Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (2017)

2017 R 108 Minutes

Drama

The unconventional life of Dr. William Marston, the Harvard psychologist and inventor who helped invent the modern lie detector test and created Wonder Woman in 1941.

Overall Rating

8 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • Professor Marston and the Wonder Women depicts a fascinating tale that fabricated America's ultimate female superhero. Typical comic book artists would purely utilise their imagination to create fictional worlds and leading superheroes. William Marston was slightly different, in the fact he incorporated his own personal life into the character of Wonder Woman. He amalgamated the best qualities from the women he loved most to create the perfect liberal Amazonian princess. The biopic explores the invention of the lie detector, with his wife Elizabeth, and the engagement of a polyamorous relationship with research assistant Olive. I can't quite overstate how much there is to digest in this glorious biopic. Robinson's direction was nearly flawless. Aside from a few rushed scenes towards the end, every single plot point was a building block in conceptualising Wonder Woman. Her Lasso of Truth symbolising their lie detecting invention. Her gauntlets inspired by Olive's silver bracelets. The symbology behind Wonder Woman consisting of liberalism, feminism and virtuosity. Her comic strips depicting Marston's DISC theory which had the possibility of being viewed as fetish art, with some accusing him of featuring sadomasochism and lesbianism. So much content in less than two hours! Yet every fragment of its runtime felt pivotal. But it's not just a wondrous biopic, it's a love story. An unconventional relationship that shared the perspective of normality. Both the conflict and adoration they each shared with each other was extraordinary, delicately illustrated onscreen. Again, highlighting his DISC theory within his own life. Each of the leading stars were exceptional, but Hall was mesmerising as the most conflicted character. Even the inclusion of an American/British twang in her pronunciation accentuates the details in her performance. Simply exquisite. The lighting was also noteworthy, particularly a scene where Olive wears the prototype costume in the lingerie shop. Suffice to say, I absolutely adored this biopic. Female empowerment through history, what a wondrous sight to behold.