Black Panther is a 2018 film that is based on Marvel Comics and has an exemplary representation of African perceptive in various issues. The storyline is based on a certain kingdom known as Wakanda where a global revolution under the king by the name T’challa is witnessed after plans to abandon the country’s policies. This paper presents a thesis on the sociopolitical perspectives in the film Black Panther by exploring the major themes relevant to the African diaspora.
The sociopolitical system in Wakanda kingdom is a topic of interest since many interactions depict how the norms and values of the society then attribute to their lifestyle. In one of the representations of the film, pan-Africanism and nationalism are evident, especially in the view of politics (Farr 83). The film perfectly incorporates various relationship that is seen between the Wakanda society in terms of social interaction within black people outside the community. Killmonger shows the world the power of the kingdom and makes viewers realize the greatness which gives the ideology of pan-Africanism. T’challa, the head of the kingdom, maintains the traditions to makes sure the strength and power of Wakanda society are respected (Saunders 141). Killmonger showcases how the world would be better, more so black society globally, when African resources are equally shared with the fellow black community.
The other thought on what Black Panther presents is African identity. The tribes in Wakanda can be seen with traditional grooming styles and emblems. The flashbacks to the black community and Oakland give the traditional perspective when compared to the modern world. Also, the loyalty and allegiance of people in the society are seen, for instance, when Okoye resolves to abide by whoever is the king even if he did not select the person (Glenn 14). When T’challa dies, his family keeps fighting to ensure that Killmonger’s rule is not embraced entirely. It shows that there are still roots of the kingdom by its people and the remaining group wants to make the region have the originality and identity of the culture.
African sovereignty and colonization are also depicted where T’challa is said to have been raised without experiencing the colonial moments. Unlike T’challa, Killmonger is aware because he was raised in the US and was aware of the social injustices happening, such as racism, slavery, and oppression. The perspective of thriving as a secluded country shows Wakanda as a sovereign country (Juan 26). Additionally, Oakland’s mission to get resources and technology in Wakanda shows the avenging ideology from colonial times.
The other representation in the film is on women’s role and appearance. Women are seen in their glory times and have leadership and grace of living away from objection. The beautiful melanin is aesthetically denoted and their natural hair to show self-acceptance on women is still key in the film (Saunders 144). Therefore, the film’s main ideas and themes are centered on the African diaspora’s move towards civilization despite opposing forces that are still witnessed currently.
The film Black Panther is a key masterpiece that many people can learn, especially on the spiritual ties and battles caused by the system of alliances, notions on the progressive nation, and competition on supremacy aspects. The illustrations of characters and their roles are key to symbolize how modern Africa is transforming after the scramble and partitioning of the continent. For any person with a political and social agenda, they can extract some important viewpoints from the film.
Works Cited
Farr, Arnold L. “Viewing the Black Panther Movie Through the Lenses of Liberation Philosophy and Liberation Theology.” The Acorn, vol. 18, no. 1, 2018, pp. 81-85. Philosophy Documentation Centre.
Glenn, Dallas. “The Political Genius of Erik Killmonger in Black Panther.” SSRN Electronic Journal, vol. 21, no. 34, 2018, pp. 11-16. Elsevier BV.
Juan, Zhang. “The Political Messages Embodied in Marvel’s Film Black Panther.” Journal Of Literature and Art Studies, vol. 9, no. 7, 2019, pp. 23-27. David Publishing Company.
Saunders, Robert A. “(Profitable) Imaginaries of Black Power: The Popular and Political Geographies of Black Panther.” Political Geography, vol. 69, no. 6, 2019, pp. 139-149. Elsevier BV.