Professor Marston and the Wonder Women (4 Stars)

William Marston was an amazing man. He invented the first lie detector, and then he went on to create the character Wonder Woman, whose comics he wrote for six years. How can one person be responsible for two such outstanding creations of such different types?

Which was the most important of the two? Most would say the lie detector (now called a polygraph in the USA), but I would disagree. Its effectiveness is contested. In some countries it's commonly used, in others only occasionally, and in others not at all. In university my Psychology professor, Dr. John Bradshaw, was very critical of lie detectors. He gave us instructions on how to beat the machine, as he called it. I've never had to take a lie detector test, but if I did I'd deliberately lie, just to see if his methods work. He told us that the study of body language is more reliable in telling whether a person is lying.

Wonder Woman, the character and the comic, is something different. She's a powerful woman who inspires women and girls of all ages. She wasn't the first female super-hero, but she was the first to be successful. Why did she succeed when others had failed? Maybe it was her costume, which alluded to the American flag. It could be that she came from an island of women who didn't need men. It's true, Wonder Woman fell in love with a man when she came to America, but it was her choice, not because she needed a man. It could also be because the initial comics (those written by Marston) relied strongly on bondage, which was something still uncommon in the early 1940's.

Whatever the reason for the success was, Wonder Woman is still with us today. Her comics have appeared every month since 1941. She's also been featured in a television series and more recently in films.

The film concentrates on Bill Marston's relationship with the two women who inspired him: Elizabeth Marston, his wife, and Olive Byrne, their lover. The three had a true polyamorous relationship. I emphasise the word true, because polyamorous is a commonly misused word. In most cases people say they're polyamorous when they really mean that they're promiscuous. If you love someone, you put the other person and his wishes first. Those who call themselves polyamorous are thinking about themselves and their own lusts. In most cases. Bill, Elizabeth and Olive were truly polyamorous. After Bill's death, the two women lived together for another 38 years. There was no need for another third wheel on the cart. They had both loved Bill intensely, and there was no room in their hearts for a replacement.

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Once more, this is a film that has only been released on DVD in England. If you're a true film fan, you can order it on Blu-ray from Germany.