Hype can go one of two ways for a film. The good way is when the film is able to match up to the hype and sometimes even surpass it. The bad of course is when the film turns out to be underwhelming. With Black Panther, there was a lot of excitement and hype that had been built around it. In many ways, with all that that is going on in the world today, the film became important to many people and transcended the connection that a film usually does. What should have been just a movie, became a matter of pride for many. It is understandable why this has transpired. To be honest, films such as this rarely if ever get made, and that too on this big a scale. If I’m not mistaken, it is only the second Black superhero film to be made. The aspect of representation was a key element of this film and hence a lot was riding on it. So, did it deliver ?
It absolutely did. One thing that struck me in particular was the balance that director Ryan Coogler was able to find. The balance I’m referring to can be summed as: a mix of tradition and modernity. The modernity comes from what is being portrayed, the tradition comes from how it is portrayed. Sure there are many similarities that you can find with other film, but the sheer joy of seeing this type of story in a new setting, makes it worth the ride. The film doesn’t become too emotional and has moments of genuine humor as well. This kind of balancing act is quite tricky to pull off so kudos to the entire team for pulling it off. As a fan of cinema, I can only hope that we get to see more such films. It is a relief to watch something that feels new rather than it feeling like a recycled version of something we have seen earlier. If this is the beginning of a new era in Hollywood, the start has been awesome. Here’s to Black Panther for opening up new avenues. All hail the king!
Until next time, bye.
Films & Frames 