Black Panther: Black by popular demand

I’m honestly still basking in the glow of #WakandaForever and the enormous success that was Black Panther’s opening weekend which, at the time of writing, is estimated at 387 million dollars. It goes without saying that I am extremely proud of what the director, cast, producers and everyone else involved in the production of this film have done. And let me be frank, I was initially both excited and worried that this movie might not be the smash hit needed to justify the investment in such a predominantly black film. One based on an immersion into the black experience globally and the African experience specifically. But am I ever glad to say that it was all worth it, and I personally believe we have yet to see the true impact of Black Panther on mainstream culture. 

The Crew:

Black Panther’s mission statement was simple, all black everything! Written and directed by Ryan Coogler a young black man from Oakland, California this film is Afrocentric by design. From the black writers to the cast all the way down to sound design and extras black talent is everywhere seen or unseen. The most obvious component of which is the stellar cast comprising; legends such as Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett, established stars like Lupita Nyong’o and Michael B Jordan, and up-and-comers such as Letitia Wright and Winston Duke. The interaction between these fully realized characters is what informs events of the plot and let me say this right now, my beautiful black sisters we are going to do better listening to you. 

The Visuals

The visual department and sound design all follow suit by pulling inspiration from the motherland and does an excellent job in immersing you in a fictional world that somehow feels familiar. Everything from the film’s composer Ludwig Göransson’s wise choice in collaborating with African artists like Baaba Maal to the soundtrack being blessed by none other than Kendrick Lamaar help create this movie’s afrofuturistic sonic soundscape. And these design decisions permeate the film in a visual sense too, from the architecture on display in Wakanda to the vibrant, regal and deadly dress which the various tribes wear prominently. The filmmakers infused Afrofuturism into every frame of this movie and I believe that these unseen elements are what contributed to the feel of authenticity I had upon viewing. Ensuring that the audience felt the same was what I anticipated this film’s biggest burden to be and Black Panther leaps above such tiny obstacles and never freezes. 

The Plan:

Any of those familiar with Ryan Coogler (see; Fruitvale Station, Creed) were confident that he would put his stamp on the film and he does so here while being uncompromising in its black essence. The fictional nation of Wakanda is the product of a multitude of inspirations pulled from all over the continent. Be it the border tribes’ blankets from the Basotho people of Lesotho. Or the Nsibidi symbols from Nigeria used as a basis for the Wakandan alphabet. The iconic Dora Milaje for example; wear the neck rings from the Ndebele tribe of South Africa, their red uniform and scarves are inspired by the Maasai people’s traditional dress. Their famed fighting unit is based on a tribe of women warriors from the 1600s in present day Benin called the “Dahomey Amazons” by Western historians. Killmonger’s fierce mask is an Igbo tribal mask from Nigeria. Ghana, Ethiopia, Niger, Mali and many more countries were also be sourced as inspiration for Black Panther. The Pan-African design made sure that the fictitious nation of Wakanda came to life on the big screen.

Aside from making an exciting stand-alone film that anyone can enjoy, Coogler and company were dedicated to the authenticity of the experience they were trying to convey. Now there were definite misses along the way such as the accents not being quite right sometimes but these faults are compensated by the themes of a nation built on cultural diversity and egalitarianism. And basing the central thematic struggle of the movie on the idea of the hypocrisy of a nation aspiring to greatness and a place of global leadership also harboring isolationist and populist rhetoric was a stroke of subtle genius.  In addition, the enormous importance of proper representation cannot be overstated. This symbolic and thematic fusion of progressive themes of inclusion and unity is what I was most impressed with. That and the best MCU “villain” in Killmonger. Who thought that the deeper discussion needed between continental Africans and those in the diaspora of African descent would be explored and brought forth to the mainstream level by a comic book movie? 

The Payoff:

So one is left to wonder, what is the real world impact of this film? Firstly, we have a mainstream representation of black culture for future generations to enjoy. An excellent film in its own right full of images of traditional dress and accessories, vibrant colors, traditional instruments and beautiful black people. Secondly, judging by Hollywood’s very reactionary ways, this film’s financial success will have a positive impact for black creatives and their future enterprises. And thirdly, hopefully this will also spark creatives to forget the conventional methods of storytelling in favor of other cultural influences. This movie is in NOT the end all and be all of black influence on popular culture, we have been doing that since the beginning of time and shall continue to do so as it is in our very essence.

Seven lessons Africans can learn from Black Panther are; Africa includes her diaspora. African women are not to be messed with. Re-branding Africa can be done, just two hours of film have made waves worldwide! Our cultures are diverse and beautiful. Supporting black creatives is cool, and we are stronger united among-st ourselves than divided.

Black Panther is not without its flaws however, it does at times follow the Marvel formula too closely which distracts from its greatest strength, the interactions between its various characters. Some elements such as ancestral vision quests are inherently cheesy as they are derived from the source comic books. Some of the CGI looks iffy at times even to the untrained eye. And most importantly the fact that this movie lacked a major opening night event in Africa itself is a mark against its whole premise. However, people have a tendency of mistaking milestones for destinations. Black Panther was an excellent step, and although there are many more steps left on the journey, we can proudly say that we shall keep marching on towards the ideal that is Wakanda. Forever.