What is True Greatness?
A Lesson for Suffering America (2020)
A s Americans struggle through the pandemic, Hollywood tried to brighten this holiday season with the release of Wonder Woman 1984. However, good intentions did not translate well with critics. This might be one of the most underrated superhero films because viewers missed the critical core message. Let’s analyze.
The studio’s strategic move to release it on Christmas is tied to what the holiday is about: truth and love. WW84 is a family movie that relays a message for people suffering from loss and social isolation caused by the pandemic — represented by the two main female characters respectively, Diana and Cheetah.
The opening scene acts as the basis for Diana’s character development: “Nothing good is born from lies. And greatness is not what you think.” Young Diana is taught a hard lesson after being disqualified for cheating: “No true hero is born out of lies” Therefore, the film’s premise: What is true greatness?
To answer this, we have to understand her main nemesis, “Lord”- representing a false messiah figure. Lord is modeled after modern “prosperity gospel” preachers (Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, Joseph Prince, Kenneth Copeland, etc.). He personifies religious televangelists populating the media preaching their “positive thinking” philosophy: “if you wish and pray for it enough, God will grant the desires of your heart”. This is a lie that has permeated every aspect of American culture- including politics.
This becomes concrete when Lord holds hands with the president in faith and explicitly shares @1hr:44min “The Power of Positive Thinking” based on Norman Vincent Peale’s self-help book. It is easy to see the similarities in today’s political arena: “Make America Great Again” (remember: exploring “what is greatness” is the film’s premise) was a slogan borrowed from Reagan’s presidency — a follower of this dogma himself.
By confronting Lord, Diana faces her own weakness: the inability to accept the truth. Her character development is completed as she accepts reality and lets go of her heart’s desires, finally embracing what greatness really is: the will to self-sacrifice and fulfill her responsibility as Wonder Woman to protect others.
The core message of the film (relayed by Diana at the end) is that there are costs to lies and that truth is beautiful and enough in itself to stand against any foe. As we struggle through a pandemic, civil unrest, injustice, and economic inequality, it is time for us to sacrifice our wishes and use whatever gifts we were already given to help others. This is the great news of Christmas: it might seem hopeless, but truth and love ultimately wins.
So what is the key to “making America great again”? The answer is a tribute to the true American heroes:
True greatness does not reside in power alone, but in its ability to self-sacrifice for the sake of others.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Recommended book: The Truth Formula
