Black Panther on a surface read is a nearly flawless film. The style and storytelling are refined and focused. The pacing is crisp. The humor is balanced. The story is grounded in the archetypes well known to most familiar with stories, yet this time its told by a new story teller, thus giving it a fresh and welcomed perspective. It has a diverse cast and important roles go to people who don’t traditionally get them, and the acting and characters the portray are great. And this story that it tells is told in a way that is complex is enough that it can be spoken of as having both a surface and deeper readings. Unfortunately, any the problems that the film have began to be apparent below the surface.
Black Panther is a politically imperfect film. Perhaps this is all it could be. The fact that it is political at all is too much for some people, and some people are already talking about boycotting it. Some people are going even farther, as white supremacists have attempted to convince the public that white people would be attacked if they went to see the film. I mean just the fact that people of color and strong women are given roles of prominence in the film is going to offend this people. This is ridiculous.
On the other hand, the film ultimately comes down on the side of a liberal get-along agenda, which also upsets some segments. This is perfectly understandable to me; it’s certainly a dream of mine that love can conquer all, but also perfectly reasonable to me that someone who has experienced nothing but hate and oppression their whole life might be skeptical of that; in my waking hours I certainly have trouble not considering peaceful coexistence to be pollyanish. So the fact that Black Panther portrays the person suggesting that people physically fight back against oppressive forces as the villain is anger inducing. But also, the idea that a Disney mainstream film is going to lionize radical ideas is also probably a bit unrealistic.
Indeed, just by existing, Black Panther is too radical and offensive to large segments of this country, and by not being more radical, it is (justifiably) offensive to others. The film struggles to reconcile the complexities of its existence. Black Panther politically can’t win.
I do think the director, Ryan Coogler, is aware of this fact and is attempting to navigate the tight space that this film is in. Which is unfortunately going to require some spoilers to discuss I rarely like to speak of plot points in a film review, but I will discuss this reconciliation in spoilers (hopefully hidden) to follow:
Specific Plot Points, Click to Read
You could certainly argue that the prominence Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) is given is an attempt at providing respect to the more radical ideas. Erik does not cheat his way to the throne. The only person he lies to is the film’s initial villain (Ulysses Klaue, Andy Serkis), and with this lie, he defeats Wakanda’s greatest terrorist. Further, his claim to the throne is valid. He is of royal blood and observes Wakandan’s cultural rituals when challenging for the throne. He fights fairly in the ritual combat, and T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is cheated for in the contest by Zuri (Forest Whitaker), the person who betrayed Erik’s father, and arguably T’Challa only survives due to the aid of his family, and the restoration of his powers, which one could also argue is against the spirit of the ritual. Erik does not eliminate the government that was in place before him, he simply assumes the throne (rightfully as far as everyone knows at this point with T’Challa presumed dead) and continues to hold council meetings just as T’Challa did before. He accepts the responsibilities and duties of the throne, assumes the Black Panther mantle and takes on the role as protector of his people. The only truly protocol breaking thing that he does is the destruction of the flower that gave kings the powers of the panther. Even with this breach in protocol, the army and the people acknowledge Erik and obey his commands. In fact, including one of T’Challal’s oldest friends, W’Kabi (Daniel Kaluuya) consider him the better leader. Even at T’Challa’s reemergence, over half the army continues to recognize Erik as the rightful leader, and W’Kabi fights his own wife (Ayo, excellently played by Florence Kasumba) in defense of this new king. When Erik finally battles T’Challa in the climax of the film, they both battle as Black Panthers and as equals, and T’Challa only narrowly kills him in the end (again with the aid of trickery and distraction provided by his family).
To me this is a clear sign that Ryan Coogler finds Erik Killmonger’s radical belief that those of African decent around the world who are being oppressed should violently overthrow their oppressors is one that is at least worthy of consideration. Perhaps cynically, Coogler is arguing that these radical elements are only quelled by the conservative elements treachery and the aid of the deep state (in the form of the CIA, more on that later) Or, perhaps more optimistically, Coogler also hopes that a peaceful resolution to the worlds ills is possible, and T’Challa’s family and friends helping him is justifiably aiding the weaker to defend themselves from the stronger. I can’t decide for sure. In this case I can be amused by the ambiguity. I can see others being justified in just dismissing the film for this ambiguity outright, though.
The CIA presence in the film is muddled as well, but in a less amusing and well handled way. It is true that Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman) is a character that had an active role in T’Challa’s backstory. But him getting in a plane and shooting down weapons meant to go to oppressed people certainly is a troublesome moment. Also, some pretty compelling evidence of Marvel film’s participation in psyop propaganda has been presented, and there’s nothing subtle about this . One could rationalize that at this point in the film, Ross had fully “gone native” (for lack of a better term) and was doing this on behalf of T’Challa’s peaceful agenda, but I dunno, to me it’s just a bad look.
Regardless of the fact that the deeper readings of Black Panther make it difficult for me to give it a stamp of approval without some reservations, the fact that there are deeper readings at all in this comic book movie is a good thing in itself. I think that comics, when done well, are an excellent medium for telling deep stories, and I’m glad a comic film was made that helped to reflect that fact.
The Bottom Line
- Reasons to see this film: It has great style and leaves the viewer with a lot to think about.
- Rating: Good
