Black Panther: REVIEW

Welcome to the Wakandan Invasion

Black Panther is a 2018 film directed by Ryan Coogler and is the 18th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It boasts a star-studded cast of legends like Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker to up and coming stars Letitia Wright and my favourite, Daniel Kaluuya. The film tells the story of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) who was first introduced in Captain America: Civil War and follows him after the events of that movie. He returns to his home nation of Wakanda and everything that comes with the death of a monarch falls upon the heavy shoulders of T’Challa. Throughout the film, we are introduced to many characters that fill this world in a fun and engaging ways. The world of Wakanda is developed beautifully through the 5 tribes that inhabit the nation in East Africa. The story ebbs and flows in interesting and all motivated by the film’s antagonist Eric Killmonger (Michael B Jordan). Overall it is an amazing film that deserves to be studied on many levels due to the care and passion provided by the entire creative team that made the movie. From diversity in front and behind the camera it is a testament to collaborative work and the unity of what the world on and off screen can be.

A wide shot from the film of the nation of Wakanda at the waterfall.

As a visual medium, what is shown on screen truly develops a viewers opinion of that world. Rachel Morrison is the Director of Photography on this film and she brings a unique viewpoint to the film. She is the first female DP in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and you see that in the way she films all of the characters. Everyone is held in a warm glow not only by the warm Wakandan sun but also through the camera lens. Morrison has worked on one of my favourite films Dope (2015) and most recently is the first female cinematographer to be nominated for an Academy Award. While her early history is filled with short films and documentaries, she was brought to the big screen by constant collaborator Ryan Coogler and as his clout rises, he brings her along as she has filmed all 3 of his films. While there are moments of brilliance where her craft shows through, the majority of the film feels like a generic Marvel product. The stylings on screen are new but the language she is using is mostly that of the MCU. I see the same problem earlier with cinematographer Henry Braham who filmed Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, there are some of his styles but these are cinematographers with good early entries but have not had time to work with the large scale of big-budget filmmaking. She is definitely doing the right things and her steps are in the best direction for her career. Action is not her strong point but she brings the emotion on screen with a sucker punch.

Ludwig Göransson alongside 5 African musicians in a recording session for the movie.

As much as what you see on screen shapes how any viewer understands a film, the sound is very much the ninja in the background. The sound is often forgotten but should never be discounted, the oral landscape develops not only our perspective on things happening but can shape how we understand what happens on screen. Ludwig Göransson is credited with providing the music and that is completely correct. Whether it is the score that he created or the accompanying soundtrack curated by Kendrick Lamar there is a craftsmanship that is not solely from one person but organized and compiled by Göransson. The richness of African instruments flows through the average Marvel superhero sounds and layers the intense tribal sounds with futuristic orchestral sounds. For me, I remember hearing something similar in the TV show Empire (2015) which matches hip-hop with orchestral. The score here does so much more as Göransson spent time in and around Africa as well as using local artists to create the unique sounds that accompany the movie. But that isn’t the only thing you hear in the movie, alongside the beautiful orchestration comes a star-studded album by Lamar that was apparently supposed to be just one song and he was so creatively inspired by what he was shown that he brought top talent, from Future, Khalid, The Weekend and many more to a beautiful album that ebbs and flows through the movie in a masterful way and it was all masterminded by Göransson.

And best of all we can’t escape the social commentary that comes with the film. Not only does the message of the film aims to create a more unified world, the film does the same for the real world. Representation is not only a word to throw around but what everyone should aim to remember in their projects. This movie does that in front and behind the camera, it depicts a futuristic perspective of Africa in a way that exemplifies the power that is truly in the cradle of civilization.

9/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

****************SPOILER SECTION BELOW****************

The characters from the movie in a group shot. Left to Right. Forest Whitaker as Zuri, Michael B Jordan as Eric Killmonger, Daniel Kaluuya as W’Kabi, Lupita Nyongo as Nakia, Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, Angela Basset as Ramonda, Danai Gurira as Nakia and Letitia Wright as Shuri.

WAKANDA FOREVER!!! Damn, I really enjoyed this film! My favourite character in the Black Panther Universe is King T’Chaka for so many reasons. In the comics, he met Captain America during the WW2 and was the one to give the vibranium to make his famous shield. It was a secret operation for Cap and because of this secret history of the Marvel Universe, it makes his connection to the modern day even cooler. With the movies in mind, the timeline would place T’Chaka’s father as the one who could have met Cap in the war and make the relationship even more interesting with the lineage of the Panther Clan. It’s not confirmed in the movies but in my mind, it definitely is a real thing. Also, I name all my gaming characters T’Chaka so just much love and as the movie opens with the flashback to him in his Black Panther suit just got me. The suit is almost a mix of all 3 panther suits seen in the movie and the tribal sash he matches it with. Bless. Also Sterling K. Brown as Killmonger’s father, he just has so much emotion in his eyes and I love it.

I’ve been seeing online a lot of people comparing T’Challa’s story to that of The Lion King and mostly correct, I think Killmonger is the better parallel. He is the one whose father is killed, his journey takes him on a wild journey through a strange world to him and ends up back in the country he was promised and challenges his father’s killer. As he kills Zuri he claims his spot and the circle of life is complete. Killmonger is the secret hero of the movie and villain is wrong, he is the antagonist in opposition of the protagonist. He is trying to save the entire world through his means and the path he takes is what he sees as the right thing to do. Killmonger is the hero of his own story and he isn’t wrong. It is epitomized in W’Kabi’s character, he switches sides because Killmonger provides decisive action for the world that he wants to live in. For a nation that is secluded from the world, it is hard for all the characters to not be helping the world around them as people like Tony Stark keeps going around and bringing pain and suffering to so many people. The characters that do leave like Nakia are more interested in helping people rather than staying in Wakanda and the same thing is felt in every character. The desire to do better and be better is something started in Civil War and continued here. T’Challa’s story for revenge in Civil War is echoed in Killmongers story and the two are clear parallels.

UPDATE

Money talks and the world showed up for this one. $192 for weekend and $218 for 4 days and DAMN! It speaks for a desire for representation and diversity on screen. My choice is a spin on Big Trouble in Little China set in India and someone like Ant-Man or Star Lord being a bumbling fool on a crazy weird trip through culture and history. Even better an Indian hero in the MCU but literally there is only Kamala Khan (still not Indian but close enough). But if we could do Black Panther but Indian, 1 billion people in India, just saying.