Someone in a Tree

this is something that is hardly ever conveyed on screen, in superhero properties or elsewhere in entertainment - I can’t think of the last time I saw it done, especially not so clearly. 

every time Diana felt compassion or showed empathy for the plight of those suffering around her, she became stronger. she would see something that caused her pain because other people were in pain, and she channeled that emotion into her powers, using them to do good in some way. this happens repeatedly in the film (from the tower climb in Themyscira to no man’s land), culminating with seeing Steve’s death and the impending death of her other comrades-in-arms, when her powers erupt forth from her body, so strong they nearly consume those around her at once. her emotions fueled the growth of her powers until she was strong enough that she defeated the god of war. her emotions made her powerful enough that she could become the godkiller, the world’s savior.

society teaches us that emotion and compassion and empathy are weak, are only going to get us hurt in the long run. we are told to repress and hide our feelings because it’s not socially acceptable. but when Diana shows emotion, when she vocalizes her urge to show empathy for others, she literally becomes stronger.

Jenelle Riley: It’s interesting too because I don’t mean to make it too simplistic and say like he’s a villain, but you have played some very charming villains. I mean obviously Cottonmouth is very charming, and your character in Moonlight is so fascinating because he is a drug dealer (Mahershala: Hm.) But he is one of the most likeable and sympathetic people in the movie.

She captured a feeling, sky with no ceiling, the sunset inside a frame. She lived in her liquor, and died with a flicker, I’ll always remember the flame.

1. Trump was, indeed, perfectly honest during the campaign; he intends to do everything he said, and more. This should not be reassuring to you.

2. The regime’s main organizational goal right now is to transfer all effective power to a tight inner circle, eliminating any possible checks from either the Federal bureaucracy, Congress, or the Courts. Departments are being reorganized or purged to effect this.

3. The inner circle is actively probing the means by which they can seize unchallenged power; yesterday’s moves should be read as the first part of that.