African Futurism and the American Cold Front
As of the writing of this film review, Black Panther's domestic box office in the United States has reached 430 million U.S. dollars, and the global box office is close to 800 million U.S. dollars. Given that it has not yet been released in mainland China, there is absolutely no problem with the final global box office reaching RMB 5 billion. Speaking of 5 billion, we have to think of the 5 billion emperor of our country-Leng Feng (Wolf Warrior 2). Not only are these two movies similar at the box office, they also have a reputation effect in their respective countries after they are released. The incitement effect is very similar in nature. This article does not want to discuss the differences and production levels of the two films too much, but simply talk about their similarities. The last part talks about personal admiration of black panthers. Before discussing the black panthers, I had to mention a concept called afrofuturism. According to Wikipedia, this concept focuses on the possible development of art and humanities in Africa, that is, the main body of black culture. And technology. The traditional historical concept believes that the indigenous black culture in Africa is a culture that has been "rubbed out". The plunder and colonization of Western imperialism in Africa has not only caused a devastating blow to the local people and economy. It also completely destroyed the possibility of gestating a new culture in the local area. African Futurism is an attempt to fill this void. It attempts to create an African culture that has not been invaded by colonialism on the basis of traditional African national cultural characteristics, supplemented by modern/future technology and technology.
The role of the Black Panther and the isolated kingdom of Wakanda are a good embodiment of African Futurism. The portrayal of Wakanda's rich ethnic characteristics and a sense of future technology in the film is an illusion of another African continent in a parallel universe. At the same time, as the first black superhero born two years after Martin Luther King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1966), the Panthers themselves appeared with an anti-black discrimination national color. And Marvel’s choice to release the Panthers at this time is undoubtedly a good time and place. We have witnessed from the BLM movement to the collective kneeling of NFL players, and then to the collective protests of the NBA players. The Panthers are at the most suitable time. Stand up and become the image leader that people need most in this literary and artistic movement. It can be seen from LeBron James and Will Smith's full praise of it in the past few days.
The movie itself also hides this kind of wit and chicken thieves everywhere, from the villain Killmonger's choking to the white commentator at the British Museum, "Do you think your ancestors paid for our things?" to Princess Shuri's two sentences. Simple and rudely satirizing the white lines, "Another broken white kid will fix us" (when Agent Ross is injured and rescued), and "Don't touch things, colonists" (when Agent Ross wakes up), and then Until Agent Ross was threatened and taunted by Mbaku and so on. In this movie, Agent Rose took on the typical white image who was besieged and ridiculed by blacks. These jokes not only satisfied the black national sentiment, but also satisfies the self-deprecating psychology of some whites. It can be said that It kills two birds with one stone, and everyone is happy. They will not touch the root cause of the shortcomings and problems in the American social system. To a certain extent, they have simplified a very serious social issue into the burden of spamming and ridiculing each other. I think this is a kind of chicken thieves. Tact, but after all, this is still a Disney Marvel commercial film, and the audience does not want to be educated or challenged, so it is already the limit of this film to deal with it like this.
It must be mentioned that after BLM activities became normal and the mainstream American media began to shift their focus to Hollywood sexual assaults, Panthers relied on the princess Shuri (wisdom) and the female warrior Okoye (strength) in the film, as well as Nakia. /Black Panther Girlfriend (Intellectual) These female characters strengthen the display of women's power. It can be said that it has restored a bit of face to Hollywood on the screen, allowing the film to follow the path of political correctness all the way to the end. Among them, I believe that Disney, which has portrayed many classic female positive roles in recent years, must have inextricable connections. ---------------------This is the dividing line drawn by Leng Feng for you -------------------- --------- About the background of this movie and the reasons for its popularity, let’s talk about the similarities between it and Wolf Warriors 2. First of all, the essence of both is to cater to and incite a kind of national sentiment. The Black Panther is to the American left and blacks, and the Wolf Warrior is to the zg populist. Both movies have created two fantasy kingdoms and their leaders, and both express a feeling of shame and aggression and revenge for the past. And even more coincidentally, both movies seem to please the land of Africa, and both emphasize the issue of the United States/China should strengthen cooperation and friendship with Africa. It can be said that the two superpowers are very minded (the one who wins Africa has the future ?). The China in Wakanda and Wolf Warriors 2 satisfies the audience's fantasy of the two countries when the movie was released. A strong and traditional African country; a zg who does not hesitate to fight and fight (at the time of the cross-border incident in India) has achieved the greatest goal of filming dreams. The Panthers and Leng Feng are the spokespersons of these two fantasy kingdoms, and they equally satisfy all the fantasies of the men of the two ethnic groups about Alpha males. Panthers are both civil and military, love their mothers and brothers and sisters, and contact the outside world in a roundabout way while safeguarding their own ethnic interests; Leng Feng is humorous and kind, and can play a hundred at the same time, taking into account the third on the premise of safeguarding national interests. Old friends of the world. Both are the appearances of male models in the two respective groups, and the audience can be greatly satisfied through the sense of substitution during the viewing process. In addition, both movies gave the white man a big blow. In the first half of the Black Panther movie, the two royal brothers both staged a good show of beating the white man. The prince almost killed Klaue in public in South Korea. Brother Wang shot the latter at the garbage dump and sent it to Wakanda in a bag. As a gift, it is difficult for me not to think of Leng Feng's play of beating white mercenaries in the Wolf Warriors. Klaue repeatedly used Wakan in the movie The people of da are called "Savages" (barbarians), including the fact that Agent Ross said Wakanda is nothing but a poor third world country when interrogating Klaue (showing the general arrogance and condescension of the West towards African countries). They are very similar to some of the lines of the white mercenaries in Wolf Warriors 2. They are all paving the way for the fact that the nation is distorted and humiliated by the white people, to highlight the pleasure of the nation's success in revenge. This kind of setting can be said to be very low-level and direct. Both of them are intended to create a kind of "the oppressed are all right/kind, so their revenge is completely reasonable", which is very black and white. The basic drama tension.
The discussion of China-Africa relations in Wolf Warriors 2 is an imagination closer to reality. (In fact, there are many countries in Africa, but I believe that most people like to think of the continent as a whole when discussing, and there is no disrespect to African countries here.) Leng Feng’s rescue of his godson and his mother is also a strategic consideration with my country. The various aids and constructions carried out in Africa coincide. (Leng Feng is indeed not a Lei Feng in Africa, he is doing business there while looking for clues to his girlfriend) What the movie shows is exactly such a big brother's feelings. Speaking of this, I have to say that American commercial films are so old-fashioned in this regard.
Looking at the entire Panthers, on the surface, they are praising Wakanda and belittling the United States, but the effect it achieves is a very realistic idea of "If Africa wants to develop, it must join hands with the United States." When the opening Panther entered the dream of his ancestors for the first time, he asked his father how he could become a good king. The former Panther said, "Surround yourself with good people" (Let’s hug yourself with good people). It is obvious here that it is paving the way for the general mobilization of the Avengers 3 Infinite Warfare (you insist that this is a sentence of chicken soup, but I don't mean it), and who is the signature character of the Avengers so far? Yes, it is Iron Man and the US team. A representative of individualism, plus a symbol of American patriotism. Both of them are symbols of the American spirit. By creating a powerful Wakanda and Black Panther, it is implied in the movie that he still has to open up his country and the world to cooperate and join the reunion. In fact, he is talking about one thing. : African countries, your future is bright, the premise is to cooperate with the United States. Compared with Wolf Warriors 2, this method is simple and rude to reveal the status quo of African countries, and then let us be like a great man. After all, we all know in life that if you want others to accept your views and guidance, you must first make them feel smart. And returning to the point of fighting for favor with the African continent, the two films are undoubtedly working hard with their own understanding and methods. To sum up, the two films are both very low-level but effective in terms of dream-making and inciting the audience to enter the venue. At the same time, they do not forget their mission of deepening friendship with the African people. When they were released, they both occupied the right time and place in each other's country, so it is very understandable that they both reached the box office of 5 billion. Regarding the production level and casting skills, there is not much difference between the two in the use of political correctness (note the degree). They are all stimulating the excitement of their target audience with an extremely catering attitude (to put it bluntly, it is X lick). Anyone who criticizes this film with political correctness has any qualifications to comment on Wolf Warriors 2 objectively? If you cried and applauded Leng Feng’s VIP passport at the end of Wolf Warriors 2, why can’t you understand Black Brother and the so-called "White Left" who were also moved after watching Black Panther?
—————/The dividing line drawn by the Panthers———————— After finishing talking about the comparison with Wolf Warriors 2, let’s briefly talk about the part that I like about this movie. The most important one is the shaping of the villain Killmonger, which can be said to be one of the most successful villains that Marvel has shaped in recent years, if not one. The film shows his growth environment from the beginning. All his motives in the film are not simply to "conquer the world" or simply "to bring down the white people". As the film progresses, the audience can understand his motivation for revenge. And the purpose of distributing weapons. Because of his father’s death and his abandonment, he decided to avenge the prince and take back what he deserved. Since I was a child, I have witnessed the US government’s disregard for racial injustice and aggression against other countries and decided to liberate the oppressed. These two The main motivation is not the typical positive and negative role modeling. While you know that he is a bad guy, you can't help thinking about the correctness behind this motive. This kind of multi-layer shaping of the villain's role can be said to be advanced, and it is in sharp contrast with other Marvel (and DC) villains who are up to kill and destroy the world.
Actor Michael B jordan’s performance in the play also supported this role very well. It can be noted that he half deliberately strengthened the accent of American street blacks in the play (you can say that he is a true performance) to reflect the regional characteristics and Class symbol. The gritted teeth and evil smiles of the expressions during the confrontation with the Panthers several times fully showed the characters' hearts, and achieved the dramatic effect without being overly exaggerated and artificial. Unlike many similar movies, the villain either has his face to the end, or is always fierce/laughing like a fool. Every expression of Killmonger in Black Panther matches well with the current plot and character actions. Michael adds a sense of reality to this character, allowing people to understand the character's behavior and motives at that time. I think this has nothing to do with his empathy for current social issues as a black American.
I would like to sigh here. Killmonger's lines in the sunset before his death in the last scene, personally think it is the nutritious words spoken by the few villains in the comic movies in recent years:
"So you can just lock me up. Nah, just bury me in the ocean with my ancestors that jumped from the ship, because they knew death is better than bondage." Lock it up? Don’t talk, just bury me in the sea with those ancestors who jumped from the boat, because they know that no freedom or death”)
(Patrick: "Yes, I really said this sentence.") This sentence is actually the last sentence of Patrick Henry's speech in the Virginia State Assembly on March 23, 1775, "Give me liberty or give me death." ". The final line of the villain not only deepens the propaganda of the political correctness of the film's leftists, but also effectively promoted the growth of the protagonist. Panthers realized that Wakanda, who sits on its own feet in a vanadium metal mine, is actually tying herself into a cocoon. To achieve true freedom, he must share everything they have with the world. And this line itself, regardless of the black race, has realistic and inspiring significance for all mankind. Race antagonism, estrangement between minorities, exploitation by rulers, how much has our world improved in nature compared with the previous slavery? In the face of increasingly advanced technology today, has humanity really gained more freedom? If political correctness (here specifically refers to the political correctness of the left in the movie) is suspected of overcorrection and hypocrisy, would it be better if there is no political correctness? From this point of view, I still think that Killmonger of this movie and his thinking behind the current human politics and society have allowed him to become the best villain on the screen since the restart of the Marvel movie. Finally, let me talk about the film’s irony to Trump. In the first easter egg, the Panthers said in a speech at the United Nations: "Wisemen build bridges, foolish men build barriers" (Wisemen build bridges, foolish men build barriers). The current situation in the two countries, the Black Panthers and Leng Feng, who have many similarities and differences, let you judge them after reading this film review.
View more about Black Panther reviews
