Professor Marston & The Wonder Women Movie Review (2017)
An elegant movie about the creator of the Wonder Woman comic, his wife, and their lover, Professor Marston & The Wonder Women is a fascinating look into a polyamorist relationship that existed far before its time.
Comic book characters have long been part of society. They typically stand for power and take action for the greater good. But have you ever thought about a time before superheroes? There was one, but not knowing about Superman or Wonder Woman – it almost doesn’t seem possible.
Professor Marston & The Wonder Women is based on the true story of American psychologist William Marston and his wife, English psychologist Elizabeth Marston. While focusing on advancing their work on the lie detector machine and while William was a professor at Harvard in the 1920s, the two meet student Olive Byrne. After getting to know each other, a love affair begins between the three. Once rumors spread and there are life consequences involved, William – inspired by the women in his life – comes up with the concept for and begins writing the Wonder Woman comics.
This drama focuses heavily on the sexual relationship between the three partners, but also does a good job of framing how everything connects to produce the ideas for Wonder Woman. William’s assertion of DISC theory (Dominance, Inducement, Submission, Compliance) along with the lie detector elements, some mixing with the black market sexual society (think ropes, heels, bustiers, etc. at that time), and the dominant and submissive women in his life all come together in a fascinating mix.
The music in the movie plays a major role in creating the ambiance for the film. In both loving and sexual moments along with some magical “creation of Wonder Woman” junctures, everything is heightened because of the soundtrack and visual mix.
Although the narrative is framed in memory, with William testifying before a woman, the story keeps you interested the entire time. There are lots of allusions to Wonder Woman throughout (including a gold bracelet, the lie detector connecting to the Lasso of Truth, and the large heels), and the written updates about the three, their children, and what happened with the Wonder Woman legacy gave me chills at the end.
This is a very intriguing movie that gets an extra boost because it is based on a true story. With polyamory not fully accepted in this day and age, one can only imagine the kind of scrutiny the three of them received, and that is on display in this film. But even more than the relationship between the three principles is the legacy they left. It’s a good story.
Runtime: 108 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, it’s an interesting history
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
Available: Free on Prime Video and Tubi, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
