‘Black Panther’ is Filled With Intense, Thought Provoking Beauty
Marvel’s highly anticipated Black Panther is like the Bible, every message applicable to the world we live in today.
The African King that transforms into the first black superhero in mainstream American comic books is just the bait they use to reel you in before you are left flailing in air until you realize you can breathe outside of the water.
In summary, the film is about a son who becomes a king, loses his way, saves his kingdom and then the world. Yet that puny sentence does nothing to reveal all of the charismatic, intense fire that explodes in this film.
The all black award winning cast starring characters that my grandmother and I can connect with, referring to Forrest Whitaker (oldie) and Jordan Peele (newer guy), just add flavor to this already addictive potion of black power!
I have never experienced a more liberating film that produced physical happiness within my soul and not the usual regret or anger I experience when leaving a ‘black film.’ This film depicts black struggle and black unity as they merge in the most epic battle between what is right and what is real.
Everyone left the theater happy — every ethnicity.
You experience every relationship pattern known to man and get so entangled into the characters lives that you feel every word and every message personally. This film explores heritage, identity and friendship. Most importantly, it acknowledges the crises that occur daily even though we have learned to ignore it, desensitized by the culture of destruction we have created.
It makes us understand that it is something we ALL created.
Black Panther is too good for me to sit here and ruin the roller coaster of emotions this film will put you through. The beginning scenes only set up the constant and consistent breakdown of the broken mentality we have all built up living in this world of hate and death.
The beginning battle scenes follow, if not exceed, the usual fun and provocative Marvel flow. Yet, the entire second half of the inner battle reduced me to tears.
A movie where all the main characters are black, but the message is not about gangs, money and tomfoolery is exactly what we needed this Black History Month.
Black Panther is a movie that revolves around the most talked about, ridiculed, richest continent in the world, Africa, with its Afrocentric vibe, body art, language and people. I will watch it at least five more times this week.
I am urging everyone to please go and experience this thought-provoking beauty that Marvel has produced and know that they have way more in store, because once you go black … well hopefully you already know the rest of that statement.
After all, the film reminds us that we were here first.
