Patty Jenkins has dismissed James Cameron's criticism of "Wonder Woman" as a "step backwards", saying there is "no right and wrong kind of powerful woman".
Cameron had said the Gal Gadot-starrer blockbuster celebrated an "objectified icon".
Jenkins, in her reply, said, "James Cameron's inability to understand what Wonder Woman is, or stands for, to women all over the world is unsurprising as, though he is a great filmmaker, he is not a woman."
In an interview to the British newspaper the Guardian, Cameron, best known for big budget dramas such as "Titanic", "Avatar" and "The Terminator", said, "All of the self- congratulatory back-patting Hollywood's been doing over 'Wonder Woman' has been so misguided.
"She's an objectified icon, and it's just male Hollywood doing the same old thing! I'm not saying I didn't like the movie but, to me, it's a step backwards."
Citing the example of Sarah Connor from his film "The Terminator", Cameron said the part was not a beauty icon but earned the respect of the audience through "pure grit".
Jenkins, however, said while strong women are great and Cameron praised her film 'Monster' and its portrayal of a "strong yet damaged woman", it would be limiting to see them in only one light.
"But if women have to always be hard, tough and troubled to be strong, and we are not free to be multidimensional or celebrate an icon of women everywhere because she is attractive and loving, then we haven't come very far, have we?
"I believe women can and should be everything just like male lead characters should be. There is no right and wrong kind of powerful woman. And the massive female audience who made the film a hit it is, can surely choose and judge their own icons of progress," Jenkins said.
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