Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Black Panther: A Journey Through Black Culture (minor spoilers)


            Hopefully by now most of you (if not all) have seen the movie Black Panther.  The film took the world by storm when it became “the 10th highest-grossing movie of all time” with “$1.276 billion in global box office receipts.”1  I thought the movie was best described as “a love letter to black culture.”2  Africa—traditionally portrayed as chaotic and savage in films— had a whole new level of sophistication and poise that celebrated traditional African society, beauty of black women, and political debates among the African American population.  Black Panther was more than a superhero movie but a journey through black culture. 
            The movie was not short of elaborate hairstyles and costumes as the designers put great thought into them.  Many of the styles in the movie drew influence from South Africa, Kenya, and Namibia.  The purpose of the costumes was to “evoke a place and people that had ‘never been colonized, one that looked toward the future but was based on a real past.’”2 The film has received much praise for its designs and graphic effects, but what I found most captivating was the rich storyline and philosophical questions. The fantasy nation of Wakanda represented a utopia of what true freedom for blacks look like compared to the harsh reality that Erik Killmonger must endure growing up in the United States.  The film makes the audience ponder where would Africa be now without colonization, and how much African tradition was lost?  As Killmonger rises in power, he challenges T’Challa for the throne of Wakanda.  However, the fight between Killmonger and T’Challa was more than a battle over Wakanda, but instead represented the differing political philosophies in the African American community.  Killmonger wanted to arm Africans and African Americans across the world against the colonizers (Europe, United States, etc.).  T’Challa instead believed that Wakanda should offer foreign aid and be a home of refuge.  T’Challa and Killmonger appeared to have a similar relationship to that of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.  Killmonger aligned with the philosophy of self-defense, and if advanced weaponry was available, why not distribute it among the African American population?  T’Challa, on the other hand, was not necessarily nonviolent but aligned more with distributing resources and education to African Americans to provide better opportunities. 
            Black Panther has revolutionized the way African Americans are portrayed in Hollywood film and set new standards for future films.  My question for you is how were Africans and African Americans’ portrayed in films before Black Panther, and how has it changed over time?





1 Hughes, Mark, "'Black Panther' Is Now The 10th Highest Grossing Film Of All Time," Forbes, April 02, 2018, accessed April 25, 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2018/04/02/black-panther-is-now-the-10th-highest-grossing-film-of-all-time/#6331d1646a40.
2 Johnson, Tre, "Black Panther Is a Gorgeous, Groundbreaking Celebration of Black Culture," Vox, February 23, 2018, accessed April 25, 2018, https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/2/23/17028826/black-panther-wakanda-culture-marvel.


2 comments:

  1. I love this post. It is highly thought provoking, and I respect your ideas. I agree with your statements about the dynamic between Killmonger and T'Challa. I believe that this film was revolutionary in its debut of Black culture as one that should not be tainted. Therefore, I would be hesitant to answer your question of how Black portrayal has "changed." I don't know if I would say that it has. Of course, Black Panther is the spectacle of respect and admiration of Black culture (African culture), but it has not been until recently, that we have entered this era of the film industry, where films are being put out in order to force viewers to understand and grapple with the Black experience. Black Panther, as you mentioned, is unique in its decision to present Wakanda as a country, never influenced by white people. Yet, in most films, even today, there is an idea that Black people benefit from westernization. In films with Black people, that might even be about Black struggle, there is representation of an heroic white figure. Black Panther, however, is revolutionary, in its refusal to give credit to white colonization. I really enjoyed your post.

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  2. I love the way you have compared this to real life scenarios. I have not thought about the similiarities between Africans and European colonizers and MLK and Malcolm X. As I read the post I could totally see the representation that the writer used. I also loved the design and costumes of the movie. The color and landscaping was spectacular. This is for sure the best Marvel movie I have ever seen. I just want to rewatch it right now.

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