Battle for the Throne
By Peyton Schultze
Black Panther (2018)
In 2018, few films had as much of a significant impact on the culture of the United States than that of Marvel’s Black Panther. Taking the nation by storm with its important and relevant plot along with its spectacular ensemble of characters, Black Panther finished as the ninth highest grossing film of all-time at the box office and now finds itself in the heat of the Oscars’ race for Best Picture. Despite zero acting nods, the film is nominated in several categories and is a contender to win in each of their nominations. Yet the ultimate prize, Best Picture, would cap off the success and cultural importance of Black Panther’s run on the silver screen and set a standard that even superhero films have a chance at Oscar glory. So will Black Panther become the first superhero film to ever win Best Picture, or will it simply be passed over in favor of more classic and traditional movies from 2018? We take a lot at some of the key aspects of the film that could sway voters in their favor.
Acting
Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger in 2018’s Black Panther.
With an all-star cast full of A-list talent, Black Panther had one of the best casts for a superhero movie ever. Starring Chadwick Boseman as King T’Challa aka Black Panther, the star thrived as a powerful, yet struggling king as T’Challa transitioned into the leadership role for his home country of Wakanda after the death of his father in Captain America: Civil War. In addition, familiar actors and actresses such as Lupita Nyong’o, Forest Whitaker, Daniel Kaluuya, Danai Gurira and Winston Duke made key appearances throughout the film with crucial performances that assisted the film in a major way.
Yet the star of the show was certainly Michael B. Jordan as the main villain of the film, Erik Killmonger. In a show-stopping performance that almost resulted in a nomination for Best Supporting Actor, Jordan stole the show and proved to be one of the greatest on-screen superhero villains of all-time. Jordan’s electric performance combined with the character’s intriguing story arc made for a spectacular villain in Black Panther. In addition, Letitia Wright’s Shuri was another scene-stealer with some hilarious lines and noble behavior in the fight to protect Wakanda.
Even for the stereotypical superhero film, Black Panther had one of the best casts for any film in 2018. Will it be enough to help guide the film to a Best Picture victory? Only time will tell.
Design (Sets, Costuming, Etc.)
One of the more exciting scenes within the film takes place near a waterfall somewhere in Wakanda.
Black Panther had a variety of stunning scenes with beautiful set pieces, such as various scenes in Wakanda during select battles. In the image above, director Ryan Coogler was able to create an extremely tense scene on the edge of a waterfall in a fight for the throne between T’Challa and his rival, M’Baku. This is just one example of the various scenes with spectacular sets featured in the film, with other great shots on the plains of Africa, a African museum in London and through the streets of South Korea.
Yet one of the more unique aspects of Black Panther were the awesome costume designs, created by the all-time great designer, Ruth E. Carter. By combining various aspects of historical, Afro-centric costuming with a futuristic vibe, Carter was able to create some unique outfits for the unique characters and tribes appearing in Black Panther and now even finds herself up for Best Costume Design at Sunday’s Oscars.
Story
In one of the more intense scenes of the film, Killmonger and T’Challa argue about who should really be in charge of the country.
A tale eerily similar to that of Disney Animation’s The Lion King, T’Challa find himself in a tough position following the death of his father and the leader of Wakanda and must rise above his own self-doubts to lead the country into a new era full of peace and prosperity. However, this does not come without any external and internal issues that affect the story as a whole. Whether it be the dastardly tricks of villain Ulysses Klaue to end Wakanda’s technological reign or Killmonger’s attempts at taking over the crown, T’Challa faces several threats that he must overcome to prove that he is the true King of Wakanda.
One of the beautiful parts of Black Panther is how it can thrive without a ton of attention on the superhero himself, Black Panther, and instead focus on the characters as people and the world as one community. Sure, there are still plenty of epic battle sequences that add to the action and adventure of the film. But at its core, Black Panther focuses on the power struggle all around the world, especially in the case of minorities such as African Americans, and how the only way to approach equality and justice for all is for everyone to buy into concepts of peace and progress to improve society as a whole together. There are plenty of other underlying messages sent throughout the film (such as T’Challa’s transition into manhood and taking upon a leadership role as a representation of his people), but the main focus of the power struggle throughout the world and how we can always improve is a key facet of what made the film work well with audiences.
Maybe this is why Killmonger’s comments and views resonated so well with audiences around the globe. While he was certainly a villain with his brutal display of killings and aggressiveness towards those who doubted him, his comments about how other people of the same African descent around the world have struggled (such as in Oakland, his hometown) despite Wakanda’s technological advances were undeniably true and caused a change not only within the country, but T’Challa himself by the end of the movie. This is the core part of the story that makes Black Panther what it is.
Much like another superhero film that is widely regarded as a masterpiece in The Dark Knight, the audience finds itself understanding the villain despite his cruel ways. In both cases, The Joker and Killmonger see major flaws in society that are exposed and force the heroes to quickly change to cover up these flaws despite the pure chaos around them. And like most superhero and action movies, the hero is able to rise above the struggle and prevail in the end, but the main message of the villain still lingers. Isn’t this what any great film does to us as an audience? We all go to see a movie for about two hours, yet return back to reality at some point. Once we leave the theater, you either move on with the rest of our day casually or immediately continue to feel some type of an impact based on what you witnessed on the screen. And above all, that is what makes the story of Black Panther a film worthy of consideration for Best Picture. It makes us reconsider our own lives and makes us truly think about our own flaws that we may have and how we will all be faced with some major choices at some point in our lives that will either cause us to rise or fall.
Cultural Impact
In 2018, Black Panther certainly became one of the most impactful films of the past decade.
Although Black Panther is deserving of a Best Picture nomination for several other reasons, the most important reason is due to the immense cultural impact that is made upon thousands around the country. Essentially one of the first movies to ever have a black superhero as the lead role (1998’s Blade could be considered the first), Black Panther was not only able have immense box office success, but gigantic cultural significance as well due to the fact that many young African-Americans had never seen a black superhero in a solo superhero movie in their lifetimes. At its core, Marvel and Disney still target kids to inspire them as youngsters growing up, especially in a controversial time that is currently around us in the modern-day United States, which is another reason why many kids and families went to see the film upon its release and during its box office reign.
In shorter terms, Black Panther essentially became a film that could not be ignored. Marvel Studios wisely placed this movie several months before the release of the highly-anticipated Avengers: Infinity War due to many fans willingness to see another Marvel film before another huge installment of the Avengers franchise. However, the popularity that Black Panther seemed to generate over time and week after week after its initial release was mostly due to second/third viewings and word of mouth, which is a gigantic nod to the entire cast and crew of the movie who helped shaped the film into what it became. For one of the most talked about movies of 2018 and in past years, Black Panther certainly caused some major waves throughout the country and forced its way into the wide-open race for Best Picture.
Verdict
Can Black Panther steal a Best Picture win on Sunday night in Hollywood?
Many have their doubts about Black Panther’s actual case for a Best Picture win on Sunday, but without a clear favorite and a mix of motion pictures at the top, it certainly has a viable chance of stealing a win. However, there is one odd thing to notice about how Academy voters may be viewing the film still: can a superhero film really win Best Picture? There is cause for possible concern for those who feel like the film is certainly deserving of a win, especially when the film did not receive any acting nods in any category, particularly surprising in the case of Michael B. Jordan for his role as Erik Killmonger as a possible Best Supporting Actor.
However, the film is also nominated in several other categories that is has legitimate shots at a win, such as Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design and Best Original Song.
But the big fish remains their hopes of a win for Best Picture. If Black Panther is able to shock the world (again) on Sunday with a stunning win for Best Picture, the way people and movie critics view superhero films would change forever. In addition, the path would officially be paved by the film for other aspiring films about African-Americans in a lead action or superhero role, and a major change throughout the Hollywood landscape could take place. But most of all, a possible win would speak to the significance for how much of an impact that this film truly made around the world, best said by a professor at the University of Houston:
“Many have wondered why Black Panther means so much to the black community and why schools, churches and organizations have come to the theaters with so much excitement. The answer is that the movie brings a moment of positivity to a group of people often not the centerpiece of Hollywood movies. Plus, what we know from the research on racial and ethnic socialization is that it helps to strengthen identity and helps reduce the likelihood on internalizing negative stereotypes about one’s ethnic group.”
It is certainly hard to view Black Panther as any type of favorite for Best Picture heading into Sunday. But in a crowded Best Picture field without a clear favorite, anything could happen which could play into the favor of Disney and Marvel Studios. It’s going to be quite the race for the gold on Sunday night, so can Black Panther overcome the odds and cap off awards season with a stunning and impactful Best Picture win?
The 91st Academy Awards: Sunday, February 24th at 8 ET/5 PT
Live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, CA