Red, Blue, and Bronze: Inside the Symbols of the Wonder Woman Film

by Valerie Estelle Frankel

Wonder Woman the 2017 film blazed into the theaters and thrilled audiences with its killer action. Boys and girls cheered when their superheroine dropped her cloak and raced across No Man's Land, eagle blazing on her chest. In fact, a deep symbolism lurks behind Diana's lasso, shield, and crown, especially the new film versions. Why is her island filled with shells and spirals? As she explores Edwardian London, and mucks through the trenches, how is her journey particularly superheroic? The characters, their origins, and the nuances of feminism reveal much about America's favorite superheroine and how she subverts them all.

Genres: Nonfiction

182 pages, Paperback

Published June 17, 2017

About the author

Valerie Estelle Frankel is the author of 88 books on pop culture, including Doctor Who - The What, Where, and How; The Villain's Journey, History, Pop Culture, and Hidden Meanings in Hamilton; and How Game of Thrones Will End. Many of her books focus on women’s roles in fiction, from her heroine’s journey guides From Girl to Goddess and Superheroines and the Epic Journey to books like Star Wars Meets the Eras of Feminism and Fourth Wave Feminism in Science Fiction and Fantasy. She's editing a series on Jewish Science Fiction for Rowman & Littlefield. Once a lecturer at San Jose State University, she now teaches at Mission College and is a frequent speaker at conferences. Come explore her research at www.vefrankel.com.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough comparison of the various reboots of Wonder Woman throughout the century. I always appreciate Ms. Frankel's extensive research, and this book does not disappoint. This book includes a quote from the woman who plays Wonder Woman's theme on electric cello. Spot-on interpretation of symbols and exploration of the heroine's journey. My favorite sentence in the book was the anaylsis of the conflict in Batman vs. Superman! I won't quote it here, because it contains spoilers if you haven't seen that movie. I always pick up this author's new books on popular entertainment, and I am never disappointed.

[Artemis]

My favorite heroine - can't wait to read!