Quote:
Originally Posted by pottyaboutpotter1
This film is a game changer for several reasons:
Yes, it's not the first superhero movie with a black lead but it's the first with a predominantly black cast (there are only six white actors who have prominent speaking roles in the entire film).
It's also the first superhero film with a black lead in the modern wave of superhero movies that's actually suitable for children; Blade and Hancock were more aimed at adults.
It's one of few major blockbusters to be written by black writers and directed by a black director.
It's a film that goes against the notion that Africa is somehow less civilised or advanced than the West, one that the media has helped push. It also celebrates African culture.
The film makes the question of what it means to be black in the modern day the centre of it's story and conflict. The battle between Black Panther and Killmonger's ideologies is basically a better version of what X-Men tried to do, in which the film is an allegory for the conflict between Martin Luther King and Malcolm X's ideologies (one believes peace is the right path, the other believes that you can't make a change if you don't fight for it).
The film features a significant step forward for the MCU by being the first MCU film where the lead is not (or played by in Thor's case) a white man. It is also the first MCU film not directed by a white man.
The film has strongly developed female characters, treats it's female characters as equal to it's male characters and features the MCU's first black female heroes in Shuri, Nakia and Okoye (Gamora doesn't really count as she's a green alien played by a black actress).
The film directly addresses several complaints with the MCU and fixes them. The score is memorable, the villain has clear motivations and is well developed and there is less bathos (humour that undercuts serious moments). This indicates a tonal shift in the MCU and that Marvel is changing things up, supporting their statements that the MCU will be completely different after Infinity War/Avengers 4.
The film has sparked an entire movement and has disproven the notion once and for all that films with black leads won't succeed at the box office, with Black Panther well on track to grossing over $900 million worldwide. Perhaps even $1 billion. This paves the way for even more black superhero films; Falcon, Cyborg, Green Lantern, War Machine etc.
While the quality of the film, it is very good, has something to do with it being a game changer, it's more to do with what it represents and what it means for the film industry going forwards. The film is a game changer; but to see why you have to look beyond your opinion of the film's quality and see what it represents. Like Wonder Woman, what the film means to audiences and the message it sends to the industry makes it a game changer. Just check out all the videos of black audiences going nuts for the film (audiences in Africa have been celebrating the film) to see why this is a game changer. Black Panther does for black audiences what Wonder Woman did for women last year.
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This is a nice post with a good spirit.
However, you kind of threw the kitchen sink in there.
This is not a new tonal direction for the MCU and even if it was, that would not support 'game changer' status. Marvel gives directors and writers a lot of discretion in their movies. Tonal variation comes from their largely independent creative choices, not Marvel edicts. Also, there are a lot of Marvel films
without poorly timed humor choices although I will grant you that this following on the heels of Ragnarok does exagerate the difference.
I shouldn't have to say it but Africa
is less advanced than the West. Economically, technologically, infrastructure, political stability and medical resources are all far less advanced. If you think you have been deceived on that point by some media conspiracy I can put your mind at ease. Now we can debate who is less civilized and we can debate who is more cultured. That has many points of view and is quite an interesting give and take. But 'advanced'? No debate.
I get what you mean by having a black director. But I am not sure if this really supports game changer status. Maybe it does. I don't work in Hollywood or at Disney so I don't know. But for that to support game changer it seems like it would have to mean that Disney has been systemically discriminating against black directors. I have a hard time believing that. And audiences do not know who directs films... nor do they care. So I definitely do not believe a lack of black directors has anything at all to do with previous audience preference.
My last point is that I think Wonder Woman's impact is vastly overstated in many circles (and less than Black Panther's impact will be). I am with Cameron on this, there are many far better examples of powerful women exercising courage and leadership in films than Wonder Woman. Is it a good superhero film with a female lead? Of course. But not too much more.
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