Black Panther Review
Just days after it's release Black Panther is now the highest-grossing single day movie at the UK box office this year, with the film boasting £2.67 million in ticket sales on it’s opening day of February 13. Directed by Ryan Coogler, (Creed, Fruitvale Station) the film boasts a diverse and talented cast with the likes of Michael B. Jordan, Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Letitia Wright, Danai Gurira, Angela Basset, Forrest Whittaker, Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis.
Set in the backdrop of Wakanda, the most technologically advanced country in the world. A fictional African nation that has never experienced colonisation or slavery. The nation has gone to great lengths for centuries to remain hidden, in an attempt to protect their Vibranium and empire.
Black Panther explores what life would have looked like for much of Africa if they had not experienced colonisation and had their resources stripped away from them. It emphasises the notion that we are capable of building ourselves up both economically and technologically.
For centuries, black people have been victims of hate crimes committed by White People, our ancestors had their lands stripped away and were dehumanised all because our skin was weaponised and seen as a threat. It's 2018 and our people still suffer all around the world.
The creatives behind the film recognise that and it's a theme echoed throughout. The citizens of Wakanda hid their accomplishments for centuries, why? Because they knew that letting outsiders in would effectively see someone try and steal what they rightfully built.
Hence why Shuri calls Martin Freeman's character a 'coloniser' during one of their first encounters.
On the other hand, Coogler does well to defy societal stereotypes and gives life to strong, inspirational, minority characters, putting them at the forefront of our screen.
Let's talk about the fact that Shuri (played by British actress Letitia Wright) who is the brilliant mind behind the advanced tech and inventions used in Wakanda was the real star of the film. Shuri is the King of Wakanda, T'challas's younger sister (played by Chadwick Boseman).
She is more than the brains behind Wakanda's success, she, arguably is what holds it together.
With the help of the nations Vibranium, Shuri equips her brother and her people with weapons, armour and technology that ensure Wakanda remains the most advanced country on the map. Hell, her skills make Tony Stark look like a baby who's just made its first attempt at Lego.
The significance of having a black woman in STEM being represented onscreen is so important, currently there is already a shortage of women in STEM with non profits such as TechSisters and Amy Poehler's Smart Girls attempting to fix that. But the disparity of minority women in tech industries is huge with them less likely to do an engineering degree and more likely to leave the profession after just a year, due to pay gaps and discrimination.
It shows young girls worldwide just how much they are capable of and gives them someone smart, positive and equally funny to look up to.
Wright recognises the importance of her character too, after telling the Hollywood Reporter:
“It can spark the brain of another kid that loves technology and loves science,” she said, “and lets them see that that’s really cool and encourage them to create the next gadget that’s going to help cure a disease or something.”
What makes Black Panther so different- and amazing to me is that women aren't put in the background or playing the role of the damsel in the distress... They keep the country and most importantly their king safe, without them everything would fall apart.
General Okoye (Danai Gurira) is a prime example of this. Gurira plays the woman in charge of Dora Milaje, the female soilders tasked with keeping King T'challa safe. Essentially, they are the guardians of the throne- they serve whoever is sitting on it and they make sure no threats can touch it. She is a protector, but not in the maternal sense, she is aggressive, fierce and a natural warrior.
Following the footsteps of the origin stories that came before it such as Iron Man and Captain America, the film is an epic introduction to T'challa's origin story and with talks already of a sequel, we are going to be seeing a lot more of Black Panther and that makes me so excited!
Black people are used to being superheroes. In this world we have had to fight back against the oppression, hatred and discrimination presented to us, for decades real life black superheroes have taken an active role in seeking to create a better place for us to live. James Baldwin, Martin Luther King, Alicia Garcia, Marc Lamont Hill and more are the superheroes we have always had, fighting our battles in the shadows. But Black Panther represents a new type of superhero, a new type of future that will see kids get the chance to be themselves at Halloween instead of Superman or Batman.
It puts minorities at the forefront of a blockbuster in a franchise such as Marvel, it's a film where instead of white people taking lead roles they are merely extras.
With the help of directors like Ryan Coogler, Ava Duvernay and Jordan Peele maybe we can look forward to a new day whereby Hollywood is progressive once and for all.
