“Hey, have you seen this movie? What did you think about THAT SCENE?!” We have all used that phrase at one point during our discussions of movies with the other person’s eyebrows raising, “Oh yea, THAT SCENE!” You go on to pick that memorable scene apart by listing what you loved or didn’t like, how it made you feel and the impression it left on you.
In this series, we will do just that. We will take a scene from a movie and discuss its impact on us. Some of these scenes may be frightening, weird, iconic, controversial, hilarious, and everything in between. Let us know your impression of the scene and the impact it left on you the first time you watched it down below in the comments. Enjoy!
*Warning: May Contain Spoilers*
Movie: Wonder Woman (2017)
Scene: No Man’s Land
THE PLAYERS
Director: Patty Jenkins
Characters: Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Steve Trevor (Chris Pine), Soldiers (Various)
THE SETUP
In present-day Paris, Diana Prince receives a photographic plate from Wayne Enterprises (accompanied by a letter from Bruce Wayne) of herself and four men taken during World War I, prompting her to recall her past. The daughter of Queen Hippolyta, Diana is raised on the hidden island of Themyscira, home to the Amazons, women warriors created by the Olympian gods to protect mankind. Hippolyta explains their history to Diana, including how Ares became jealous of humanity and orchestrated its destruction. When the other gods attempted to stop him, Ares killed all but Zeus, who used the last of his power to wound Ares and force his retreat. Before dying, Zeus left the Amazons a weapon, the “god-killer”, to prepare them for Ares’s return. Hippolyta reluctantly agrees to let her sister, General Antiope, train Diana as a warrior.
In 1918, Diana, now a young woman, rescues US pilot Captain Steve Trevor when his plane crashes off the Themysciran coast. The island is soon invaded by German soldiers, who had been pursuing Steve. The Amazons kill the crew, but Antiope sacrifices herself to save Diana. Steve is interrogated with the Lasso of Hestia and reveals that a great war is consuming the outside world and that he is an Allied spy. He has stolen a notebook from the Germans’ chief chemist, Dr. Isabel Maru, who is attempting to engineer a deadlier form of mustard gas under the orders of General Erich Ludendorff. Believing Ares to be responsible for the war, Diana arms herself with the “god-killer” sword, the lasso, and armor before leaving Themyscira with Steve to locate and stop Ares for good.
In London, they deliver Maru’s notebook to the Supreme War Council, where Sir Patrick Morgan is trying to negotiate an armistice with Germany. Diana translates Maru’s notes, revealing that the Germans plan to release the deadly gas at the Western Front. Although forbidden by his commander to act, Steve, with secret funding from Morgan, recruits Moroccan spy Sameer, Scottish marksman Charlie, and Native American smuggler Chief Napi to help prevent the gas from being released. The team reaches the front in Belgium.
THAT SCENE
THE EXECUTION
Superhero films are full of the heroes realizing their powers and figuring out how to best utilize them. Diana Prince knew her powers, but this was the moment she understood what they could stand for by not sitting on the sideline anymore. In arguably one the best superhero introductions to the world moments, we see Wonder Woman on full display as she simply cannot take standing by and doing nothing any longer.
Gal Gadot is absolutely wonderful as Wonder Woman and she commands the screen at this moment better than most other superhero actors. She is completely believable. Steve tries to reason with her to stay on mission as there is a reason this field is called No Man’s Land. We then see her emerge from the foxhole drawing the enemy’s fire, swatting bullets away like flies. The music swells and the rest of the soldiers see their chance to take the ground and that’s what they do with Wonder Woman leading the charge. I’m just glad we didn’t the obligatory, “I am no man!” line. Just a badass taking out some enemy soldiers.
What do you think of this scene?
