“Woman Wonder” is the top-grossing film of the summer and has earned nearly universal praise for featuring a strong female lead. But one person who isn’t particularly impressed by the Patty Jenkins-directed film is James Cameron.
“All of the self-congratulatory back-patting Hollywood’s been doing over ‘Wonder Woman’ has been so misguided,” Cameron told The Guardian. “She’s an objectified icon, and it’s just male Hollywood doing the same old thing! I’m not saying I didn’t like the movie, but to me, it’s a step backwards.”
Cameron certainly knows a thing or two about crafting indelible female characters, ranging from Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in the “Terminator” franchise to Rose (Kate Winslet) in 1997’s “Titanic.” And indeed, he thinks “Wonder Woman” could have learned a few things from his films when it came to shaping the role played by Gal Gadot.
“Sarah Connor was not a beauty icon,” he said. “She was strong, she was troubled, she was a terrible mother and she earned the respect of the audience through pure grit. And to me, [the benefit of characters like Sarah] is so obvious. I mean, half the audience is female!”
The Oscar-winning director said he’s unsure of why Hollywood isn’t getting better at creating powerful female roles.
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“There are many women in power in Hollywood, and they do get to guide and shape what films get made,” he said. “I think — no, I can’t account for it. Because how many times do I have to demonstrate the same thing over again? I feel like I’m shouting in a wind tunnel!”