Film Analysis
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Films deploy critical aspects to bring out a specific intent or impression. Black Panther, a movie that won the heart of majority number of people, has a thematic view of black cultural importance. Furthermore, the film depicts continued differences between African Americans and Africans through their main characters Kill monger and T Challah for the movie to bring out the theme in an entertaining fictional setting, the writer and producer Ryan Coogler in conjunction with Marvel studios deployed techniques that made the movie considered as the best film of the year 2018. The essay intends to take the analysis of the production techniques and formal analysis of a particular scene.
The scene that held most relevance in Black Panther was the fight between Killmonger and T’Challar through lethal combat. As the movie intends to depict black cultural importance, mortal combat is an aspect used in African traditions to determine the king of a specific throne. In this setting, we can notice how Killmonger challenges T’Challar to a fight to determine the ruler and protector of Wakanda. Killmonger considering T’Challar as weak and unworthy to protect Wakandan people from the West interference posed the challenge that T’Challar further agreed to. Viewing this scene in a post-colonial setting, critics suggest the scene portrays ethnicity of black people residing in the diaspora. In the essence that, black people residing in the diaspora would always feel more entitled to leadership and supremacy in comparison to Africans. David (2018) suggests that the scene portrays a division between the African Americans and the Africans that is further deemed as a fundamental dissonance. Even though the movie stressed on black cultural importance and empowerment, this scene was worth noting as it presents a possible clash in the coming generations of two black ethnicities. Additionally, the scene portrays a feminist world encouraged in black existence. Contrary to old generations in the black culture, females are only subjected to household chores. In the scene, we can identify women as warriors and protector of Wakanda yielding swords and spears. As a result, the scene equips women with empowerment features to lead and protect Wakanda through shields and spears in a fictional analogy, a role usually linked to the men (Allen, 2018). The scene thus portrayed two critical aspects in representing black culture.
The scene deployed several critical aspects to bring the desired impression. The costumes were designed from the Maasai and the Suri in a fictional setting (David, 2018). In most marvel studio movies, the costumes of superheroes are usually high tech and sophisticated. In this scene, the women are wearing intricate costumes with attributes of black culture. Nakia costume is a combination of the Maasai outfit in a sophisticated fictional setting to stress on black ethnicity. The sounding is represented by beating drums in the course of the lethal combat, an aspect used amongst many traditions in Africa. Sound effects are stressed on the metallic spears and shield used when T’Challar and Killmonger are fighting to portray the extent of division between African Americans and Africans. In the essence that, the sound effect intensifies the way the two are fighting. The producer further uses deep focus to stress on images of T’Challar and Killmonger as they are battling in the legal combat. Deep focus is used in the scene to exhibit the intensity of the rivalry and fight. In the scene, deep focus also encompasses the view of the battlefield. We can notice waterfalls and a river that represents the battlefield. Deep focus not only concentrates on images but also gives a representation of the surrounding (Film Analysis, n.d.). Contrary to deep focus, shallow focus concentrates on one element in the scene. In the scene, Nakia is constantly zoomed to show her reactions as T’Challar battles Killmonger. Her reactions illustrated fear bearing in mind she cherished and adored T’ Challah in a battle he was losing. The light of the scene was dull in an evening setting that proposed a possible loss in which T’Challar lost the battle. Contrary to the setting, the first lethal combat was on a bright setting in which T’Challar eventually won.
Mis en scene is deployed in the scene through the settings in the surrounding (Film Analysis, n.d.). As earlier noted in the essay, the background of the scene is a battlefield characterized by a hill, waterfalls and a river. The scene represents Africa’s landscape portrayed in a fictional setting. The props given to the characters are swords and spears that presents brave and robust warriors as it was in ancient Africa. Contextual analysis narrows down to an African setting in a fictional analogy. The scene portrays black culture through lethal combat to determine who succeeds the throne. At that particular scene, the political ideology is exhibited as a struggle between African Americans and Africans to determine who gets to exercise authority. Additionally, narrative structure analysis concentrates on the story elements of the film (Film Analysis, n.d.). Through the scene, we can identify the theme of black cultural importance as the producer aims to deploy aspects of black culture.
References
Allen, M. D. (2018). Black Panther’s Black Woman Magic If You Can See It, You Can Be It: The Journal of Pan African Studies.
David, T. (2018, January 24). “‘Black Panther’: 90 Things to Know about the MCU’s Game- Changing Movie”.
Film Analysis, (n.d.) Retrieved from The Writing Center: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/film-analysis/
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Black Panther Movie Analysis
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The Black Panther Movie Analysis
Introduction
Many people have questioned the outrageous anticipation of the Black Panther movie and its significance to the Black community. Organizations such as churches and schools have been in the frontline in crowding theatres to satisfy their curiosity of a film that has won the hearts of many. The Film written and directed by Ryan Coogler portrays a thematic view of Black cultural importance and politics of a group of people that are not usually at the center stage of Hollywood movies. The Sci-Fi, produced by Marvel Studios, further aims at cheering and entertaining the oppressed ethnic groups and minorities. Although it is a form of entertainment, a critical analysis of the movie establishes findings that portray the theme of Black cultural importance and politics as brought out in the film.
Superheroism
In Contrast with other Black superhero movies, Black Panther puts more emphasis on its blackness (Tyree, & Jacobs, 2014). The film stresses that Wakanda is the Promised Land for Black people in generations to come, away from all the troubles and suffering that presently exist in America. The movie further takes on oppressors and challenges institutional biases and systems that work against the Black community. Different scholarly articles on the movie argue that Black Panther portrays a thematic view of real life Blacks struggle in a fictional analogy (David, 2018). Wakanda being the Promised Land saves the Black community from the criminal horrors unfolding day-by-day in the hands of the White American society. The movie points out that, it has been more than 500 years since Black ancestors, descendants and forefathers all dreamt of a day they would be free from oppression and slavery in a land they could practice National Autonomy (Davé, 2017). Accredited writer and activist Shaun King opines that the movie is a movement that holds a lot of significance and resemblance to Martin Luther King Junior’s I have a dream speech or President Obama’s inauguration speech.
Black Liberation
The film contains a fundamental understanding of Black liberation through a movement. Although the movie’s primary point of reference is on Black cultural importance and change, Americans and Whites, contrariwise, were more excited about the film as it emphasized more on respectability in Black politics rather than revolution. Ross is seen as the man of the hour as he strives to crush down the Wakandan ship signifying crushing the armed revolt against oppression (Setoodeh, 2018). Additionally, Killmonger performs the role of an African with the most hideouts; he is frequently consumed by rage and violence which portrays an act that discredits radical internationalism in the movie. The film achieved mass views as most Black Americans and African communities who never watch comic-book based films got an opportunity to see their kind reflected in the screen poignantly, as ever witnessed in human history (Setoodeh, 2018). There are different roles and numerous Black characters starring in the Marvel movie (Borelli, Monroe & Ellis, 2018). The Black community took this gesture to mean its culture was given precedence, in a world, they hold a minority say.
Supremacy Battles
The film further stresses on Black politics getting little relevance and attention in which they ought to be. In the movie, Wakanda, the only safe place for Black people remains suspicious of outsiders. Despite the film being fictional, its politics are real. As Wakanda thrives, it is forced to hide as interest from outsiders begins to grow, symbolizing the West interference in African and Black politics despite attaining independence from colonial rule (David, 2018). It indicates that the end of colonialism does not mean the end of Western countries meddling in African or Black politics (Tyree, & Jacobs, 2014). Outsiders continuously attack Wakanda, which symbolically represents the West meddling in Black politics.
The movie further exhibits an image of the conflict between African and African American people in Black people politics. T’Challa who represents the dark-skinned people is involved in constant fights with Killmonger, the African American representative. The struggle between the two represents what it is to be African presently and the perception that Afro-minorities have on Africa. Wakanda presents a vivid representation of Africa before or without Colonialism, while Killlmonger, on the other hand, seeks to become what he wishes to destroy, that is to deploy Wakanda’s resources to attack and colonize the West. Eric Killmonger had sufficient knowledge that war and violence would be the last resort to counter oppression thus his act depicts intense hate and disgust at American Racism and oppression. Despite Wakanda being a conservative country, it opened doors to the massive destruction of the country as it unfolds in the film. The fight between Killmonger and T’Challa symbolizes the consequences of African exploitation in the hands of Western people in centuries to come. The two characters represent the division between African Americans and Africans which is considered to be fundamental dissonance.
Critics also view Black Panther from a lens of post-colonial setting. The movie portrays an African country with advanced technology than the west, depicting Black excellence and superiority over White people. It contrasts a wealthy African country that is immune to colonization and an urban American community dwelling in poverty. The picture depicted in the movie suggests a possible Black supremacy battle with the White populace in the coming years, which is further meant to empower the Black community. As earlier noted in the essay, the war between Killmonger and T’Challa is a representation of continued differences between the Africans and Black Americans. (Mokoena, 2018). Researchers also suggest that the two struggle as a means of addressing stereotypes of black ethnicity residing in the diaspora while stressing on a revolutionized African continent presenting opportunities to redeem themselves.
Black Panther is a women empowerment success story. One of the wins about the story is the integration of women into the narrative essence. Compared to earlier generations of African communities where women were supposed to stay in the background, Black Panther equips women with power that further enables them to be transcendent and play a significant role in the kingdom. We see Okoye leading the Dora Milaje, the all-female warriors in combat and there is never a suggestion that women shouldn’t go to battle. Gender does not shape or define characters here, and women get the most critical tasks. Nakia spends her time outside Wakanda as a spy, and the king entrusted Okoye with protecting him and Shuri is the smartest person in the kingdom. Compared to earlier generations of African communities where women were supposed to stay in the background, the movie equips women with power that further enables them to be transcendent and play a significant role in the kingdom.
The Unique Black Culture
As the movie takes a melancholic tone, Killmonger wishes to be thrown into the sea as his forefathers and ancestors did. T’Challa begs him to consider using Wakanda’s technology to save his life, he remains firm on his decision, opting for death than imprisonment. Killmonger’s statement reflected the middle passage tribulations of the Black community who jumped into the sea preferring death as opposed to a lifetime of bondage (Davé, 2017). Some of them even opted to starve to death than be enslaved by White people. Suicide became a rebellion tactic as Masters imposed tactics such as force-feeding slaves. The Scene helps the film illustrate how slavery scared Black people and the origin of their hatred towards White people.
Adopting an Afro-futuristic theme, the movie aimed at maintaining the African cultural importance and relevance. It brought many communities to light, for instance, the Maasai, Suri, amongst other African communities (David, 2018). The Costumes design were borrowed from the two tribes and brought out in a futuristic element to incorporate African aspects. The film aimed at bringing out the desired impression of native Black culture in fiction and leave out the stereotypes. Although Wakanda is a fictional land with sophisticated technology, it maintains Black culture by the use of spears and arrows in defense. Sounds of beating drums during lethal combat further spices a fictional setting with Black culture. Afrofuturism found a way to bridge the cultural aspects of the ancient African traditions with the potential of the future.
Conclusion
Whereas the film is a normal form of entertainment, a critical analysis of the movie establishes findings that portray the theme of Black cultural importance and politics. Black Panther shows an Africa that remains in the dark and enmeshed in retrogressive aspects present in some continent’s countries today. Critics suggest that the movie offered the same destructive myths of African culture that portray a somewhat neocolonial version of Africa. Africa is still characterized by division and tribalism while exercising rule and leadership. In Black Panther, Wakanda is ruled by a wealthy elite who continue to control its people, and can only step down from power through mortal combat. Despite all the technical abilities Wakanda is endowed with, it lacks a clear succession plan typical of democratic states. Critics say that, even though Wakanda represents the best place Blacks wishes to be, the movie presents many shortcomings. Its conservative and welcoming nature makes them susceptible to attacks. Ross, the white spy, just walked in and attempted to take over. In the movie, Blacks are redeemed from threats of non-Europeans and Americans if they safeguard virtue and goodness, but in a Black American perspective. Ironically, the end of the movie conflicts with Black empowerment ideals as it steers off the liberation of Africans from Whites and instead focuses on squabbles with fellow African-Americans. The CIA has also taken the role of a benevolent organization in a movie that intends to communicate the harm that western countries have caused to the Black people.
References
Borelli, M. B., Monroe, R., Bench, H., & Ellis, S. (2018). Editorial: Screening the skin: Issues of race and nation in screendance. The International Journal of Screendance, 9. doi:10.18061/ijsd.v9i0.6451
Davé, S. (2017). Racial accents, Hollywood casting, and Asian American homework assignment help studies. Cinema Journal, 56(3), 142-147. doi:10.1353/cj.2017.0030
David, T. (2018, January 24). “‘Black panther’ set visit: 90 things to know about the MCU’s game-changing movie”. Superhero News. Retrieved from https://superheronews.com/black-panther-set-visit-90-things-know-mcus-game-changing-movie/
Mokoena, D. A. (2018). Black Panther and the problem of the black radical. The Journal of Pan African Studies, vol.11.
Setoodeh, R. (2018, February 15). Chadwick Boseman and Ryan Coogler on how ‘black panther’ makes history. Variety. Retrieved from https://variety.com/2018/film/features/black-panther-chadwick-boseman-ryan-coogler-interview-1202686402/
Tyree, & Jacobs. (2014). Can You Save Me?: Black Male Superheroes in Hollywood Film. Spectrum: A Journal on Black Men, 3(1), 1. doi:10.2979/spectrum.3.1.1
