Work

Wonder Woman (2017): exploring decolonial and feminist uses of orientalism and neomedievalism in allegorizing destranslatio imperii from the Global South

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This article explores the decolonial and feminist applications of orientalism and neomedievalism in Patty Jenkins (Citation2017) film, Wonder Woman. It analyzes their potential for destranslatio imperii within the context of the reimagined Greek myth of the Amazons. Translatio imperii employs both mechanisms to delineate imperial boundaries and construct otherness as distant in both space and time. While the myth has traditionally supported translatio imperii, the film employs it for the opposite purpose. This article introduces the concept of destranslatio imperii to describe the reverse spatiotemporal movement of those who were orientalized or medievalized. I propose that the film Wonder Woman allegorizes destranslatio imperii from the Global South, encompassing communities not only from third-world countries but also Indigenous populations such as Native Americans. By analyzing the film, I will highlight how it critiques the civilizing project of European modernity, which perpetuates a capitalist rationality that excludes women and Indigenous peoples.

Source: Cogent Arts and Humanities

DOI: 10.1080/23311983.2025.2472550

Author: Fernanda Martinez-Varela

Institution: Georgetown University

Language: English

Topic: Cinema History and Criticism

Subfield: Visual Arts and Performing Arts

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Gender equality

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,165