It
is the origin story of an origin story. Think of it as everything you wanted to
know about the creator of Wonder Woman but were afraid to ask. Go back to a
time when S&M was frowned upon in comic books in Angela Robinson’s Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (trailer here), which opens this Friday in New York.
William
Moulton Marston was the star of the Radcliffe psychology department, but his
wife Elizabeth had the brains of the family. Yet, no university would take her
on as a full professor, not even Radcliffe (which probably thought it was
progressive simply because it had a psych department). Nevertheless, Olive
Byrne, Marston’s pretty new work-study assistant is in awe of the couple—and romantically
attracted to them both, even though she is engaged to a painfully traditional
frat brother.
Nearly
from the start, Prof. Marston is convinced they can make their unconventional
relationship work, but Ms. Marston is more skeptical. Her concerns regarding
social stigma prove well founded. The trio will indeed suffer disgrace and
ostracism, but just when their prospects look dreariest, Marston causes a
sensation with his comic book heroine, Wonder Woman, inspired by the strength
of his partners and the light boudoir bondage they enjoy. Sadly, the schoolmarms
at the Comic Commission take a dim view of her Amazon ways.
It
is hard to keep up with Wonder Women’s frequent
tonal shifts. One moment, we are invited to gawk at their naughty sessions and
the next minute the film is stoking our outrage at middle class America’s
Puritanical narrowmindedness. (If they had just locked their front door a lot
of trouble could have been avoided, but apparently those were different times.)
No
matter which primal emotions the film happens to be appealing to, Rebecca Hall
is a wickedly smart, riveting screen presence as Elizabeth Marston. Not
surprisingly, the legal Marston wife is also the most complex character. In
contrast, it is hard to see how Bella Heathcote’s passively mousy Olive Byrne
could inspire a paragon of female butt-kicking. However, Luke Evans is
surprisingly expressive conveying the former Professor’s insecurities and regrets.
