Black Panther: The Greatest Film From Marvel

I was late. Not only being at last able to watch the most anticipated and most discussed Marvel movie of the year, but also to enter the dark hall, where already people were seated with black glasses on their faces. It’s March. My days are tough, as the pressure from high ranks is being unbearable day by day. The files are being piled up on my table like a volcanic mountain created overnight and to stay there forever. I’m being regular at calling out names of security guards at midnight at my society and they like zombies open the massive main gate with long lost question ‘why so late’. At morning, my maid rings me, until I open the door and he makes me drink a cup of tea with extra ginger. I curse at my life while slowly sipping from the cup and as the hot brown liquid slides down through dry throat, I settle down a bit.

Scheduling for a show and being able to implement it, at this f**king time, was awesome, and when I managed to do that, I literally rewarded myself with a promise to shut my phone off for two hours and watch Friends. I was late though, but being late was a primary birth mark of mine –I’m quite good at it.

I missed first few minutes of the film, specially the narrative part, where the birth of a secret nation was explained alongwith the rise of its protector king ‘Black Panther’. But when I was seated and put my 3D glass on, I was instantly teleported to the famous Marvel Cinematic Universe, where the fantastic story of an advanced country, hidden from the plain view of modern world was told in the best possible visual way and through engaging acts and by brilliant comic senses.

The story was quite simple. A young guy became king aka Black Panther after his father was killed of an African country named Wakanda, and then he faced several problems, both in the form of physical and moral.

But hell with the story. Like Wakanda, this film is a hidden treasure of thousands of direct or indirect metaphors. The vibranium of this film is its subtle messages, which engage viewers beyond the mere visual experiences, and then forces to think and read between lines. The film is a black comedy against the ongoing radicalization throughout western civilization led by Trump’s USA. It’s the film, where White Supremacy takes direct hit, only comparable to another masterpiece of this year, ‘Get Out’.

The Wakanda becomes instant synonymous to any country whose rugged terrain, uninhabitable land and extreme poverty are only a disguise to its rare possessions. The vibranium becomes synonymous to diamond, gold, petroleum, ivory and humanity, diversity, nature, animals. The film depicts that isolation is not a solution, rather fighting oppression and injustice is. Wakanda is the name of hope throughout the universe of black and oppressed people. Is it too outlandish to suggest that Trump’s USA, Merkel’s Germany, Modi’s India among others need to learn from Wakanda, like the mid-credit scene suggested? Is it too preposterous to imply that the issue of extreme radicalization of race and religion needs to be tackled like a true Wakandian – by outreaching power of love and care and diplomacy?

Wonder Woman, though a DC Movie, was by far my most favorite Super Hero movie for its faith on women power, which is true in every sense (leave Batman out of it dudes...its at another level). Black Panther proved that the tribe of blacks was not only the originator of human race, but also the future. As T’Challa, the Black Panther and King of Wakanda announced in UN Convention at the end, this world could easily live as a single race, we have a serious introspection to do.

And that is this film’s greatest achievement. It’s more charming than its terrific visuals and make-belief actions scenes, when it becomes a subject of thought.

Then it becomes a fairy tale of salvation.

Watch it for: Terrific visuals, underlying philosophies, great action scenes

Skip it for: Predictable story, slow at some points, idealistic infusion of traditional culture and technology.  

Imdb Score: 7.8; Rotten Score: 97%; A score: Triple Gold Star