Let's discuss Black Panther
Jun. 10th, 2018 02:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nairiporterReinventing a centuries-old racialised view of an entire continent and the people who live there is a pretty heavy load for a superhero movie to carry, as has become evident with the storm of reactions to the latest blockbuster, Black Panther:
‘Black Panther’ Is Not the Movie We Deserve
"A movie unique for its black star power depends on a shocking devaluation of black American men."
There have been arguments that the movie presents African tribal culture as backward, while in this case being technologically advanced: the wealth of the hidden country of Wakanda is owed to a lucky strike by a meteor; the Wakandans remain so remarkably unsophisticated that a "returning" American can basically stroll in and take over by using a loophole in an otherwise very primitive rite (like the right to challenge for the throne); a "white savior" from the CIA helps the Wakandans save the day, etc.
While multiple counter-arguments can be found to any of the above (like: the movie is really about royalty and warriors, and indigenous tradition unmarred by colonialism, and the togetherness of all African tribes, and their adherence to tradition and the feeling of being "one tribe" no matter what), at the same time, everything that people are saying about Black Panther (mostly in America, because it's a story tailored for the American public), is more or less true. It's refreshing to see a depiction of a heavily-mythologised, advanced, and generally peaceful culture developed and inhabited by black people (is Wakanda much different than Marvel's Asgard?) It's also an imperfect representation and one that doesn't entirely escape the view of African nations dominant in the West.
In response to the problem some people seem to be having with the manner of transition of power depicted in the story, the film seemed to me to be suggesting that 'lethal combat' or 'the challenge' was more of a ceremonial holdover, not really meant to be used in this more modern and enlightened age. Witness how the representatives of the other tribes each declined to challenge and everyone was surprised when the breakaway group came down from the mountains. Later, of course, Killmonger exploits that same calcified ritual, and the latent dissatisfaction of some Wakandans, to gain the throne.
The parallels with our own presumably "modern", yet surprisingly archaic traditions and a certain current president's instinctive manipulation of them, seem clear.
Anyway... did you watch the movie? What are your impressions? Does it have the potential to open up a new cinematic niche? In my humble opinion, it is much deeper and multi-layered than what we're used to seeing from Marvel, so... yeah. Can't say I'm not impressed. (But I may be biased, being an African and all).
‘Black Panther’ Is Not the Movie We Deserve
"A movie unique for its black star power depends on a shocking devaluation of black American men."
There have been arguments that the movie presents African tribal culture as backward, while in this case being technologically advanced: the wealth of the hidden country of Wakanda is owed to a lucky strike by a meteor; the Wakandans remain so remarkably unsophisticated that a "returning" American can basically stroll in and take over by using a loophole in an otherwise very primitive rite (like the right to challenge for the throne); a "white savior" from the CIA helps the Wakandans save the day, etc.
While multiple counter-arguments can be found to any of the above (like: the movie is really about royalty and warriors, and indigenous tradition unmarred by colonialism, and the togetherness of all African tribes, and their adherence to tradition and the feeling of being "one tribe" no matter what), at the same time, everything that people are saying about Black Panther (mostly in America, because it's a story tailored for the American public), is more or less true. It's refreshing to see a depiction of a heavily-mythologised, advanced, and generally peaceful culture developed and inhabited by black people (is Wakanda much different than Marvel's Asgard?) It's also an imperfect representation and one that doesn't entirely escape the view of African nations dominant in the West.
In response to the problem some people seem to be having with the manner of transition of power depicted in the story, the film seemed to me to be suggesting that 'lethal combat' or 'the challenge' was more of a ceremonial holdover, not really meant to be used in this more modern and enlightened age. Witness how the representatives of the other tribes each declined to challenge and everyone was surprised when the breakaway group came down from the mountains. Later, of course, Killmonger exploits that same calcified ritual, and the latent dissatisfaction of some Wakandans, to gain the throne.
The parallels with our own presumably "modern", yet surprisingly archaic traditions and a certain current president's instinctive manipulation of them, seem clear.
Anyway... did you watch the movie? What are your impressions? Does it have the potential to open up a new cinematic niche? In my humble opinion, it is much deeper and multi-layered than what we're used to seeing from Marvel, so... yeah. Can't say I'm not impressed. (But I may be biased, being an African and all).
