How Was Diana’s Home Created for ‘Wonder Woman’?
Diana Prince’s journey in Wonder Woman begins on the island of Themyscira, the enviromental utopia that will soon only exist in movies because human’s are awful. My disdain for climate change deniers aside, the scale and landscape of Themyscira is truly awe-inspiring but it didn’t come without its challenges for the production designers.
The two-time Oscar nominated production designer Aline Bonneto (Amelie, A Very Long Engagement) says:
“We wanted a beautiful, natural environment that the Amazons protect as the environment protects them. It’s lush, green. I designed troglodyte architecture for its organic shape,” she continues. “Using the natural cavities as living spaces, the Amazons prove their ability to live in harmony with their environment. In fact, in Themyscira, I avoid as much as possible straight lines. The curved lines evoke more femininity. They also don’t need doors. I tried to show in the design that they live in an open space and are free.”
Bonneto further explains the inspiration behind the throne room which was designed as an open grotto:
“All the seats for the Themyscirian assembly form a circle. I wanted this circle to describe a council room, the place where the Amazons use to meet when important decisions have to be taken in a democratic way. It took me a long time to find the right shape of the the stairs to integrate it naturally in this organic space. I wanted it in an art deco spirit but with curved lines. I decided to introduce art deco motives in the Themysciran architecture to contrast with the organic lines of the mineral walls bringing modern, stylized lines with their Greek inspirations. By that, I also wanted to show that, although these women live in a natural environment, they had harnessed certain techniques that allowed them to build very refined architectural elements.”
The cliffs and landscapes of Themyscira are the result of a combination of visual effects and on-location photography in Italy on the Amalfi coast. Bonneto explains:
“We needed a beach for the main battle scene—a white beach surrounded by cliffs… but if you look for a real beach with cliff, it’s not possible to film because of the high tides.”
What did you think of Themyscira? Did the beauty of Diana’s home island live up to your expectations?
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Wonder Woman is in cinemas right now.
