On Black Panther

It is not uncommon to find the villain of a piece more entertaining than the good guy. Actors have repeatedly said that villains are more fun to play as it allows them to tap into emotions and actions that would be impossible to imagine in everyday life. It is in this area where Black Panther both succeeds and fails.

The villain of the piece is Erik Killmonger, a terrible name that serves to demonise him as a reason to justify his death for justification is not found in his character. For unlike say, Batman and the Joker, the latter being more entertaining to watch, but morally corrupt and unquestionably unable to carry on, Erik is Black Panther's moral superior. He represents the struggle of black people from slavery through to the Los Angeles ghetto. He has lost his father, a man who wished to usurp the Wakanda monarchy and been punished for actions that weren't his. He has been raised by the state and fell into the army, where killing has given him life; it should be his film. Rather the film belongs to a wealthy, spoiled king in waiting who, with every disposable advantage helps others only if it helps himself. His is James Bond with a panther suit.

Of course it is good to see Marvel take their films into Africa and promote an image of heroism that has for too long dominated. But, there was a real possibility here to create a film that was radical and challenging to the American hegemony. There are scenes here which haven't been seen in the genre before, but all too many that have and Black Panther becomes the blue print that all other Marvel films fit to.

It is telling that Black Panther is absent from the film for a significant amount of time without the narrative suffering; he is a boring character. In Erik the film has created an interesting characters to try and explore the lives of young, black men in America. It is a shame that the film must ghettoise him to an extreme, and demonise his killings while serving in the army just to try and force moral corruptness on to him. And, let us not even get started on the heroism of the white, CIA agent, a member of an organisation that has sought to create instability in the continent for decades.

A missed opportunity.