Black Panther is
one of the greatest superhero films of all time; up until this point of course.
It comfortably joins the pantheon of The
Dark Knight and Spider-Man 2. It
is transcendent. It is also the best film produced and directed in the Marvel
Cinematic Universe (MCU). Yes, it is better than the famous Iron Man. I am not just saying this
because I am black. Historically, Marvel has worked with a particular story template,
especially since the MCU was first launched with Iron Man in 2008. There are also elements (Soundtrack etc) in Black Panther that are taken from Sam
Raimi’s Spider-Man films. What has occurred in Black Panther is a perfection of
this Marvel template which began with the Sam Raimi Spider-man films and was
first perfected in Spider-Man 2. I
could even say there are even some elements of Thor:
Ragnarok which can be seen in Black
Panther. So Black Panther is not
the most original of marvel films in some areas; I think I even found some
comparisons to Blade. There are
other comparisons with The Dark Knight
Trilogy, especially The Dark Knight
Rises.
Black Panther has
simply perfected the Marvel template but also added some weighty dramatic heft.
Marvel was able to restrain itself and stay grounded in Wakanda. Wakanda is
fully realized with all the weight of its experiences as a special African
country. What it does have is a very sincere director in the seat in the form
of Ryan Coogler who has brought out the humanity in the characters portrayed in
this film. There is weighty dramatic heft here that goes along with the
Wakandan perspective. The Wakandan perspective is clearly important and intrinsic
to the film and forms an organic synergy not clearly seen in other marvel
superhero films. Where places in the real world, as portrayed by some other
superhero films remain ephemeral, Wakanda forms a core that will obviously put
it at the centre of the MCU. It can no longer be ignored. The closest
comparison to Wakanda as a fictional space in superhero films, in terms of
quality, is Gotham City in The Dark
Knight Trilogy. Gotham formed the backbone of The Dark Knight trilogy. Now the issues that place the fictional
Wakanda in the spotlight make the central conflict engaging.
The film is about T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) who becomes
king after his father’s death. While T’Challa and others are contemplating the
route that Wakanda should take (do they open up and share or do they
remain isolated) Erik Killmonger (Micheal B. Jordan) arrives to expose
the divisions in the society and challenges T’Challa’s worthiness to be king.
Positives
Now while I said that Black
Panther is not necessarily original I was just illustrating a point that,
historically, nothing is truly original as it stands because there is a process
of development that must be adhered to. The creation of Wakanda as a fictional
African country, which is so advanced that it is probably the richest country in
the world, is the major positive for me. As a black person you can’t help but be
moved by its grandeur. It’s because it’s so technologically advanced that
issues arise about the extent of Wakanda’s contributions to the world; not just
to black people. The reality, however, is that it is a nation in the continent
of Africa and could be a beacon for black people all over the word. Wakanda is
a nation that has been untouched by colonialism and the rapacious greed of
white capitalists who would have surely drained the nation of its precious
vibranium long ago if they knew about it. In one scene Agent Ross (Martin
Freeman ) is referred to as a “colonizer”. It was absolutely brilliant. The
core issue, however, is: why Wakanda didn’t do more for its people on the
continent? Why not unite the tribes of the African content and protect the
people from the ravages of the slave trade which depopulated Africa and set it
back for centuries? Credit to Coogler, there is an important scene in the
beginning which shows what could have been if Wakanda was actually real. Just
imagine if black people had an African country it could look to and see real
progress. I’m not trying to steal the spotlight but it’s something I’ve always
discussed. Countries with majority black populations are most likely poor,
corrupt and torn by war and strife. It is the reality. It was the vision of our
great black leaders like Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X that we stand on our own
together and raise our standards to the level of the advanced nations. We, as
black people, should also demonstrate to the world that we can be a force in
the world.
Unfortunately, in the real world a lot of black people have
been brutalized, almost beyond repair, especially those that suffer at the
hands of institutional racism and international classism. Institutional racism
has denied us the possibility of reaching our full potential especially in a
country such as America which has the largest black diaspora. Obviously some in
America will see themselves as strictly Americans but historically there is a
lot that unites the black people of the world which is why they are a part of
the diaspora. Only when there is an Eric Garner situation do some realize their
blackness. The integrationists will think differently, of course, but how far
have we really progressed as a people when the majority have been brutalized
beyond repair and our standards are those of the whites. If Wakanda were not a
fictional country these issues would have been addressed a long time ago. This
is why in the film we have the character of Erik Killmonger.
Technically, Killmonger is not a villain based on how things
unravel and this is why what he does is understandable. He is portrayed like a villain to promote the film and these films must adhere to the template of hero vs.
villain in order to satisfy corporate greed. These films must have a satisfying
conclusion. Killmonger is not a villain. Obviously I can’t reveal too much
until after the opening weekend but his connection to the throne is
understandable, his motivations are clear and his views on how Wakanda should
be run differ greatly from T’Challa’s. This does not necessarily make him a
villain. Historically, his approach would be revered by some black people. If
Killmonger is Malcolm X then T’Challa is Martin Luther King Jr. It’s just a
matter of preference. As a black person it’s difficult to see one or the other
as hero or villain. By the end of the film you will see how Killmonger has
shaken things up and forced real change. Does that make him a villain? I don’t
think so. It is probably one of the limitations of the film why he’s cast as a
villain because the world has embraced integration. Killmonger’s upbringing
represents the real struggle of black people throughout the world whereas T’Challa’s
upbringing represents one of privilege and outrageous fantasy. T’Challa and his
fellow Wakandans have a head start but have done nothing with it. For me
Killmonger is not a villain. Yeah they tried to say that he has a lot of kills
on his record but he worked for the CIA so he was just doing his job. Actually, the presence of Everett Ross, in some scenes, is troubling because he is placed
on the side of the good. What a joke.
The film does have a strong supporting cast. It is the
supporting cast which contributes to the organic synergy of the film. As a
nation the supporting cast does represent some particular section whether it be
as part of a tribe or part of the King’s bodyguard, the Dora Milaje. The female
characters are truly impressive such as
the general Okoye (Danai Gurira), Shuri (Letitia Wright), Nakia (Lupita
Nyongo) and Ramonda (Angella Bassett) but the male supporting cast is just as impressive, especially M’baku
(Winston Duke) and W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya). All these characters make you
realize that Wakanda has depth and that it’s not just a fictional place on a
map. They all have their roles to play and because the scenes are so well acted
it gives a more transcendent feel to the whole film.
My favourite supporting character was M’baku.
The film also does capture the essence of Africa such as the
music and the production design. Africa might be a continent
but the various African countries also have many similarities in terms of
culture and this is evident in the film with notable differences. So while Wakanda is fictional the
essence of it is real in many respects; apart from the fictional vibranium of
course and the fictional idea of an advanced super state in Africa. The explanation
of the rise of the Black Panther was pretty well done at the beginning.
I loved the ending of this film and I was genuinely moved
but I obviously can’t spoil it for those who haven’t watched the film. Let’s
just say it is a welcome sign of hope for the black struggle which still goes on.
Just to be clear I’m not talking about the 2 post credit scenes. I’m talking
about the scene right before the end credits. What happens in the final scene
shows why heroes like Iron Man and Captain America are wasteful and idiotic.
They don’t really save anyone. Iron Man did so in 2008 when there was no burden
of marketing placed on him and ever since he has regressed into a tormented
megalomaniac; and Captain America is the embodiment of idiocy. The final scene
of Black Panther showed how you
truly save people; this is why Black
Panther is superior to films like Iron
Man and Winter Soldier in the
MCU.
Ryan Coogler is an exceptional director. I’m pretty sure he
was constrained by Marvel executive Kevin Feige or he would have made an even
greater film. Black Panther is the
best marvel film made since Spider-Man 2
Negatives
The primary negative I have is that Killmonger has been vilified
as a villain while characters such as Everett Ross magically wind up on the
side of the good. For me that was the most absurd part of the film especially
since Ross is on the side of those with disparaging remarks about Wakanda even
if he acts as one from the outside world learning about Wakanda for the first
time. It was a pleasure to see how M’baku dealt with Ross at one point.
Killmonger is not a villain no matter what the marketing execs at marvel or
those in the press want to say. A character such as Killmonger has been limited
by formula. It is because of this formula why the film couldn’t be even more
transcendent.
The formula is clearly a limitation because Black Panther must fit within the
grander project of the MCU. The trailer for Infinity War made it clear that T’Challa would survive whatever
troubles he faced in Black Panther. In
the real world of filmmaking why should T’Challa survive the troubles he faced.
By the time Infinity War comes
around it will be back to business as usual. I am not blaming Coogler, the director;
I am blaming the producers at Marvel such as Kevin Feige. The MCU formula has
limited the potential of the Black
Panther film and has taken away, somewhat, from its standalone qualities. Spider-Man 2, for instance, benefited
from being uninterrupted and was able to reach a certain level of quality. It is
testament to Coogler that he surmounted some, if not all, of these limitations.
However the line of T’Challa must be preserved since he is supposedly the hero; I just hope that when Infinity War
comes around that the white avengers don’t end up stealing the show and make
Wakanda into some play ground. I don’t want to see the idiotic Steve Rogers,
the former Captain America (the greatest idiot and greatest representative of
imperialism in the MCU), trying to upstage T’Challa in his own country. I’m not
saying it will happen but it’s likely. Lol I am starting to sound like M’baku,
my favourite supporting character. If Coogler knows what’s best then he should turn to
making some real films about Africa or the African Diaspora and don’t let
marvel call him up to place even more restrictions on him. Coogler shouldn’t return
to the MCU unless they give him more freedom to do what he wants. I’m pretty
sure that Coogler knows of the limitations placed on the character of
Killmonger; not just in story but because he must be cast as a so called
villain.
Because of the formula then Black Panther couldn’t surmount
some of the troubles associated with the MCU but it has perfected the formula
and so Infinity War definitely has a
lot to live up to. I am pretty sure Infinity
War won’t achieve the same level of synergy as the Black Panther. Infinity War
will certainly be more extravagant but it remains to be seen if it will be a
better film.
