"What happens now determines what happens to the rest of the world."
T'Challa, Black Panther
That being said, I have to confess that there were some parts of Black Panther that disappointed me. It may be caused by sheer familiarity with the various obligatory tropes and themes, but there weren't very many places where the movie surprised me - let's be honest, T'challa's journey from victory to defeat to victory is very much what you would expect it to be.
In fact, his opponent's journey is a more interesting one in some ways, to the point where Erik Killmonger comes very close to being the hero of the movie. It would only take a very slight change in the plot for the film to become the tale of a lost son of Wakanda who returns from exile after the cowardly murder of his father, and then fights the son of the killer for the throne of the country, after which he will have the opportunity to use his new position to change the outside world.
Ultimately, the thing that does set Black Panther apart from the standard superhero movie formula is the cultural and moral background to the story, as symbolized by the country of Wakanda.
An impressive creation that draws upon a myriad of cultural influences to create an idealized African city-state with one foot in the past, and one in the future, Wakanda combines tradition and innovation: its skyscrapers feature elements from thatched huts, its scientists wear clothing patterned after classic African tribal costumes, and it relies upon both technology and ritual observances.
Wakanda is also a thought experiment, the idealized dream of African country that has been free from the consequences of exploitation, colonization, and war. However, the dream is a tainted one: the Wakandans are very aware of their privileged status compared to the countries that surround them, and justifiably fearful that to extend a helping hand would be to share the issues that plague their neighbours. As W'Kabi, leader of the Border Tribe, says to T'Challa, "You let the refugees in, you let in all their problems." As such, they are only willing to provide minimal aid to other countries through undercover operatives.
The dream is also something of a sad one when it is compared to real world. Wakanda is a what-if Africa, one which stands in stark contrast to the problems that have plagued the real African subcontinent for generations, problems caused by both long-standing tribal conflicts and the unwanted interventions of European interlopers.
It is the problems of Africa and of the underprivileged around the planet that provide the real story for this movie. The underlying theme of Black Panther deals specifically with the fundamental question of intervention versus inaction, of community and unity, of whether or not power should be used to help the weak, even if it means the end of one's own comfortable security and the possibility of mutual failure.
In the final analysis, the hero decides to do exactly what heroes are supposed to do: save the world. Except in this case, he decides that the world should be saved for everyone, by a little bit, every single day. It's a shame that there aren't more heroes like that in the real world.
- Sid
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