Chadwick Boseman has played a baseball legend. A music icon. And a civil rights leader. Given the finesse of the roles on Boseman’s résumé, it should come as no surprise what I am about to tell you about the actor’s latest venture as the Marvel superhero Black Panther. Here it is: Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther aka T’Challa in the new Black Panther film is an exquisite piece for both the actor and the superhero movie conglomerate.
Actually, the film is filled with a colorful cast of actors like Boseman, and simply this makes the film praiseworthy. I mean, there’s Michael B. Jordan as Black Panther’s villain, Erik Killmonger. There’s Angela Bassett as Ramonda, mother of Black Panther. There’s the real-life father-son duo of John Kani and Atandwa Kani as old and young T’Chaka, father of Black Panther. There’s Forest Whitaker as Zuri, a longtime trusted advisor of Wakanda. There’s Sterling K. Brown as N’Jobu, Black Panther’s uncle/Killmonger’s father. There’s Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, ex-lover of Black Panther. There’s Letitia Wright as Shuri, Black Panther’s tech-savvy sister. Then there’s Daniel Kaluuya ( yep, from “Get Out” ) as W’Kabi, Winston Duke as M’Baku, and Danai Gurira as Okoye, who all play important and different roles in the nation of Wakanda. There’s really too many to name, but the strategy and usefulness of this black and gifted ensemble can’t go unnoticed. I mean, there was me and my group of friends getting a chance to see all of this excellence front row via a field trip courtesy of UWM a night before the premiere, which is a serious group effort of its own, or a ‘family reunion,’ as I called it that night. So, I can appreciate this casting project, and it is this type of extravaganza about the film which excels from the beginning.
After an animated intro on the origin of the Black Panther, there’s a flashback attempting to explain more of his history with a camera-roll around a room filled with the illustrious child actors and film actors at work in the roles of young T’Challa (Ashton Tyler), young Killmonger (Seth Carr), his father, and uncle, a secret Wakandan spy. What makes the flashback fascinating, firstly, is that it is not in Wakanda, but in California and everyone is dressed in typical American clothing, with the exception of T’Challa’s father, King T’Chaka. This aspect of the flashback gives us some idea of where all of this beauty and talent on the same set is going. As the film moves further along and away from the flashback into the present day, the finesse and familiarity with the actors and actresses begin to take shape as a part of a family dynamic, which feels genuine both because of the wealth of actors and the transition from past to present.
The use of flashback brings us another unique aspect of the film, and that is the setting. You can assume from the trailer how beautiful the set of Black Panther was going to be, but there is even more compelling setup and scenery than you can imagine. With the use of flashback and plentiful actors, we get a broad scope behind the fictional African nation. As much as you want to cut straight to Black Panther’s story and battles, it’s difficult to skip past the sheer beauty of the all-black cast, or the landscape of a field with elephants and an actual panther running around in it. The way that the flashback captures it all – with the modern setting transitioning to present-day where T’Challa is graced in his Black Panther gear preparing to fight for his family and homeland – is remarkable. The directing noticeably sticks to this dynamic throughout the film, in which acting is often contrasted with the setting. This allows both the breadth of Boseman’s talent and the vision of the director and co-writer, Ryan Coogler, to work together, making for a remarkable collaboration between the talented actor and the talented director on the superhero. This collaboration becomes the narrative of Black Panther.
Coogler, whose work has gained box office and cultural success since his debut on the scene in 2013, does a fine job of undertaking the project of Black Panther not only as one Marvel entrusted him with, but one that movie-goers and comic-book lovers will admire. Coogler’s directing itself is a narrative, following Black Panther at his own will and not along a textbook narrative. The narrative could have bounced in so many directions from the simple intro or explanatory nature of Black Panther’s origins, but Coogler used his directional tools to shape the ideas into a cohesive plot. The familiarity of the actors could have been overwhelming, but Coogler replaced their lone existence with meaningful actions. Black Panther didn’t have a chance at being bland due to its anticipation and high expectations, but it could have not been as accurate to these expectations had Coogler not paid attention to the most important aspects of the superhero. Coogler has turned what could be a typical superhero movie into a movie about Black Panther and only about Black Panther. Because of Coogler’s attention to the central aspects of the narrative, Black Panther is a believable superhero with a believable tale as our latest superhero movie.
The care taken with the mere look of the superhero and his nation shows many facets of Black Panther in many different settings and situations. Like one scene featuring just T’Challa, W’Kabi, and Nakia where one of the best closeup shots and dialogues happen for Boseman, Nyong’o, and Kaluuya. Or the scene at the Casino where T’Challa gets to hang his Black Panther suit for a different suit, which Nakia and Okoye do so as well – and they are all wearing the colors red, black, and green to symbolize the Pan-African flag. This glamour lasts only for a little while, though, as enemy Ulysses Klaue ( Andy Serkis ) comes looking for T’Challa. At least Klaue tells T’Challa, “You look just like your old man.” It’s scenes like these, especially the Casino scene, where you get a capture of all the things working in the film – from the great acting, costumes, and setting – in one scene. It is all so beautiful and happening so fast that it evokes exact emotions about Black Panther. I, for one, thought ‘Black Panther maybe too emotional.’ Or of course, maybe I am too emotional for Black Panther.
But emotional is good for this film, and is necessary for the makings of this superhero. Instead of walking around stuck behind a narrative like other heroes, T’Challa as Black Panther wears his story on his back, or you might say, his heart on his sleeve. A clear picture of Black Panther is painted with the clear origins of his conflict and his mother, sister, ex-girl, and warriors behind him every step of the way. Black Panther’s story is clear: he is the trusted leader of a family of people with power, intelligence, and emotions who are fighting for the freedom of these very things for Wakanda and others. Black Panther is a strong and emotional hero by natural design who can’t help but deliver, and this is especially true in his fight scenes.
Like the fight scene between Black Panther and M’Baku with all the tribes surrounding them screaming “T’Challa, T’Challa,” at which point T’Challa yells at his challenger, “I am Prince T’Challa” and charges at him. Or like another fight scene between T’Challa and Killmonger, in a challenge that saw T’Challa sit on his throne and yell “I accept” only to be found near a far side nearly frozen to death until revived while surrounded by his family.
Perhaps, nothing speaks of the emotion and sensitivity of the superhero more than when he demands to know more information about the past from Zuri, and this scene prompts T’Challa to yell, with tears in his eyes, “I am your prince now!” From there, we are taken back to the scene in the flashback and learn that the conflict of Black Panther is much more than a superficial fable, but literal violent death and betrayal involving his father, uncle, and a young Killmonger being abandoned. The ambitions of Black Panther are more thorough after the interaction with Zuri. The raw and unfiltered true story coupled with Boseman’s raw and unfiltered acting takes complete control of the perception of our superhero. Black Panther’s story now needs nothing more than his lone moments on a quest for answers and his fight to get them. Black Panther all of a sudden is neither a young son of a King or a revered King himself – but simply a prince, warrior, fighter, man, and most importantly, a superhero with a lot of superpowers. I mean, a lot. And he is just getting started.
Black Panther can lead, and it doesn’t take a lot to stand behind him even through his challenges because he is a leader equipped with machinery, knowledge, and love. Vice versa, it’s not long before others stand in his way. T’Challa has no choice but to face his biggest opposition: the vengeful villain Killmonger.
Killmonger. Oh, Killmonger.
So, maybe you thought that Boseman’s performance was going to be left to do everything after all of his hard work? Well, not at all. We get Boseman and Michael B. Jordan – and Jordan shines next to his co-star. The two star actors coming face-to-face as Black Panther and Killmonger gushes out the early quarrels of the film and makes everything come to a head. Flashbacks and different sets remain a part of the film, and actually, one set is burned to the ground by Killmonger. Killmonger’s head-on opposition to Black Panther helps narrow down the long story to its main points, and the tools used in earlier parts are used here to help him do it. One of the tools is dialogue, as Jordan exceeds the expectations of his role as Killmonger through dialogue. Killmonger possesses a different type of language and confidence that enables him to challenge T’Challa. He turns up the side of his lip and is not afraid to answer “What’s Up” to T’Challa. Killmonger’s combination of American slang and swagger provides the perfect contrast to the traditional African aspects of T’Challa, including his language. The great contrast makes for a rare and unpredictable fight, even for Black Panther. Black Panther literally does not know what to do with Killmonger. So, the fight begins. A fight of the two sides. A fight of ideas. A fight of power. A fight of revenge. A fight of language versus language. A fight of confidence versus confidence. It’s like if we got to see Jordan versus LeBron with equal fans on each side. It’s like if Chadwick Boseman versus Michael B. Jordan for a lead audition role happened in real life in public. It’s exactly the story of a reigning power going up against a vengeful upcoming power. It is classic superhero versus villain, but even better because of the authenticity of both Black Panther and Killmonger’s characters.
With such an intricate fight, Black Panther becomes less about an archetype superhero and more about the real things of the fight. The good, juicy things inside the fight. The good, juicy things like dialogue and humor. Having intricate elements add insight into otherwise hidden aspects of the film. Like the Grace Jones line in the flashback scene in the beginning, “It’s these two Grace Jones-looking chicks!” Although a short and sweet joke, the reference to Grace Jones proves the cultural depth of the film, which was expected of this culturally significant ensemble. Or take the humor of Shuri. Letitia Wright shines in her role with quick wit that extracts from the narrative at the right time just like humor in film is supposed to do. “Great, another broken white boy for us to fix,” says Shuri, as Klaue – who is one of the few non-black actors in the film – rolls in her lab after being shot by Killmonger a couple scenes earlier. This line is a great unveiling of the cultural undertones of the film. A movie with an all-black cast and about the connection to the beliefs and ideas of black people would be disappointing and lackluster if there wasn’t a direct crack with something like that said from one of the black actors to a white actor. Like the dialogue of Killmonger, which did more than offer a direct challenge to fight T’Challa – Killmonger challenged leadership, the nation of Wakanda, its ideology, and also represented the modern and contemporary side of Killmonger. That’s why even though Killmonger lost the fight, he was able to have the final say. “Just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from the ship because they knew death was better than bondage,” Killmonger said before dying next to T’Challa. And these last words are some of the most powerful words of the whole film.
The luxury of this film is that it is about more than Black Panther; it is about representation and meaning. Black Panther is a film of many things. Amongst those things are film necessities, such as the big-budget set, talented actors, a talented director, dialogue, humor, depth, meaning, and representation. But there are some things that are not mere things, but rather, the undertaking of things, of necessities. We have that here with Black Panther. The superhero has comfortably jumped off the pages of the comic book and onto the big screen where he is going to stay for a long time.