cut down by German snipers. In war, he says, “you can’t save everyone,” and he tells her they're moving on. Diana disagrees, plants her feet and removes her cloak. In full Wonder Woman battle dress, she slowly and deliberately climbs the ladder out of the trench, as Steve and his friends shout to her to stop. As she reaches the top of the ladder, the first shot is fired, and she deflects it with her gauntlet. She continues on, batting away a volley of bullets and reaching for her shield. The shooting becomes more intense as German forces try to stop her in her tracks, but Diana picks up speed. As she breaks into a run, Steve and the Allied forces are inspired to follow. “She’s drawing their fire! Let’s go!” With Wonder Woman leading the way and clearing their path, half-starved Allied soldiers, who had previously been pinned down in their trench for over a year break across the battlefield – taking the German position and heading into the occupied town of Veld. This is a deeply moving scene, as it shows Diana embracing her instinct and abilities with such conviction as to inspire hundreds of men who had previously lost all hope. Her actions reinvigorate their own sense of purpose, and they're compelled to act by this glimmer of optimism and determination to do the right thing. Diana is the catalyst in this situation for a section of humanity spiralling into despair. She does not save them – because German forces are still firing into the area as she thunders across it. Instead, she makes room for them to save themselves, as she seeks to liberate the town of Veld. She gives each of them the space and motivation to be their own hero. It's the sight of this woman’s determination, though, that creates a well of emotion within the audience. We've seen Diana grow and train, and head into battle with a single-minded naïveté to rival the most untested of warriors. We've seen her discover the complexities of the issues facing humanity in this war-torn era, and feel horror at the pain men are willing to inflict upon one another. Just as Steve gave us the first view of Diana through the eyes of an outsider, so Diana gives us the first view of humanity through the perspective of a newcomer – and yet, she still goes over the top to save us. It's been No Man’s Land for over a year, but Wonder Woman opens it up to let help through. The Clock Tower: “Wait Here, I’ll Go Ahead” It's a simple, brief moment, but as they make it across No Man’s Land to the edge of the town of Veld, they find a warren of streets filled with the snipers of occupying forces. As they use a wall for cover, Diana tells Steve and the group, “Wait here, I’ll go ahead.” The men do not question her, protest or argue. They simply look at each other and obey her command. This is in direct contrast to the scene with the Generals and the board room, when Steve told Diana to wait outside, and she ignored him. It's also a nod to the fact that Wonder Woman has earned the respect of these men, and they're happy to defer to her judgement in this instance, having just watched her demolish a battlefield stalemate after a year of no movement. Once Diana has moved through the streets and cleared a path to the centre of Veld, the group finds themselves pinned down by a sniper firing from a clock tower. People are being killed and, for a moment, chaos reigns. Suddenly, Steve remembers an action he witnessed on the beach of Themyscira, and gathers his comrades to head into the firing line to grab a piece of an armoured vehicle. As he instructs his friends to lift it onto their backs, Steve shouts, “Diana! Shield!” and Wonder Woman immediately knows what to do. She runs at the men, shield and sword drawn, and emulates her beloved, late Antiope by using the metal sheet as a launch-pad – flying into the air and demolishing the clock tower on top of the sniper. As she emerges unscathed from the rubble, the townspeople rejoice at their liberation – and her group of comrades make unspoken acknowledgement of the bond they have created through such remarkable teamwork. Ares And The Sword Diana wields a sword that she refers to as the Godkiller – because her mother told her that it's the weapon that would kill Ares, the God Of War. However, when she finally confronts Ares in his human form, he turns her sword to dust with the palm of his hand. The revelation is that the sword was never the Godkiller – the Godkiller weapon is Diana herself, because only a God can kill a God. This causes conflict within Diana, because she's instinctively an advocate for peace and leads with love. To be a weapon herself challenges her sense of identity. But, the result of this turn of events is that she must face her greatest foe unarmed – with neither sword, nor shield – which causes her to dig deeper than ever before for the self-fortification to win the day. As Ares attempts to corrupt her, with suggestions of joining him to rid the world of humanity and rule together forever, Diana is reminded of the love she feels for Steve, the compassion and empathy she feels for his friends, and the love mankind is capable of feeling for each other. Diana chooses optimism, and refuses to condemn mankind for their crimes against each other. Instead, she uses the depth of her belief in them and herself to increase her power, and defeat the being that would end the world. Unarmed, she chooses to turn herself into a weapon of love, rather than hate. “I’ll Save Today, You Can Save The World” Steve and Diana have clearly fallen in love by the time we reach the final act of the movie, but they each have a very different destiny to fulfil. While Ares threatens the world, people within the German forces threaten the lives of millions of innocents with a terrifying, weaponized gas. These threats reach their tipping points simultaneously, and must be dealt with in tandem – and, for a moment, it seems as though Wonder Woman, Steve and their friends are genuinely all out-gunned. A massive explosion rocks the area, as German forces attempt to get a plane filled with gas bombs into the air and Ares confronts Wonder Woman. Our hero is knocked from her feet, and left briefly shell-shocked and deafened. Steve appears by her side, and helps her to her feet – earnestly explaining an idea he has to resolve the situation. In this first version of the scene, we cannot hear what Steve's saying, because the tale is told from Diana’s perspective. It's clear he's saying goodbye, though – and he leaves her with his watch, before running after the plane and piloting it himself away from populated areas. A short time later, however, as Diana searches for meaning in the actions of humanity, and for a reason to save them, she begins to understand what Steve said to her before he disappeared into the clouds. “I’ll save today, you can save the world.” He tells her he loves her, and then sacrifices his life for millions of innocent strangers. This is the inspiration Diana needs to fight for humanity, just as Diana was the inspiration Steve needed to save the day. Steve takes care of the immediate problem of the bombs to enable Diana to concentrate on battling Ares – just as Diana drew German fire so the Allied forces could get across the battlefield. This is the peak of a gloriously positive symbiotic relationship between superhero and human – just as we've seen in Man Of Steel, Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, and Richard Donner’s Superman. It's a staple of the more uplifting contributions to the comic book movie genre, because it speaks to our desire to find inspiration to be better, and to do better. As the young Diana tried so hard to emulate the Amazon warriors while training, we try just as hard to honour the values of our own favourite heroes. That is why Wonder Woman is the superhero we need. The End Credits A unique superhero and her unique movie need a set of end credits that are unlike anything we’ve ever seen – and Wonder Woman does just that. While there are no additional snippets of footage hidden within them, as many comic book movies have, the end credits of the film are simply stunning – particularly in 3D. With brightly coloured, multi-layered artistic renderings of scenes within the movie, set to the rousing rhythm of Wonder Woman’s theme, this credits sequence is an experience that is itself filled with emotion. It provides a collection of moments in which the audience can catch its breath and gather its thoughts about the incredible ride it's just been taken on – but it also reflects the overall uplifting and hopeful nature of the film. And right at the very end, of the initial sequence, there's our Warrior Princess - with her determined yet compassionate expression, and her unapologetic and confident logo. Finally, Wonder Woman has arrived on the big screen, and she's most assuredly here to stay.