Black Panther (2018)

Black Cinema (by which I mean films usually with a predominantly black cast, that in some shape or form reflect or interpret the experience, history, culture or social issues of black people) has often felt a bit lacking to me.

I think there are some great movies that fall into this category. I think there are some important movies that fall into this category. However, in my potentially limited experience, the films I've seen have predominantly been small films that wouldn't connect with a large audience. Even the attempts to produce something that might have mainstream appeal have tended to hamper themselves with exploitative plots involving foul-mouthed drug dealing pimps  engaged in gang wars in an American inner city.

And the films that do have more potential for a broader appeal (from the last couple of years Queen of Katwe and Step spring to mind as being particularly good) are generally smaller scale dramas than the big releases you get from the studios.

What I've been missing is the truly great black action movie, the big budget black science fiction film, but something that properly belongs to Black Cinema rather than being a low-budget, exploitative version of Star Wars.

The fault lies not with the black filmmakers, as I'm sure there are plenty (and I've  met some) who want to write those films - but generally the studios have not put their money where they should have been putting it.

For me, Black Panther had a lot riding on it, and before I went to see it, I was sure that it couldn't live up to that expectation.

I saw it yesterday.

My immediate experience of it was not brilliant. I was surrounded by people who seemed to want to talk and rustle and munch popcorn as loudly as possible (they all seemed to be French tourists, so thanks a lot France), which meant that until I managed to move seats, I was only half-watching the film and my enjoyment was muted by my rising annoyance.

Even after I moved seats, one of the popcorn munchers walked past the screen about six times (might have been more) - I think to get more popcorn.

Back to the film though.

The trailer gives away a bit too much of the action scenes, but even with foreknowledge of what we were going to get, they still worked extremely well. Fight choreography was well mounted, avoiding the incoherent editing that can be found in a lot of big budget action films.

The characters were well-drawn, well motivated, appropriately flawed. Funny too - in all the right ways. It's treatment of its female characters impressed me too - continuing a trend that Disney is largely getting right in its films.

The music score was great, borrowing a lot of African motifs to create some very nice music. Songs didn't really do anything for me one way or the other - although I appreciate there's a lot of fuss about the soundtrack.

Special effects looked great - particularly with the realisation of Wakanda, which I definitely want to visit (my ultimate accolade for a fictional locale).

The storytelling itself shows a definite sense of experience. The movie is neatly plotted - some obvious moments, some not so obvious - but the plot points I could predict were handled with such deftness that it didn't matter.

Also, very importantly, the story is not something that could have been easily race swapped, translated into a version with white actors. It is buried within African history, it shows a view of the world that offers something aspirational, rather than being a mere critique of white treatment of blacks (although in offering its hopeful view, it holds up a mirror to colonialism that is as much a critique of the white imperial rampage through Africa).

In the end, this is the film for which I have been waiting for a long time. I'll definitely be seeing it again very soon - hopefully this time without the French popcorn munchers.