What are the positive aspects and what are the limitations or problems with representations of race, ethnicity, and gender in in Marvel’s Black Panther? What is the cultural significance of the movie and what impact, if any, will the film’s success have on the film industry?
**Notes: First, ALL students must answer this question. Second, for this week’s blog, your two course readings should come from the Film Industry week (March 6th). Third, instead of including a third article of your choice, you MUST refer to at least three specific scenes and/or characters from the film in order to support your responses. The film references will count as your third source for the week.
David Purkert
ReplyDeleteBlog #6
3.16.18
One of the newest releases, Black Panther, is making news for not only being so lucrative but also because it is making positive leaps for racial representations in film. Some of the positive aspects of representations of race, ethnicity, and gender in Black Panther are what make the film vastly different than others of its kind. A majority of films released in the last few decades present stereotypical viewpoints of African Americans and this has contributed to prejudice and discrimination that members of this race experience. In Alan Jenkins’ “The Global Significance of ‘Black Panther,’ ” he describes a study previously conducted on television, film and video games and the way in which eac depicts black males. He explains that these “media persistently overrepresent black males in depictions of violence, crime and poverty; fail to depict the systemic barriers facing members of this group; underrepresented them as problem solvers and users of technology; and contribute to negative attitudes toward African-American males...” (Jenkins). Jenkins recognizes that Black Panther is different. Black Panther does not overrepresent black males with violence, crime, or poverty, and in fact one of the film’s antagonists is white. In the scene where this character, Ulysses Klaue, steals one of the Wakanda artifacts from the museum, Klaue kills innocent people and steals the artifacts. While there are other people involved in the heist who are not white, Klaue is the leader and thus presents a strong white character that is violent and engaging in crime. Black Panther also depicts the systemic barriers that are facing African Americans. When the African American character N'Jadaka becomes King and gives a speech to the council, he explains how there are at least 2 billion people in the world of similar race that are being mistreated and that Wakanda has the tools to free them. This demonstrates the systemic barriers that these 2 billion people previously faced. Finally, Jenkins’ comments regarding underrepresentation of African Americans as problem solvers is also addressed within Black Panther. More specifically, Shuri, the sister of the King, has developed a new type of suit that he wears that is more compatible to his needs. In addition, Shuri’s role is one example of how the film represents African Americans as users of technology. The African Nation that King T’Challa rules over is far technologically advanced over the rest of the world. They have superior health systems, computers, clothing, and subway systems. This contributes to a positive attitude towards African Americans in a way that has not been depicted before. The protagonist, who is a superhero, is black and one of the main antagonists is white. Having an African American in this type of magnified role has not been something that has been represented in the past.
While this film has many positive aspects in terms of representations of race, ethnicity, and gender there are still limitations. In Tatiana Siegel’s “Will ‘Black Panther’ Be a ‘Watershed Moment’ for Black Studio Films?,” she explains that films with a culturally specific topic or theme (often including race or gender) are often met with resistance in foreign countries. Studios still have a hard time reaching the people who need (perhaps most) these new correct views of African Americans. Previously, when studios have attempted to reach audiences with this type of film, it has not always led to financial success, and while Black Panther certainly has exceeded financial stability, its cultural message will still face barriers abroad. Another limitation regarding the representation of race, ethnicity and gender as it presented within Black Panther relates to the genre. As a superhero movie, producers of the Black Panther run the risk that viewers may see the qualities and characteristics of African Americans as presented in this film only occurring in a fake realities. This fake reality is shown In the beginning of Black Panther, as a meteorite hits Africa and gives those living in the fictitious setting of Wakanda, super powers.
DeleteBlack Panther is proving each weekend with its box office returns and films message that it is cultural significant. In “The Global Significance of ‘Black Panther’,” Jenkins asserts that Black Panther is an “export that we can be proud of.” By stating this, he suggests that Hollywood has finally presented a vision of African Americans that is more in-line with the truth and something the African American community can be proud of. The question is no longer if but when the next financially successful movie with a predominantly black cast will open.
The success of the Black Panther will impact the film industry in a positive way for years to come. It will increase the likelihood of creating new movies with the same positive perception of African Americans and other minorities. Black Panther creators have already announced a sequel is in the works. In addition, Girl’s Trip, which is a film with an all black female cast which did well at the box office, has also announced a sequel. Furthermore, the Black Panther’s success will increase the likelihood that current African American characters will be further developed. Movie studios have expressed interest in future superhero movies with a black lead character like Justice League’s, Cyborg, and John Stewart’s Green Lantern (Jenkins). The Black Panther film also demonstrates the financial success that can occur when a majority of the cast are African American. In fact, according to Forbes, Black Panther has already grossed over $1 billion since opening on February 16th.
Works Cited
DeleteJenkins, Alan. "The Global Significance of 'Black Panther,'" The Hollywood Reporter 23 Feb. 2018. Web.
Mendelson, Scott. “Box Office: Marvel's 'Black Panther' Tops $1.1 Billion Worldwide.”Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 14 Mar. 2018, www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2018/03/14/box-office-marvels-black-panther-tops-1-1-billion-worldwide/.
Siegel, Tatiana. "Will 'Black Panther' Be a 'Watershed Moment' for Black Studio Films?" The Hollywood Reporter 15 Feb. 2018. Web.
Ten years ago, if someone said that there was a black superhero movie out, no one would have believed them. This viewpoint is based on several failed attempts to create a movie which incorporates classic culture, equal gender and race balance for Africans. The last movie I can think of was Blade, but that did not have the outreach that it needed to have a higher gross rate for reaching a bigger audience. Most movies that are made involving African Americans focus on violence and crime. Black Panther hit Hollywood hard, along with the rest of the U.S., casting out to an audience that until now hasn’t had a respectful main lead with supporting leads just as powerful.
ReplyDeleteDiving in deeper with the Black Panther, there were two female leads along with the two main male leads. The sexy swagger that both genders incorporated was beyond empowering to audiences. From the opening scene in the movie when T’Challa jumped out of the Jet to protect Nakia, it was an action-packed thriller. The clothing stays true to African culture. The directors decided to focus on a more tribal approach where tribes worked together to succeed. At a later point in the movie T’Challa’s mom, sister, Nakia and Agent Ross were seeking safe passage from Erik’s new Wakanda, just after he appeared to have killed T’Challa. M’Baku was leader of the tribe that they went to, and he decided to aid in the effort of the Black Panther and his affiliates. This point of the movie focused on the aspect of community. It was trying to show anything can happen if communities come together in time of need to create a stronger global community.
According to a statement from Alan Jenkins in an article from the Hollywood Reporter titled The Global Significance of 'Black Panther, “after years of exporting harmful depictions of black men and women to the world, Hollywood has an export of which we can all be proud” (Jenkins). Hollywood’s Black Panther is changing our modern view of black males and females. Unfortunately, black males do not have the best representations in music, television and even video games today. The Black Panther is now a movie that black males can look up to, or see a new view on themselves. The media tends to focus on crime, low-income households and eventually violence. This is an overrepresentation and a portrait that current media has painted for this demographic of black males. Many kids grow up in a world where they think they cannot win because this type of system is set forth for them. A lot of black men and boys do not even fight it; they just do what they see on television because they think that is their culture and how they can fit in. Hopefully a movie like Black Panther can inspire and provide a new approach to change the tide.
The film industry is going to take the momentum from the Black Panther and run with it. Tatiana Siegel stated in an article titled Will 'Black Panther' Be a 'Watershed Moment' for Black Studio Films? ”Movies that feature culturally specific storylines usually receive a cold shoulder abroad” (Siegel). One can say that Black Panther was dominant to an American audience. Will it resonate with an international audience? When the movie shows the clip of Erik seeing his dead father, we see a portrayal of the violence of growing up in a low-income home. We see how individuals can resort to crime and violence to get what they currently do not have. Internationally, I believe the movie has a chance to do well as the theatrics, backdrops, soundtrack and cultural concept stayed within a traditional African style represented by Wakanda. Marvel’s Black Panther brings to light several issues in society currently faced today, and ways to reach those areas. This movie has more cultural significance than any other Marvel movie made to date.
Works Cited
DeleteJenkins, Alan. "The Global Significance of 'Black Panther,'" The Hollywood Reporter 23 Feb. 2018. Web.
Siegel, Tatiana. "Will 'Black Panther' Be a 'Watershed Moment' for Black Studio Films?" The Hollywood Reporter 15 Feb. 2018. Web.
I can easily say Black Panther was different than any other Marvel film that I have seen in the past and I loved it! I think a lot of factors contribute to it being so unique, especially in today’s culture with the growth of acceptance in all kinds of ways.
ReplyDeleteWithin less than a week of the film’s release, it brought groundbreaking box office records and “audiences cannot stop talking about it”. Michelle Obama was not shy to share her feelings on the movie by tweeting, “Congrats to the entire #blackpanther team! Because of you, young people will finally see superheros that look like them on the big screen. I loved this movie and I know it will inspire people of all backgrounds to dig deep and find the courage to be heroes of their own stories”. There were numerous tweets from other well-known celebrities praising the excellence of the film as well, such as Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pratt, Ryan Reynolds and many more. (Ramos, 2018)
“We went about making it feel like a cultural event”, marketing executive vice president Asad Ayaz says about the film. (McClintock, 2018) It is considered a cultural event because of its use of its inclusion of sports, fashion, and a Kendrick Lamar soundtrack playing in the background. The makers of the movie really strived for this focus on making it a cultural event. From my experience, I do see this successfully demonstrating just that by really capturing the Wakonda way of life, broadcasting strength and intellect. Personally, I loved the music aspect of the film and thought that it was quite indulging. For example, whenever an important character walked into a room, a Kendrick song was playing. One could really feel the intense scene going on from the music that was playing.
There were many positive aspects of race, ethnicity, and gender found in the film. For one, the main superhero character is African American, which gives a fresh, new twist of Marvel studios’ conventional superhero persona that we are used to seeing. Regarding ethnicity, the film (deriving from the comic book series) was mainly focused on the Wakanda tribe and it switches from what I am assuming is the United States with a mixture of a sci-fi-type world. As much as race and ethnicity were prevalent in this film, the role of gender didn’t go unnoticed. There were multiple strong woman that caught my attention in relation to their roles in the movie.
Along with all this positive feedback from the film, however, there were a few problems and limitations/setbacks articulated. For example, I found there to be a lack of woman empowerment. It was evidently there but the film industry isn’t 100% there yet as they are seen as the so-called ‘sidekick’ figure/helper for the male lead role to succeed in his endeavors. In this film in particular, The Black Panther himself – T’Challa had his side accompaniment, Okoye, Nakia (his ex lover), his mother, Ramonda, his sister, Shuri, advice him throughout the movie. The Black
DeletePanther really relied on these important women and without them I do not believe he would have succeeded. As the film showcased African American dominance with the leading role as well as the tribe, the white male figure was sort of knocked down in a sense with the only relevant white person being a male that is shown as having power (being in the CIA) but in the end is expressed as a minority, doing whatever he can to help the Black Panther. This isn’t just the movie’s fault however, for this issue derived from the comic series.
The cultural significance and impact shows that Marvel is not afraid to step out if its boundaries and make a movie that challenges the ‘old ways’ that Marvels superhero films usually follow, which is a man as the lead role being the (super) hero. This movie instead has a black male as the lead character (hero) but he is supported by multiple strong women (his sister, his ex, his counterparts, strong women that fight for him/with him). Because of these women being so relevant, I see them as being almost or as significant as the lead character.
This film without hesitation is my personal favorite Marvel superhero movie and this is mostly because of the music in it as well as the factors of it’s different tastes from the lead character to the empowering women roles. If you haven’t seen this movie already, you should!
McClintock, Pamela. “Disney’s ‘Black Panther’ Playbook: A Peek at the Marketing of a Phenomenon”, The Hollywood Reporter 21 Feb. 2018. Web.
Ramos, Dino-Ray. “ ‘The Black Panther’: Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster, “Deadline 19 Feb. 2018. Web.
The comic book industry has had at least one person to represent each race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality possible. It is now up to the film industry to follow suit and Marvel’s Black Panther movie only slightly taps into the potential for representation. However, that doesn’t take away from the significance of a majority Black cast feature film that is dripping in cultural and societal significance.
ReplyDeleteAs a film company, Marvel has had a decent track record with showing diversity. Recently, they have had the Black actors Anthony Mackie as the superhero Falcon and Don Cheadle as War Machine, but they were only side characters to a White actor as a main hero. This changed in 2018’s Black Panther that was a mostly Black cast, with only one White actor, Martin Freeman, as a key side character. Domestically, it seems as if Marvel and director Ryan Coogler did it right. In February of 2018, Black Panther was estimated to bring in $165 million dollars from only the United States (Siegel, 2018).
If someone can’t experience the social injustices of other races or ethnicities, then it can be hard to understand the limitations of Black Panther’s representations. As a White woman that grew up as a “hood rat” in New York City, I can see Killmonger’s pain through what my friends experience.
Towards the climax fight of the film, Erik Killmonger explains why he is sending the vibranium weapons across the globe. He says that Wakanda has to help the oppressed Black people of the world fight back and become the superior race. This can be a misrepresented as all Black people wanting to go to war with White people, especially since a portion of Wakandans agreed with him, such as W’Kabi.
In 2017, only 14% of major female characters were Black and only 63% of all female characters had clear occupation (Lauzen, 2018). Shuri is a great character because the viewer knows that she designed the modern Black Panther suit and is the top engineer when it comes to vibranium. We see Shuri in her lab heal Everett Ross’ spine injury, so she is a strong Black female character that is one of most intelligent people in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In an interview with the creators of the film, apparently there was supposed to be a lesbian scene that was cut from the final version. The Wakandan general Okoye in the scene received a compliment from Ayo about how sexy and powerful she looked, which hinted at the latter’s sexuality. Ayo is a canon lesbian in the “Black Panther” comics. This movie was packed with important cultural and societal aspects that I can see why certain scenes had to be taken out to not distract the average viewer from the main plot, but it would have been a nice scene to see.
In the comics, T’Challa’s sister Shuri becomes the Black Panther when her brother goes missing. That is a great plot point the main comic that would be great to see play out in theatres, but there is a fear that movie goers will grow weary of too much interlocking movies since summer blockbuster viewing is at a 25-year low (Lee, 2017).
However, the cultural significance of Black Panther and the well-received representation of an African nation, albeit a fiction one, could bring the film industry into a new wave of success. This film’s statistical success matches other movies in the MCU not only because viewers like me who love Marvel are going to see it, but because it hit a demographic that it wasn’t drawing maximum potential from previously.
Works Cited
DeleteSiegel, T. (2018, February 15). Will 'Black Panther' Be a "Watershed Moment" for Black Studio Films? Retrieved March 19, 2018, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/will-black-panther-be-a-watershed-moment-black-studio-films-1084398
Lauzen, M. (2018). It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World: Portrayals of Female Characters in the 100 Top Films of 2017. Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, San Diego State University.
Warner Bros. (2017, December 22). 2017's Biggest Movie Flops Made the Case Against 'Cinematic Universes'. Retrieved March 19, 2018, from http://www.vulture.com/2017/12/2017s-biggest-flops-made-a-case-against-cinematic-universes.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s Today in Entertainment_now_2017-12-22 10%3A25%3A24_rrahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie
From the weekend that Black Panther hit theaters it was clear that it was a huge success in a way that was perhaps unpredictable, but extremely deserved. Black Panther is a phenomenal movie, in its cinematography, in its soundtrack, in its special effects, but of course most notably, in its casting. In fact, a plethora of Hollywood celebs even said that Black Panther was phenomenal themselves. Looking to the article ‘’Black Panther’: Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising the Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster’ by Dino-Ray Ramos fore Yahoo Entertainment, we can see that a host of celebrities like Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Ryan Reynolds and Jordan Peele praised the film to the highest degree, and rightfully so. But perhaps despite its success there are still some drawbacks to the film.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, as stated before, there are lots of things that this movie did well. As mentioned in the article, ‘Disney’s ‘Black Panther’ Playbook: A Peek at the Marketing of a Phenomenon’ by Pamela McClintock for The Hollywood Reporter, they in addition to the things listed above, did marketing well. Specifically in line with the movies core messages, they included a lot of diversity in their marketing. According to the article the cast was, “sent out on a major world tour similar to those undertaken for Marvel’s Avengers films, including stops in South Korean and Europe, And Disney made sure to include Africa, often overlooked by the Hollywood studio marketers…” It was obviously very important of them to include Africa on their tour, but I think in light of the several scenes they filmed in South Korea, specifically the action scene over the auction of the vibranium weapon stolen from the London Museum, it was also very important for South Korea to be included on the tour as well. This is in addition to the fact that South Korea is a very good market for action/super hero movies to begin with. But in is in this fact that issues with the movie also arise.
There, before Black Panther, was a tendency for movies not to get too culturally specific and the reason for that is when you get too culturally specific you can end up alienating other cultures, or worse perhaps creating or perpetuating stereotypes. This is something that the article, ‘Will ‘Black Panther’ Be a “Watershed Moment” for Black Studio Films?’ by Tatiana Siegel for The Hollywood Reporter. Now I don’t think that’s the case with Black Panther, but certainly the potential is there. If anything I think Black Panther does a lot to push back again stereotypes in the United States about Black people as in many scene, all of the characters are depicted as strong and independent. Especially Nakia, Lupita Nyong’o’s character in her fight for justice in the world is an extremely strong female of color role that is extremely lacking in Hollywood. Her scene at the beginning of the movie where she is undercover fighting human trafficking in Nigeria is a testament to her strong role.
Going back to being too culturally specific however, we see that perhaps there are some issues with how the movie will translate overseas, specifically to places like China. We saw that the movie poster for the movie featured no black faces, only Chadwick Boseman with his full Black Panther suite on, face covered. I also have to wonder if perhaps this movie is too Afrocentric for China. If perhaps scenes in Wakanda, like for instance first duel scene to crown T’Challa, would be lost on a Chinese audience. This would be a pretty big problem as a majority of the movie takes place in Wakanda.
Works Cited
DeleteMcClintock, Pamela. “Disney's 'Black Panther' Playbook: A Peek at the Marketing of a Phenomenon.” The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-how-disney-created-a-phenomenon-1086820?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%2BToday%2Bin%2BEntertainment_now_2018-02-21%2B10%3A11%3A07_rrahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Ramos, Dino-Ray. “'Black Panther': Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 20 Feb. 2018, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/black-panther-hollywood-cannot-stop-031848508.html.
Siegel, Tatiana. “Will 'Black Panther' Be a ‘Watershed Moment’ for Black Studio Films?” The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/will-black-panther-be-a-watershed-moment-black-studio-films-1084398.
Black Panther is a historic and groundbreaking film to say the least.
ReplyDeleteFor starters, the cast was almost entirely African American; the movie’s cast was created to make waves. When I watched the Oscars a few weeks ago, the couple responsible for “Let it Go” emphasized the idea that representation matters. As a woman, I completely agree with that sentiment. I’m not saying women aren’t in films enough but they certainly aren’t the protagonist enough. Women sometimes are placed in films as the love interest or someone to entertain the male lead. In Black Panther, although the main character was male, I was a big fan of the film’s female characters. Representation in terms of race wasn’t the only thing this film got right even though that’s mostly what people are praising it for. It is also pretty impressive that so many people are a fan of the movie. Celebrities like Oprah, Chris Pratt, Michelle Obama and Jordan Peele took to Twitter to express their admiration (Ramos); it seems as if everyone has seen it at this point.
My favorite character was Princess Shuri. She was the smartest person in the room and the one responsible for all of the technology and armor that made her brother strong. Then there was Nakia, she may have been the love interest but she was powerful, strong and could fight on her own. She didn’t need a man fighting her battles. Another strong female role was Okoye. She was referred to as the best warrior in Wakanda. She was in charge of the Wakandan army which was comprised entirely of women. Things like that are important to young girls watching the film. I can’t think of many other instances where women are portrayed as strong and formidable.
Another thing that was representative in this Marvel film was Andy Serkis’ character. In many films, the antagonist or villain may be black. I’m specifically thinking of Jamie Foxx’s character in Spider Man. Many times, filmmakers feel the need to have a black actor and often they’ll make them the villain. I liked how Black Panther made one of the main villains white. In real life, plenty of criminals are white and it’s time Marvel acknowledged that especially in a movie with a very black cast.
The impact of this film on society has been great so far and it’s not slowing down any time soon. Women, both black and white, are shown that women can be soldiers inventors and leaders. For all of the black people who have seen this film, they may have learned that they can be a superhero. They can be the most important part of a story, and they can save the day. According to an Emerson College professor, "this film is a great example for young people of color that they can do anything — and that they won't just be the only person of color doing it” (Siegel).
I can’t really think of many limitations this film had on our society. In terms of another society, I remember hearing that Asian countries changed the film's posters to cover the face of Chadwick Boseman to hide his skin color. Asian countries are less comfortable with the mostly black cast. That being said, if they choose to see the movie, I think they would have to get over that aspect.
References:
Ramos, Dino-Ray. “ ‘The Black Panther’: Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster, “Deadline 19 Feb. 2018. Web.
Siegel, Tatiana. "Will 'Black Panther' Be a 'Watershed Moment' for Black Studio Films?" The Hollywood Reporter 15 Feb. 2018. Web.
Alan Jenkins connects the global significance of "Black Panther" to his own personal racial experience in the Philippians. In the article, “The Global Significance of ‘Black Panther’”, Killmonger faced discrimination from his own racial group when he returned to Wakanda. Jenkins attributed his discrimination and prejudice due to the lack of positive representation that Black or African people do not have. Jenkins praises the film for shining courageous, influential and motivational roles for the actors in the movie. Jenkins does warn people that “Of course a single film, even a massive blockbuster like Black Panther, cannot alone reverse generations of negative imagery and distortion. But it’s an important step that will hopefully invite more, in part by indisputably demonstrating the global hunger for Black heroes and storylines.” (p 1). 'Black Panther' is a movie of its era that can challenge lots of stereotypes and biases of representation in movies.
ReplyDeleteWhile 'Black Panther' is an uplifting symbol of inclusion and diversity, the movie had some gender and racial limitations within the storyline. When T’Challa`s mom and family were on the mountain to get help from the Jabari Tribe `s Leader, Nakia said she couldn`t fight Killmonger in context to her being a woman. In another scene, Killmonger was competing with T`Challa for the throne, the other tribes didn`t intercept their fight in order to preserve their tradition. Lastly, after Killmonger died, T`Challa decided to share Wakanda`s resources with the world; even though this was Killmonger`s wrong but still intentional decision. This made me think that Killmonger might have been the protagonist and a metaphorical call to action to wealthier African countries to aid Black people during their struggles.
The movie gives Black and African people more visibility in the STEM industry. Shuri played by (Letitia White), is the princess of Wakanda and the technological mechanic of Black Panther`s devices and weapons. The fact that a young black female is the arbitrary leader of the vibranium metal and technology is significant. Minority men and women are often excluded in conversations when talking about technology and sciences. However, Jenkins says: “It’s not just that the Black Panther is a superhero, or that he is surrounded in this film by heroic men and — especially —women, but the film counters and overwhelms each of the media distortions identified by our research. The people of Marvel’s mythical Wakanda are loving fathers, mothers, and siblings. They are creators and users of technology. They are financially responsible and secure. They are peace-loving and ethical, notwithstanding their penchant for a patriarchal monarchy.” (1). What it more awe-inspiring is the national and international support the movie has received since its premiere in February.
Dino-Ray Ramos from Deadline included tweets from Lady Michelle Obama and Peyton Reed (Ant-Man) gave celebratory praise to Black Panther and the cast. A tweet from Hollywood actor, Chris Pratt reads "THE HYPE IS REAL!! Woke up thinking about #BlackPanther It’s like a Bond movie meets Shakespearean tragedy. Great action. Stunning visuals. Exceptional performances all around. Thought provoking AND Funny!" This movie appealed audiences, as well as studios since it has grossed over $400 billion dollars worldwide, and achievement since the movies has his a serious flop in attendance after 25 years.
Jenkins, Alan. “The Global Significance of 'Black Panther' (Guest Column).” The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-global-significance-1087878. Accessed 9 Mar 2018. Web.
Ramos, Dino-Ray. “'Black Panther': Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 20 Feb. 2018, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/black-panther-hollywood-cannot-stop-031848508.html. Accessed 10 Mar 2018. Web.
The performance by Black Panther thus far in the box office has been largely unexpected but absolutely deserved. The movie wasn’t expected to do poorly but almost no one anticipated record breaking numbers at the box office and to smash past $1 billion globally. The movie lives up to the expectations the Marvel Universe has set for itself and surpasses them. The cast is brilliant not only for being nearly fully black but they also just crushed all their roles which isn’t always a given in Marvel films. The soundtrack and score is fresh and original too which is another aspect that sets Black Panther apart from its counterparts. Michelle Obama said it best in her tweet, “Because of you, young people will finally see superheroes that look like them on the big screen” (Ramos). Black Panther is sure to be a mainstay for Marvel for the next few years.
ReplyDeleteBlack Panther isn’t just a cultural phenomenon because of its cast, which is fantastic. It also just captures African culture and the beauty and diversity of the continent unlike almost any other movie I’ve seen. One of my favorite scenes, and really its many scenes like this one, is during the first challenge when T’challa is being named king. The colors and outfits of all the different Wakandan tribes are so diverse and beautifully made. One of the tribe leaders can be seen with a lip plate in, a form of body modification that can be seen in real African tribes like the Mursi. This stood out to me because it showed how much the crew cared about making Black Panther authentic and natural. It goes so much farther than just having a primarily black cast and this is one of the reasons I think this film is going to have a bigger impact on the industry. Even Disney didn’t see how big this movie might be, “In addition to opening to a record-shattering $242.2 million and boasting the second-biggest four-day start in history behind Force Awakens ($288.1 million), Black Panther drew the most diverse North American audience ever for a superhero film” (McClintock). Which is another sign of how the film isn’t just for African-Americans. The article goes on to say that, “African Americans made up the largest share of the audience, or 37 percent, followed by Caucasians (35 percent), Hispanics (18 percent), Asians (5 percent) and Native American/Other (5 percent), according to comScore. Generally, black consumers make up around 15 percent of the audience for such fare” (McClintock). These topics and themes are universal and proves that a cast doesn’t need a white male lead to be successful and it can be supported by strong female characters too.
The first time we get to see Shuri, played by Latitia Wright, she’s the lead scientist and creator of all of their tech. Black Panther has more than one instance of a woman being in a leadership position as Okoye (Danai Gurira) is the general of Wakanda’s army. These characters make up some of the best scenes in the movie such as when Okoye goes toe to toe with the movies villain Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) and we get a really bad ass fight scene with a bad ass woman warrior. I don’t see any limitations or problems arising from Black Panther I mean honestly what could possibly be a negative result of this? Of course there are people online that want to put the movie down and turn it into some kind of race issue but what else do people expect in this day and age? It’s movies like Black Panther that are going to shut those voices up because soon it won’t be such a surprise when a movie with a diverse cast does well, it’ll just be the norm.
McClintock, Pamela. “Disney’s ‘Black Panther’ Playbook: A Peek at the Marketing of a Phenomenon”, The Hollywood Reporter 21 Feb. 2018. Web.
Ramos, Dino-Ray. “'Black Panther': Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 20 Feb. 2018, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/black-panther-hollywood-cannot-stop-031848508.html. Accessed 10 Mar 2018. Web.
ReplyDeleteBlack Panther quickly emerged as one of the front-runner films for race and gender representation. The films great success illustrates the power of diversity within film, and the need for change within the industry. Black Panther sets itself apart from other films because of its dominantly African American cast, as well as powerful female characters.
Okoyo, played by Danai Gurira is an excellent example of a powerful female lead that exemplifies diversity in such a positive light. Her character is a powerful asset, both physically and intellectually, through out the film, which has great influence for audience members. Another power female role was Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia. While she is the love interest of T’Challa, she is not only known for this, which is unusual for female lead roles. Her character completes various missions for Wakanda, and Wakanda utilizes her strength and intelligence throughout the film.
Black Panther has been so successful because of its diversity both on screen and behind the scenes. As described by Alan Jenkins, “Marvel’s blockbuster superhero movie has a virtually all-black cast, a Black director, a Black soundtrack and a Black African storyline. The film depicts the beauty, genius, courage and compassion of Africans and their diaspora, as well as the trauma with which so many continue to grapple”(Jenkins). Black Panther depicts a storyline that has seldom been told in the industry, and it is hoped that this movie will start a trend. Dino-Ray Ramos speaks along these lines, describing Black Panther as having great implications for the industry. He writes, “Beyond being a film, Black Panther proves to be a big step in inclusion for Hollywood and beyond, putting the spotlight on marginalized communities in a way that has never been done before”(Ramos). The fact that Black Panther displays basically an all African American cast and receives so much praise illustrates the rising demand for diversity within film.
There is the possibility for criticism in the fact that in displaying an almost all African American cast, there is little race diversity, but this only heightened the significance of the film and its implications on the industry. It was necessary for the story to be told in this way and its success proves this. Jenkins discusses its implications as well, writing
“Of course a single film, even a massive blockbuster like Black Panther, cannot alone reverse generations of negative imagery and distortion. But it’s an important step that will hopefully invite more, in part by indisputably demonstrating the global hunger for Black heroes and storylines.”(Jenkins). Chadwick Boseman’s character T’Challa emerges as an incredible superhero that brings about representation within the Marvel world. His character displays intelligence, power, and class, and surely has great influence on the audience, in displaying racial diversity in film. In the scene after the credits, his statement seems to sum up the movie’s purpose in some sense: “The wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers”.
Jenkins, Alan. “The Global Significance of 'Black Panther' (Guest Column).” The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-global-significance-1087878. Accessed 9 Mar 2018. Web.
Ramos, Dino-Ray. “'Black Panther': Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 20 Feb. 2018, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/black-panther-hollywood-cannot-stop-031848508.html. Accessed 10 Mar 2018. Web.
Black filmmaking has been on the rise in recent years. With the big Oscar wins for Get Out and Moonlight, the representation of African Americans in Hollywood is climbing the ladder. Marvel’s Black Panther is breaking ground for the inclusivity of minorities in Hollywood. The film features a largely African-American cast, set in a fictional African country. The film itself is revolutionary for Marvel Studios, a well-known name when it comes to action movie sagas. Most of the battles fought are internal and features highly advanced technology in the film. Personally, I was blown away by the filmmaking itself. The cinematography and animations were absolutely impeccable. I love how the film takes the traditional ideals of the African culture and advances it into the future.
ReplyDeleteThe film also goes against the typical for black films. An article by the Hollywood Reporter describes it as “the kind of world we’ve seen so often on film: an urban environment populated with drug dealers, junkies, and bullies, the perfect combination for a coming-of-age-in-the-hood story” (Ebiri 2017). My favorite scene of the film has to be when T’Challa and Nakia and Okoye land in Wakanda after the Civil War. At first, the meeting between them and the Wakanda royals seems very formal and unnatural. But after Nakia leaves, and Okoye begins to crack jokes with the other women, the scene immediately becomes lighthearted warm; especially when T’Challa says “are you finished?” in a sarcastic tone.
The film also goes against the norm when showcasing Black women. Alan Jenkins took note of this after seeing the film and said that “research has additionally documented the distorted depictions of Black women, including disproportionate hyper-sexuality, anger, greed and subservient roles. Given those trends over many years, it is unsurprising that so many international consumers of American entertainment have internalized fear and disdain for Black people whom they do not know” (Jenkins 2018).
While the film makes tremendous strides to represent African Americans, it also makes a point to show how well they will represent women as well. The film features the most female lead characters than any other Marvel movie in the past. Something I really took note of was how the female cast members played such a vital role in saving T’Challa. For example, Nakia’s act of bravery in stealing the heart-shaped herb from Killmonger and Ramonda’s negotiating essentially allows T’Challa to return. Although, there are a few moments where we see women being disrespected in the film.
While T’Challa, the main character, is one who respects women, his evil counterpart, Killmonger, is the exact opposite. A prime example of this would be when he chokes one of the women monks who guards the heart-shaped herb, exerting physical violence upon her. He is seen as extremely misogynistic, and the film even shows a dead woman’s face solely on the screen for about 3 seconds.
All in all, I think that the film has paved a pathway for the future of minority filmmaking. I love how the story strays away from your typical African American stereotypes and portrays the majority of lead characters as heroes, not those who need to be pitied. I already feel that there is a sequel in the making and that this won’t be the last we hear about Black Panther.
Works Cited
Jenkins, Alan. “The Global Significance of 'Black Panther' (Guest Column).” The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-global-significance-1087878.
Ebiri, Bilge. “Critic's Notebook: Why 'Get Out' and 'Moonlight' Are Breakthroughs in Black Filmmaking.” The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2017, www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/why-get-moonlight-are-breakthroughs-black-filmmaking-critics-notebook-984129.
With the release of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, we see significant leaps taken in not only the modern mainstream genre of superhero films, but within the film industry itself. Here, we find our first mainstream portrayal of an African superhero along with a primarily African supporting cast. Up until this point, the portrayal of African Americans in films has often criticized in many different manners, and in looking at this particular type of film, it’s understandable. Yeah, we saw Wesley Snipes as Blade around the early 2000’s, but those R-rate type films didn’t hold the same cultural significance as we see with Black Panther. In looking at race, ethnicity and gender as a whole with this movie, it does an excellent job in portraying them in a manner that is respectful and yet entertaining and relatable. As Alan Jenkins puts it, “The film depicts the beauty, genius, courage and compassion of Africans and their diaspora, as well as the trauma with which so many continue to grapple. It answers the question what would Africa look like if it had escaped the ravages of colonialism, the slave trade and the plundering of its resources. It provocatively asks what should be done to set things right.” Particularly, I found the film’s portrayal of gender to be the most significant as we saw T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, as one of the film’s most entertaining characters. This was the first time we saw a young, African American girl as the main sidekick of the film, as well as one being the film’s most intelligent and tech-savvy characters. As well as with Shuri, we met the character of Okoye, who leads T’Challa’s private security of sorts. She is one of the most dedicated and perhaps the most fierce character in the film. She even partly shows loyalty even after T’Challa’s “death”, which of course none of us wanted to see but it still shows her overall loyalty as a female character. While the story was somewhat simple (vengeful family member in Killmonger returning to claim the throne), the film represents so much more.
ReplyDeleteThe overall impact of this film is definitely reflected in how it’s done critically and financially, grossing over $200 million domestically within its first weekend at the box office. What I see as most culturally significant with this film is that took a different approach to a familiar formula and hit a whole new world of success. This movie was able to hit so many different demographics that no film, and specifically no superhero film had done before. As Emerson College professor, Miranda Banks states, “In the past, Hollywood studios would commonly enlist an actor of color or a director of color, but they were often surrounded by an enormous number of established white cast- and crewmembers. What's interesting here is that there are so many people of color in front of and behind the camera who worked together and created something that is specifically a black story. That's what is exciting about it for my students and the way they talk about it." As I had mentioned before with the Blade movies, those were R-rated and geared definitely more towards adults, comic book and even horror movie films. But Black Panther is able to appeal to children, adults, women, men, and various races. This movie allowed African American children, boys and girls, to really have a more identifiable superhero to look at. Girls of various backgrounds can look at Shuri as an influence towards getting more into science. I think Marvel Studios as well as DC Films and any other various studios should note the success behind making a film relatable and influential to a various amount of demographics and in doing so, I believe we’ll begin to see more and more hits similar to Black Panther.
DeleteJenkins, Alan. “The Global Significance of 'Black Panther' (Guest Column).” The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-global-significance-1087878.
Siegel, Tatiana. “Will 'Black Panther' Be a ‘Watershed Moment’ for Black Studio Films?” The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/will-black-panther-be-a-watershed-moment-black-studio-films-1084398.
Ever since it was released in theaters, Black Panther has been the talk of Hollywood. This is evident based on Dino-Ray Ramos’ article, “‘Black Panther’: Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster.” The article goes through the reactions that several different celebrities had to the film. Michelle Obama said, “Congrats to the entire #blackpanther team! Because of you, young people will finally see superheroes that look like them on the big screen. I loved this movie and I know it will inspire people of all backgrounds to dig deep and find the courage to be heroes of their own stories” (Ramos.) Oprah Winfrey also shared he thoughts, saying “Just saw it with Stedman. It’s Phenomenal!! Layers and layers of it. Wakunda ForEveeeerrrr! #BlackPanther” (Ramos.)
ReplyDeleteThe main reason why Black Panther has generated so much buzz is because of its cultural impact. Alan Jenkins explains, “Marvel’s blockbuster superhero movie has a virtually all-black cast, a Black director, a Black soundtrack and a Black African storyline. The film depicts the beauty, genius, courage and compassion of Africans and their diaspora, as well as the trauma with which so many continue to grapple. It answers the question what would Africa look like if it had escaped the ravages of colonialism, the slave trade and the plundering of its resources. It provocatively asks what should be done to set things right” (Jenkins.) Obviously the fact that the film’s main character, T’Challa, is black was one of the representations of race. Another representation of race that I noticed was that one of the films villains, Ulysses Klaue, is white. Typically, in superhero movies like this, it’s the other way around. Also, after Everett Ross was wounded and needed to be healed, Shuri was quoted as saying, “Another broken white boy to fix.” As far as gender goes, this is the only time that I can recall seeing an African American female play the role of the sidekick in a superhero movie. We have seen African-American female superheroes, but not sidekicks. T’Challa’s sister, Shuri, was responsible for creating a lot of the equipment as well as Wakanda’s modern technology. Aside from Shuri, there were a number of African American women that played major roles in this film, like Nakia, Okoye, and Ramonda.
Black Panther had one of the most successful opening weekends in recent memory. It grossed a whopping $242,155,680 in its first weekend (Box Office Mojo.) Although it was successful during its first weekend, it didn’t stop there. According to Jake Coyle, “Not since “Avatar” has a box-office hit had the kind of staying power of “Black Panther.” Ryan Coogler’s comic-book sensation on Sunday became the first film since James Cameron’s 2009 smash to top the weekend box office five straight weekends. The Disney release grossed $27 million in ticket sales over the weekend, according to studio estimates, pushing its domestic haul to $605.4 million. Worldwide, “Black Panther” has grossed more than $1.1 billion” (Coyle.) After seeing this film become such a big hit, I believe that we can expect a number of different studios to take notice and as a result, we will see more films that resemble Black Panther.
Ramos, Dino-Ray. “'Black Panther': Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 20 Feb. 2018
Jenkins, Alan. “The Global Significance of 'Black Panther' (Guest Column).” The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2018
“Weekend Box Office Results for February 16-19, 2018.” Box Office Mojo
Coyle, Jake. “'Black Panther' Just Made Box Office History | Money.” Time, Time, 19 Mar. 2018
The New Film out of Marvels Studios cinematic universe is another highly anticipated movie for the studio for a few reasons. First, It is another chapter in the Marvel storyline leading up this springs even more anticipated movie Avengers Infinity War. Another is the groundbreaking fact that the entire movie is directed and stars all black people besides the CIA operative and Claw. Another powerful representation in this movie is all Women playing the role of the Warriors of Wakanda. This group of soldiers in the film is depicted as a very elite force and King T'Challas right hand in all matters that may require the use of force.
ReplyDeleteAs shown in the Yahoo Entertainment article you can see all of the waves that this movie is making amongst popular culture as well as influential figures, for example, Michelle Obama said "Congrats to the entire #blackpanther team! Because of you, young people will finally see superheroes that look like them on the big screen. I loved this movie, and I know it will inspire people of all backgrounds to dig deep and find the courage to be heroes of their own stories."(Ramos) This statement by Oprah here is a perfect example of the positive impact this movie is making, and it makes great strides in the arena of the film where women and Africans are underrepresented in the industry. As for marketing this movie, you can see in the Hollywood reported article that the Vice President of marketing for the movie said himself "they went about making it feel like a cultural event." (McClintock)
A significant scene in the movie when the Previous King of Wakanda is meeting with one of his spies who betrayed him to help a man steal vibranium from their country. He brings up the fact that black people are suffering all over the world and that Wakanda can help them, but the King said it is not their way. This problem becomes a reoccurring theme in the movie when this spy's son turns out to be Kilmonger and swears to take the throne in Wakanda and use the technology that they have to spread out to other suffering black people in the world by his orders. The shortcomings of this film are few, but the main one is that none of this is possible at all. The Idea of a supposedly 3rd world country in Africa hiding the most advanced technology on earth is pretty far-fetched regarding what in reality we can do to fix some of the oppression towards black people. Regardless it still is an excellent film with an excellent representation of African Men and Women as well as another great installment of a Marvel movie
McClintock, Pamela. “Disney's 'Black Panther' Playbook: A Peek at the Marketing of a Phenomenon.” The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-how-disney-created-a-phenomenon-1086820?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%2BToday%2Bin%2BEntertainment_now_2018-02-21%2B10%3A11%3A07_rrahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Ramos, Dino-Ray. “'Black Panther': Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 20 Feb. 2018, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/black-panther-hollywood-cannot-stop-031848508.html.
Black Panther was one of the most highly anticipated superhero movies of the Marvel franchise and there is no question as to why. The film industry has suffered from a tremendous lack of diversity and representation. Black Panther does not only showcase the first African American superhero, but the entire cast is almost entirely African American. Amid this film’s success, people need to consider what a loss it would’ve been if it had flopped. This is not just another superhero film; it stands for African American culture and could have very easily fallen into the pattern of misrepresentation.
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons Black Panther was so successful is because it was directed by Ryan Coogler, who is African American. So many films that are “white-washed” and under representative are directed by white males. Lack of diversity off-screen simply leads to lack of diversity on screen. To have someone with a similar background take the lead on directing made all the difference. Coogler even incorporated Oakland, California into the film when he tied the villain Erik Killmonger (portrayed by Michael B. Jordan) to this city. Oakland is where Killmonger struggles with adversity his whole life, something that Coogler can relate to.
Another reason Black Panther saw success is because of its emphasis on strong female leads. His love interest, Nakia is a trained spy combatant, his sister, Shuri is a technological genius, his mother is the queen, and Okoye is the leader of the Wakandan army. He heavily relies on these strong women to help him defeat Killmonger.
This movie was done exceptionally well from casting, to graphics, to storyline, and to the overarching message. It received a tremendous amount of praise and attention not only from the African American audience but also from audiences from other racial backgrounds as well. The success of Black Panther sets a new precedent for the film industry when it comes to proper representation of different cultures and genders as well as being aware of who is behind the curtains of production.
Amongst Black Panther are recent award winning films such as “Get Out” and “Moonlight” that are also breaking ground when it comes to challenging underrepresentation in the film industry. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Look deeper and some interesting connections do emerge between the two works. Both challenge viewers’ assumptions about their respective milieus, drawing much of their power from confounding expectations”(Ebiri). Similar to these films, Black Panther’s message also challenges sociocultural assumptions about African Americans. The deeper meaning beneath the “good guy” and the “bad guy” was that they weren’t all that different in the end- they simply grew up under difference circumstances.
Despite the high approval ratings of the domestic box office, we are seeing a gap in the numbers abroad. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Still, the biggest hurdle for Black Panther will be its international showing. Movies that feature culturally specific storylines usually receive a cold shoulder abroad”(Siegel). Nevertheless, many will agree that there will continue to be a demand for films that are more diverse and representative and we will see the film industry change its ways in the years to come.
Works Cited
Bilge, Ebiri. “Why ‘Get Out’ and ‘Moonlight’ Are Breakthroughs in Black Filmmaking. The Hollywood Reporter. 7 March, 2017.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/why-get-moonlight-are-breakthroughs-black-filmmaking-critics-notebook-984129
Siegel, Tatiana. “Will 'Black Panther' Be a "Watershed Moment" for Black Studio Films?” The Hollywood Reporter. 15 February, 2018.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/will-black-panther-be-a-watershed-moment-black-studio-films-1084398
Black Panther has taken the film industry by storm for a wide variety of reasons. All box office success aside, this was my favorite Marvel movie so far, largely because it was something different. Throughout the entire history of film, the blockbuster blueprint was a mostly-white male-driven storyline written and directed by white men. The Marvel Cinematic Universe was no exception. While Nick Fury, played by Samuel L. Jackson, has played a recurring role, he by no means dives the story. Meanwhile, Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, is a character who pushes the plot forward, she is often reduced to the side narrative.
ReplyDeleteBlack Panther, on the other hand, is entirely different. It consists of an almost-entirely black cast of important characters and was co-written by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, two African-American writers. Coogler also directed the film. (IMDB) It also varied wildly from the blockbuster trend of investing in content that appeals to the widest audience possible. (Siegel) Rather than investing in another film that takes place in a setting that closely resembles the modern world, Marvel took the bold step of building a unique setting in Wakanda. The film really was a refreshing change from the factory of content that is the modern blockbuster film industry.
Black Panther made further strides with the role of black women in the film. Nakia, Okoye, and Shuri were all extremely strong and powerful characters, providing young wisdom, physical fighting strength and technological innovation.
The film did not white-wash it’s story line either. In fact, it boldly tackled the underlying theme of what to do when faced with racial injustice. Initially, T’Challa chooses to keep to himself about the issue as that wa the way Wakandan leaders had always reacted. However, the struggle in the film was largely the struggle between the ideals of Killmonger, who believed in taking a militant stance when faced with the injustices of the world he grew up in. Conversely, T’Challa begins to take up the stance that injustice should be fought by taking the high road and providing aid to black communities (After some convincing from Nakia who was exposed to injustice while working outside of Wakanda).
In the words of Eric Handler of MKM Partners, “Marvel stayed true to the character and the storyline and didn’t try to whitewash anything. I like that they didn’t even think of it as a risky proposition and spent just as much on this film as they had previously.” (McClintock)
This is true and encouraging for diversity in film. Hopefully, major studios will continue to invest in diverse content. Marvel’s marketing efforts were also encouraging as they seemed to pull out all the stops, debuting a trailer during the NBA Finals and signing Kendrick Lamar, one of the most popular hip hop artists in America, to promote with Black Panther: The Album. (McClintock).
These steps, along with its box office success are encouraging, but there are still limitations. The only African-American-directed film with a large budget and mostly African-American cast on the way is A Wrinkle In Time (Siegel). Meanwhile, there were concerns as to how well Black Panther would sell overseas (Siegel) as films with majority African-American writers and casts often do not perform well globally.
However, Black Panther has been an exception once again as it is dominating 2018 worldwide grosses by more than double the next closest film, Operation Red Sea. While 50.9% of that value has come from domestic sales (Box Office Mojo), the signs show that Black Panther could be a monumental moment in our culture. It is a distinct possibility that Black Panther makes its way into the history textbooks as a pivotal point in equal representation in Hollywood films.
Works Cited
ReplyDelete“2018 WORLDWIDE GROSSES.” Box Office Mojo, www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=2018&p=.htm.
“Full Cast & Crew.” IMDb, IMDb.com
McClintock, Pamela. “Disney's 'Black Panther' Playbook: A Peek at the Marketing of a Phenomenon.” The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2018
Siegel, Tatiana. “Will 'Black Panther' Be a ‘Watershed Moment’ for Black Studio Films?” The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2018
‘Black Panther’ is garnering seemingly endless amounts of praise for its successes as a film as well as for being a cultural cornerstone. The praise even comes from the upper echelon of American culture. In Dino-Ray Ramos’ Deadline article, “ ‘Black Panther’: Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster’ we see the likes of former First Lady, Michelle Obama giving two thumbs up to the film and what it could mean for the future of cinema. Michelle tweeted about the film, “Congrats to the entire #blackpanther team! Because of you, young people will finally see superheroes that look like them on the big screen. I loved this movie and I know it will inspire people of all backgrounds to dig deep and find the courage to be heroes of their own stories.”
ReplyDeleteI think what made ‘Black Panther’ stand out as a film that will inspire future generations of various types of people was not just the King of Wakanda himself being a strong black character, but also the strength of his supporting cast. The King’s sister played by Lupita Nyong’o was the most technologically advanced human in the world hidden in a small country a majority of the global population had never heard of before. Danai Gurira was the head of an elite group of women warriors all of whom were ferocious and honorable. The movie ends on the lesson that the most well off in the world need to lead by example to help those who have less, and invest in educating those in need.
The only limitations ‘Black Panther’ has in reflecting race, ethnicity, and gender are the same that would happen in any film due to the limitations of the medium. In a 2 hour blockbuster there clearly isn’t enough time to break down all of the complex socieoeconomics as well as class and gender divisions that the film attempts to combat. This isn’t a fault of the film either. Instead of trying, (which frankly would not have made a far reaching and universal film), ‘Black Panther’ tackles the subject by subverting the traditions of these complex issues. It shows the greatness of the individual characters rather than defining them by their race or gender. By showing strong and empowered black characters and women it rejects previous norms within Hollywood. This is why many people believe that ‘Black Panther’, like ‘Wonder Woman’ will be a watershed moment. The film shows the trust studios have in making a film centered around people who have never been the focus of a comic-book movie in the same way, and ‘Black Panther’s’ success means that we could be seeing many more films like it.
Ramos, Dino-Ray. "‘Black Panther’: Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster." Yahoo.com. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Mar. 2018.
iegel, Tatiana. "Will 'Black Panther' Be A "Watershed Moment" For Black Studio Films?." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 Mar. 2018.
Black Panther is empowering film and deserves all the hype, credit and attention it has been receiving. To begin, the film is unapologetically BLACK! From the director to the cast, to the soundtrack, Black Panther has shown the world that African Americans can be highly successful in the film industry if given the opportunity to display their talents.
ReplyDeleteFrom the very first announcement that the film Black Panther was in the works, people were excited about the project. The Marvel film did not only surpass box office records with its $242 million opening weekend, but it surpassed expectations. Though the film was not expected to do poorly (as I don't think any Marvel film ever is), it was not expected to be a record breaking film, making over $1 billion worldwide. Black Panther has certainly proved the doubters wrong, living up to and somewhat exceeding the reputation and expectations Marvel Studios has established for their brand.
A huge credit for Black Panthers success is strongly due to one demographic of people; that demographic is minorities, specifically Blacks and African Americans. It is no secret that Blacks and African Americans typically play the samea role in film, being portrayed as every negative stereotype and rarely ever as a character that has substance. Black Panther is perhaps the first film to have an almost entirely black cast and all of their roles within the film are seen as valuable to the audience. Disney/ Marvel's marketing team did a great job when it came to marketing this film to black moviegoers. Disney’s Marketing Executive Vice President, Asad Ayaz stated, “The biggest thing for the campaign was really super-serving black moviegoers while also making it the broadest movie going even. This wasn’t just for our core Marvel fans. We went about making it feel like a cultural event." (McClintock) As a person who belongs to the Black and African American community, I would say this marketing was hugely successful. Myself, along with several with many family and friends did exactly what Marvel wanted, we treated seeing the film as a cultural event. African Americans dressed up in traditional African print attire and Blacks dressed in all black, we posted photos and videos on social media of us doing the Wakanda symbol by crossing our forearms across our chest to make an X, we bought and downloaded the soundtrack, memorized the songs and sang them during the showing of the film all because this was a cultural event for our demographic. It was not only a historic event but also a significant event because it was the first time we were proud to see the portrayal and representation of people who look like us in a film being displayed as heroes.
Black Panther has both positive aspects and limitation/problems in terms of how it portrays representations of race, ethnicity, and gender. In terms of race and ethnicity, it portrays people of color as heroic (with the exception of Killmonger) rather than the overly used storyline of them being the victims. In terms of gender, it surpassed my expectations when I saw that the King of Wakanda had an all-female army and his younger sister was the brilliant brain behind all the technology in Wakanda. Though the main character of this film is a man, the ‘Black Panther', females do in a way steal the show with their demanding presence.
A scene in the film that portrays Africa’s culture and diversity is when T’Challa is being crowned King of Wakanda. During his, ceremony he is surrounded by four of the tribes that make up the country of Wakanda. Their attire, hairstyles, tribal markings, body modifications, weapons and the colors they wear distinctively represent each country. It is clear that Marvel put in great effort when creating these details and should be applauded for this effort because this is actually something that is present in real life in all African countries. All of those little details have significant meanings behind them, and the fact that they were able to capture and represent them in the film brought realistic aspect to Black Panther.
ReplyDeleteAnother scene that I think holds significant meaning is when the audience is first introduced to Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister. In the film, she is portrayed as a sassy scientist and tech phenomenon. Seeing a young black female in the field of STEM is certainly a powerful depiction. Though I am not interested in STEM, I would say Shuri’s character was maybe the first character in a film that I could actually relate to. Her personality was a big part with my connection to her, he sass and sarcasm was relatable, understandable, and not to overdone to the point that she is perceived with the stereotype of an ‘angry black female' (something I see too often in film/television). Her intellect was inspiring; often time’s female’s characters are not the portrayed as the intellect of the film, but Shuri defies a lot of typical female stereotypes in the film.
Lastly, a scene that I think is so powerful and perhaps might have gone over a few peoples heads is the scene when T'Challa and his forgotten about cousin Killmonger are watched the Wakanda sunset after T'Challa has defeated Killmonger in the battle to be King. As they watch the sunset T’Challa mentions to his cousin that he does not have to die, and he could maybe save him from dying. Killmonger responds, "Nah, just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from the ships. Because they knew death was better than bondage." This quote sent shivers down my spine when I heard it in the theatre. It resonated with me long after I left the theatre too; it was a bold quote to insert in the movie, but it was so impactful.
Overall, Black Panther was a more than a film too many people. It was a representation of how great people could be, specifically minorities, if given the chance to display their skills and talents. This film has set a high standard for films following it in the future; I hope to see this type of diversity and variety in more films. I heard theirs already a Black Panther sequel in the worksrecord-breaking I'm just waiting for the official announcement so I can pre-order my tickets!
Jenkins, Alan. “The Global Significance of 'Black Panther' (Guest Column).” The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-global-significance-1087878.
McClintock, Pamela. “Disney's 'Black Panther' Playbook: A Peek at the Marketing of a Phenomenon.” The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2018, www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/black-panther-how-disney-created-a-phenomenon-1086820?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=THR%27s%2BToday%2Bin%2BEntertainment_now_2018-02-21%2B10%3A11%3A07_rrahman&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_tie.
Ramos, Dino-Ray. “'Black Panther': Hollywood Cannot Stop Praising The Groundbreaking Marvel Blockbuster.” Yahoo!, Yahoo!, 20 Feb. 2018, www.yahoo.com/entertainment/black-panther-hollywood-cannot-stop-031848508.html.