Marvel Black Panther film

[X]

There has been lots of media coverage on this film over here, just about all of it positive.

People have been saying it's a mainly black cast in a film for black people, even using the word 'afrofuturism' (?). The press have said all sorts of good social things about this film, so I went to watch it.

Now, those of you O my brothers on here, who know me will be aware that I am not especially politically correct, socially sensitive or an easily offended snowflake - but this film made me quite angry!

• Firstly, the concept of a film 'for black people' is ridiculous .... and really means the opposite of what the metrosexual media people mean .... if a film 'for black people' exists, then logically other films must NOT be for black people.
• The film is set in a mythical kingdom of Wakanda. This is a hugely technologically advanced nation which is hidden away in the jungle. I.e., this is the opposite of the stereotype of the underdeveloped third world (which is itself a stereotype)
• Despite their technical advancement, all the characters are wearing animal furs, necklaces made of bones and have painted faces. So, it matters not what an African does, he is still a 'savage'
• the battle scenes were just an insulting facsimile of the 1960's film Zulu. Much charming chanting and Matabele stereotypes. Their weoponry included spears, clubs and shields. In a nod to their so-called technology, these included force fields and lasers. It seems an African nation would not have thought of drones, aeroplanes, missiles or cyber warfare, but just bolted a laser onto their animal bone spear.
• Society was still based on heritage kingship. And all the 'Africans' loved it. As far as I know, there is only one country out of 54 in Africa that have a king.

The most annoying thing to me was the sheer arrogance of the film studio.

Apparently, people nowadays object strongly to 'cultural appropriation'. This film was all about cultural appropriation.

It is clearly aimed an black Americans ..... who are NOT AFRICAN!!

The poor or descendants of most of those people were taken from parts of Africa and enslaved, but several hundred years later and many generations later, their progeny are now not African. They are American, or Jamaican or whatever.

The cast of the film were Brits and Americans, playing 'Africans' (badly, I might add after hearing their atrocious faux-Zimbabwe accents). Just because someone is black, does not stop this from being a lazy Hollywood cultural appropriation. In fact, it makes it much worse, because they have done it on the basis that being 'black' makes it OK.

A bunch of Russians, or Norwegians, are not uniquely qualified to portray the American Revolution In a film just because they are white, are they? Getting a bunch of Chinese Americans to play the life of Genghis Khan would likely annoy the Mongolians?

Additinally, 'African' is not really a thing. There is more genetic variance across the African continent than any other. A Tunisian does not look like someone from Kenya, does not speak the same language and has no history or culture in common.

That fucking film annoyed me on so many levels.

Anyway, heartfelt rant now over.

[Beanz]

Rabble rabble rabble


Racist

[Spicoli]

Haven't seen it. But I was more pissed that they sold it, hyped it and I even heard 'it's the first black super hero movie'. They better apologize to Wesley snipes and Meteor Man right now! did you know there was even a black Captain America? Talk about ticking people off if that movie was made .

we've come along way from John Wayne being cast as Genghis Khan.

[goti71]

I haven't seen it yet and I'm usually reluctant to go and watch films if I sense they're too suspiciously hyped-up (just a pet peeve of mine), and especially after reading similar criticisms like X's online.

Apparently it also thrives on white guilt or colonial guilt (didn't one of the female characters call some white guy a "colonizer" or something?).
There was even a woman tweeting that she was going to wait a couple of weeks before watching it because she didn't want to spoil black people's "moment" with her presence. I know it's just an extreme case of whackiness but still, if that's the underlying theme of the film then it must be shit.

That and the laser-tipped bone spears.

I'll download it for 1.5€ when it's available for 1.5€.

[El Kabong]

Colonization for as bad as SOME of it was also had it's extremely beneficial parts


Also @goti71 valid points dude

[Beanz]

Colonization for as bad as SOME of it was also had it's extremely beneficial parts


Also @goti71 valid points dude

WTF ? Ha! Tell that to all the people the Brits,Spanish, French and Dutch fucked over

[El Kabong]

Colonization for as bad as SOME of it was also had it's extremely beneficial parts


Also @goti71 valid points dude

WTF ? Ha! Tell that to all the people the Brits,Spanish, French and Dutch fucked over

I didn't say colonization was a 100% good thing, I just do not believe it was 100% bad either and unlike you I'll provide reasons why:

Medicine - areas colonized in Africa, the Americas, and Asia were hotbeds for various diseases. Diseases which needed to be cured in order for colonies to keep.

Government - colonized places took forms of government from the nations that colonized them, SOME even made their own contributions to better, more free, just, and effective government than saaaaaaay ooooh I don't know the Aztecs who still practiced human sacrifice. Oh yeah and not all governments pre-colonization were all that great either so this is a two-fer better government AND removal of despotic tribal leaders as well. Now not all #NotAll colonizers were good, King Leopold II was a horrible murderous tyrant himself.


Wealth - Colonization and the economics brought with it were not a zero sum game, colonization lifted many many many people out of poverty. Increased demand for goods from the colonized areas enriched many. Standard of living rose. Local businesses grew.


Infrastructure - Colonization brought infrastructure to areas that previously had no roads. Look at what the Romans accomplished for fucks sake....not a fan of roads....I know you don't like Rhodes either, but if he had completed his vision of a continent spanning South Africa to Egypt railway then I'm certain a large portion of Africa wouldn't be a fucking destitute as they are right now.


Tourism - like venturing out to lands where you've never been before? Like going on vacation? Well due to the increased peace and increased shared languages (thank you colonization) you're more free to take that trip to wherever the hell you'd like to go.


Millions......AND MILLIONS......of lives were saved.
http://www.history-magazine.com/potato.html
Crops were failing all the time, famines, pestilence were hitting Europe hard and then.....somebody goes and finds a potato and the world is changed for the better.

Education - not only did colonizers bring with them their European education and religion and taught foreigners, they also learned from foreigners.


Art - tremendously impacted by colonization painting, architecture, pottery, music, etc everything has been greatly impacted by colonization.




Yes, there were bad things from colonization I admit that from the start, but as is your usual practice you jump right into confrontation with me....I've explained myself more clearly now, would you care to counter my post or just be an asshole? I kind of figure you're going to choose asshole, but maybe you'll surprise me.

[X]

Yes, colonisation had some good points, like technology transfer and exposure to a big wide world. I speak as someone whose country was colonised (before my time of course).

it had bad points too, but I suppose everything does really?

At least it wasn't a bullshit insulting film, in fairness

[Gandalf]

I can't be bothered with these films. There are too many of these comic book/superhero films now and I don't see the point in them. Once you start making films about an Iron Man, I am lost. Superman is the most interesting one for me, but I think the recent films have been poor and so I cannot bear to watch them and will avoid any new ones. Christopher Reeve was Superman. He was so perfect in the role and those first 3 films are always good on repeat. I never get bored of them. Zod is probably my biggest role model. He hates everyone, has wonderful diction, and is completely bored on a very mediocre planet full of bleating sheep. I really love the way Reeve plays Superman and Kent. I am waffling, but I will never watch that Black Panther film, it sounds corny. Another thing I hate is how they try to politicise films. Who needs an all female Ghostbusters? What is the point of these things. Again, I refuse to watch any of these films. Why do you need to watch any of them when you have the original Ghostbusters or Superman? When you have perfection, you don't try to remake it again. Badly. Just leave well alone.

[goti71]

I can't be bothered with these films. There are too many of these comic book/superhero films now and I don't see the point in them. Once you start making films about an Iron Man, I am lost. Superman is the most interesting one for me, but I think the recent films have been poor and so I cannot bear to watch them and will avoid any new ones. Christopher Reeve was Superman. He was so perfect in the role and those first 3 films are always good on repeat. I never get bored of them. Zod is probably my biggest role model. He hates everyone, has wonderful diction, and is completely bored on a very mediocre planet full of bleating sheep. I really love the way Reeve plays Superman and Kent. I am waffling, but I will never watch that Black Panther film, it sounds corny. Another thing I hate is how they try to politicise films. Who needs an all female Ghostbusters? What is the point of these things. Again, I refuse to watch any of these films. Why do you need to watch any of them when you have the original Ghostbusters or Superman? When you have perfection, you don't try to remake it again. Badly. Just leave well alone.

I meant "Like"

[Master]

Black Panther was a very good movie in it's own right.

The characters were strong and you could relate with and want to follow, even the black American was the bad guy. Kill Monger could have had his own film with the story he told.

There was no need to feel angry as you did with the last Tarzan film which was bad for all the reasons you stated about this film.

The way I see it, despite the advancement Wakanda still had to protect itself from the outside world and therefore had to be insular. Therefore it kept it's traditions and cuilture.

The fight scenes had to be age appropriate and they were fighting their friends so had to hold back to some extent.

I think the film was done as well as it could be and was directed and starred by a black cast who tried to respect and not fall into the traps that you state.

I thought it showed me what may have happened if the country had not been colonised and their resources taken away without their say.

In short, X you are entitled to your opinion, even if it is wrong.

[El Kabong]

The way I see it, despite the advancement Wakanda still had to protect itself from the outside world and therefore had to be insular. Therefore it kept it's traditions and cuilture.

How hateful of them to not allow in starving refugees fleeing for their lives from hateful dictators nearby. Also "Had to be insular" and "kept it's traditions and culture".....so you're saying that the Wakandans are very much in the camp of Make Wakanda Great Again Interesting lol.

I thought it showed me what may have happened if the country had not been colonised and their resources taken away without their say.

If Wakanda was as shown in the movie then I am fairly certain they would have expanded their empire across the continent. Yeah they had "Vibranium" but you have to figure that in mining vibranium they'd need other resources and refining vibranium or separating it from other rocks and minerals would lead to the Wakandans needing more metals, more power, more man power, etc. Also if they are NOT selling the vibranium or developing the vibranium for trade then there's 0 point to mining it unless it's busy work and the workers aren't paid! Also uncontacted tribes of people like The Sentinelese people of North Sentinel Island ain't exactly the type that I'd expect to be wizzing around in flying spaceship cars but hey film can make us dream and that is fine.


My suspension of disbelief is working overtime trying not to rain on the whole "Er muh gerd Black Panther is the greatest ever!!!!" parade but it is very difficult.

[Master]

You make valid points which is actually at the heart of the film. They had all these resouces which they kept to themselves and did not share it which allowed many deaths and famines.

[Alpha]

I liked it, lets remember at the end of the day it's a movie, and that movie is based around a comic book. Take it as you will.