Ok, let me begin by saying that YES, you must watch Black Panther!!! Not only did the movie deliver on the hype, but it left me without enough vocabulary to describe how special this movie truly is. I found myself in shock of how incredible every scene, the lighting, the incredible soundtrack and acting was that I almost forgot it was a superhero movie. I felt completely transported to Wakanda and wished I could have stayed. You know those movies you watch once or twice in your lifetime that just seem like something else? You realize you love every moment, are unable to pick at any flaws and just hope the movie just never ends? That was Black Panther for me. While watching, I noticed everyone in the theater thoroughly engaged, and when the movie was over, everyone just sat in silence and awe trying to take it all in. Suddenly, after the complete silence, an eruption of applause begins reminding me, once again, how momentous the moment really is. From the moment I walked into the theater in South Central PA to so many POCs, young and old, I knew this historical moment in cinema was special. While waiting in line for popcorn, the theater was electric as people walked out from earlier shows making Wakanda forever signs and telling all of us outside, with huge grins, how incredible the film really was. Within the first thirty minutes of the film, I had my three younger sisters, who don’t usually care for super hero films, all turn to me and say, “This movie is already incredible!” and ask, “Who made this amazing film?” What heightened the questions, I believe, was the strong female ensemble portraying strong female characters and the theme of feminism throughout the movie.
SPOILER ALERT!!!
Throughout the film, three strong female characters play a huge role in the telling of the story of Black Panther. We will begin with Okoye, played by Danai Gurira, a strong general of the Black Panther army who protects the king and country of Wakanda. Next, we have Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o, who is Wakanda’s top spy and helps people throughout Africa fight injustice. Lastly, we have Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, who is Black Panther’s younger sister and who happens to be a tech wizard, providing and creating all the new technology used in Wakanda. What made their characters incredible was how they were all unapologetic of who they were: strong warriors, unafraid of voicing their opinions. The women in this movie were fierce and funny, but more importantly, they were not portrayed as sort of damsels in distress, B-plot love story endings. They each had unique storylines that gave their personalities depth, rather than the surface level, bland personas we often see for women in movies. Nakia specifically, was not letting her love for T’Challa come before following through on her goals. In the fighting scene amongst all the tribes in Wakanda, Okoye shows no mercy to her love interest. While protecting her country and the king, her love interest jokingly says that she could never kill, “her love” and implies she needs him. However, she is unafraid to make such a decision if it means saving her country. She even shows a leader of a tribe that she does not need anyone and that she is a strong general herself. Shuri was my favorite character, because she was not only smart but also witty. Every time she showed up on screen, her energy lit up the entire theater. She showed that young women can be strong, fierce and funny. Overall, this movie was a huge success, especially in terms of its emphasis on and discussions about race, African culture, Black power, colonialism, representation and support. This movie was incredible and I hope everyone gets to see this phenomenal film! Wakanda forever!