Wakanda Forever

written by: Andrea Drake

By this point, it’s assumed that any true Marvel fan has seen the new Black Panther movie.  When the ribbons were cut and the red carpet unrolled, fans were surely not disappointed.  The beautiful cinematography and bounty of colors in this movie made it visually astounding.  The country of Wakanda made it easy to fall in love with them, and the characters were charismatic and charming.

Between King T’Challa and Princess Shuri especially, the relationship between the characters were believable and not dramatized too much.  While watching them, I saw the love shared between siblings come to life through the jokes and laughter that they shared on the big screen.  This was truly a huge asset to the film. The contrast of the tribal feeling and the technologically advanced country made such an interesting comparison to technology and tradition.  The film made a poignant and culturally appropriate point about continuing to stick to tradition, while still allowing a society to advance in technology.

Another great contribution to this film was the cinematography.  There were so many unique shots in this film that made it visually captivating.  One simply can’t peel one’s eyes off of the screen when the compositions, colors, and unique visuals overflow from the screen.  One example of incredible shots in the film is when T’Challa’s cousin, Erick, took power and demanded that the herbs be destroyed.  He stands centered on a bridge, backlit while the orange glow of the flames licked his skin and hair.

Directly after that shot, it cuts to a scene that starts off with an upside-down camera angle that spins to right-side up while T’Challa is walking to the throne.  (These were my two favorite shots in the entire movie). An example of colors bouncing off of the screen is when T’Challa is in the place of his ancestors and the saturated sky casts its light on everything around it.  The vibrant colors suck the audience right in with T’Challa in this enchanted place. It’s not just where T’Challa belongs– it’s where everyone watching belongs as well.

Overall, this film was a worthwhile watch and one that everyone should see, regardless of one’s previous investment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  It was so natural to fall in love with.