BLACK PANTHER
Director Ryan Coogler
Cert. 12A. 134 mins
Black Panther is very different from other Marvel films, with its varied and unusual soundtrack, and thematic wrestling with the question of how to deal with a world where there’s injustice and oppression.
Many of the film’s antagonists respond by seeking to overthrow the societal order by the violent use of power. T’Challa / Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and his allies, by contrast, learn how to use their power for good, engaging with the world around them and seeking peace and reconciliation.
After his father’s death, T’Challa returns to his home country, the fictional African nation of Wakanda, to take up the throne. In the words of his father T’Chaka, ‘You are a good man, with a good heart, and it is hard for a good man to be a king.’
Tradition and technology
Wakanda is a country with lots of tradition (some of it strange, like ancestor worship), but is also very technologically advanced (introducing some cool sci-fi elements). Among other things, T’Challa has to figure out how to relate to the past, and future, of his people.
He encounters various adversaries along the way, such as the brutish but nuanced M’Baku (Winston Duke), the greed-crazed Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis), and most formidably, Eric Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan – who starred in director Ryan Coogler’s Rocky spin-off Creed), driven to vengeance by injustice.
T’Challa is aided by a diverse group of characters, including the ferocious leader of his honor guard, Okoye (Danai Gurira); his ex-girlfriend, the benevolent spy Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o); his sister Shuri (Letitia Wright), who geeks out about making awesome gadgets for him; and American secret agent Everett K. Ross (Martin Freeman). Black Panther features strong characters and acting, as well as some very dramatic moments.
Christian response
The film serves as a reminder that as Christians, we can respond to the brokenness of the world in a positive way, perhaps by things like empathising with those in suffering, loving and forgiving others, and living as people of peace. These may be some of the ways by which the gospel can redeem and restore the various aspects of life.
