I Re-watched Black Panther and Yes, it is a Masterpiece
One year later, Black Panther holds more weight than ever. Around the time of its release it got swooped up in dazzling stories about diversity in Hollywood. As a Black man, I would like to say those articles are nice, but Black people know it’s been a long time coming for big-budget films with all-Black casts so let’s keep them coming. For example, it would be nice to see DC do something with an all-Black cast, but basically I’ll be satisfied when we see films like Black Panther be consistently released every year (progress is being made though).
So, where do I begin with how much enjoyed Black Panther during my second watch? The visuals are absolutely beautiful, Hannah Bleacher’s production design is flawless (and Oscar-winning!), Ruth E. Carter’s costumes shine with elegance (she won on Oscar as well!), the performances are charming, the script holds everything together, and the choreography of the fight scenes is top of the line Marvel. Did I forget anything?
For a film to be a masterpiece in my eyes, everything has to come together. Black Panther has all the elements of a film that will become a cinematic classic over time. Ryan Coogler directed one of the best films the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen to this day (the Russo Brothers’ work, especially on The Winter Soldier, also stands out to me). Coogler’s career is an achievement that inspires me as a filmmaker. Imagine going from directing a small-budget social justice film (the excellent Fruitvale Station) to a mid-budget reboot to an already-beloved franchise that ends up holding up critically with the originals (Creed) to working on a film from cinematic juggernaut Marvel.
Coogler could have been safe with Black Panther. Some may argue that the presence of Martin Freeman’s character was completely unnecessary, but it does set up that great moment between him and Winston Duke’s M’Baku.
Many superhero films use escapism as the primary means of entertainment. Futuristic worlds, stylistic cities, supernatural elements, and of course some emotion usually gives you a good time for 2 hours before you go back to real life. Black Panther could have just done this and that would have been fine. Marvel and Disney did an excellent job of not giving away too much in the promos. Once I saw the politics at the heart of Black Panther, I was initially shocked to see such discussions take place in a mainstream film with a $200 million budget.
Warning: if you have yet to see Black Panther, FULL SPOILERS are ahead. Hop on Netflix and do yourself a favor if by some miracle you haven’t seen it yet.(SPOILERS for Avengers: Infinity War are included as well).
When the film flashes back to Killmonger’s father N’Jobu (Sterling K. Brown) voicing his frustrations with the treatment of Black people in America, it takes Black Panther to a very real place that gets hinted at earlier in the film. I’m sure I’m not the only one who felt chills during Killmonger’s (Michael B. Jordan) first appearance at the museum. Upon second viewing, the way the camera introduces Killmonger is phenomenal. It’s a great establishing shot with perfect framing that invites you into the mind of this man. It’s so damn ambient that I can hardly put it into words.
Killmonger’s interactions with the tour guide reflect a hard American truth that I applaud Coogler for addressing. Killmonger almost looks amused when the woman explains the origins behind the African masks on display. When he says “and how about this one?” he delivers the line like an eager child who has questions about literally everything. Once he schools the tour guide on how the one item was actually stolen by colonizers, that’s when the chills really hit. Abandoned as a child and growing up in a low-income neighborhood, someone like Killmonger would not have the access to ancient African art in the way this white tour guide would. This scene sets up Black Panther’s core political conflict and begins to help you understand why Killmonger wants Wakanda to expand.
The only other film I can think of that has a discussion like this in the film is Spike Lee’s School Daze, which features Laurence Fishburne as Dap, a radical who is unafraid to critique his college’s administration. The films is fundamentally different than Black Panther, but also gets into passive Black politics vs radical Black politics 30 years before Black Panther. Also, Black Panther’s costume designer Ruth E. Carter worked on this film!
What really sets Killmonger apart from any other Marvel villain is that his motivations are tied into something very real. Villains tend to have tragic backstories and that element is there, however, due to Killmonger’s pain and reasoning behind his plans you can’t help but agree with him to an extent. The entire set-up of the story is just incredible. T’Challa’s reckoning with his father’s reign and personal struggle between honoring his father T’Chaka’s legacy and doing what is morally right creates a conflict that makes Black Panther more than just another superhero movie.
It’s important that while T’Challa views Killmonger as a threat to Wakanda, he never fails to see the humanity in him and takes his intrusion into Wakanda as a lesson in his father’s mistakes. Once Killmonger takes over, W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya, who did not get enough love for his performance in Widows by the way!) may have just been fulfilling his duties by going along with him. However, the earlier talks between W’Kabi and T’Challa show that W’Kabi’s frustration with T’Chaka’s reign might have been a factor in why he decided to go along with Killmonger.
Overall, Black Panther contains many layers that I’ll probably still be discovering with each new viewing. Once again, I really enjoyed powerful women being at the center of the film. Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, and Letitia Wright were wonderful. I’m especially excited to see Okoye (Gurira) in action during Avengers: Endgame. Also M’Baku’s still around so it’ll be interesting to see what he brings to the fight against Thanos.
It’s been confirmed that a Black Panther 2 is in the works. With Endgame still on its way and T’Calla “dead” (according to Chadwick Boseman), there are very few clues concerning the plot. However, with Ryan Coogler returning to write and direct I have no doubt that it will be worth the wait. Creed II was a success despite Coogler’s absence so I can only imagine the possibilities of the Coogler-led Black Panther sequel. Hopefully we’ll know more about the future of T’Challa and everyone in Wakanda after April 26th.
