MovieChat Forums > Black Panther (2018) Discussion > Interesting Movie.....Some Thoughts. ...

Interesting Movie.....Some Thoughts. SPOILERS!!!


This movie was interesting to me for a whole lot of things that none of you here are even talking about. Thing is I can appreciate the irony of it, hope many of you can too.

In Wakanda you have this advanced civilization or rather people who have advanced power & technology. But on the other hand they still follow very primitive modes of living. Living in caves, dressing up in ancient garb, wielding spears, doing challenges to the death, etc.

Maybe it’s just me but I have to believe that scene with T’Challa standing in a futuristic ship, stripped down to tribal gear & holding a spear before his death match had to be a purposeful scene to show the contradiction of it all.

It seems they had a foot in this world & the past where they transitioned to one or the other quite easily on the fly when need be.

So you have the “future”: flying cars, trains, holograms, emp devices: advanced medical science with a culture of people that still lives very much in the past observing traditional ways as their ancestors did before them probably centuries ago.

A way of living that the rest of the world has long since moved on from. So in their own way they really aren’t better than anybody. I think this is a message that the movie tries to impart/teach.

For all of their disdain for the outside world, no one else were living in caves & doing challenges to the death. That’s not done anymore in our world but for as advanced as the Wakandans were, these things are still very much part of their way of life.

Everyone has their problems. Everyone’s barbaric in their own ways. Everyone, no matter who they are has something that’s holding them back, that they must overcome in order to progress. So I believe this was an underlying message of this film. What do you all think?

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I think there is an element of T'Chala breaking with the political traditions of his ancestors by deciding, ultimately, to engage with the rest of the world through outreach rather than than maintain Wakanda's isolation and the necessary sacrifices that that requires...

However, the movie doesn't really explore the concepts you outline in much detail... They're just a way to exoticise the setting, rather than to explore the need for seemingly primative traditions while maintaining a technologically advanced society...

Interestingly, contrasting Shuri's (T'Chala's sister) perspective with Erik Killmonger's and T'Chaka's (T'Chala's isolationist father) perspectives are interesting and shows the value of tradition. Shuri is of the arguably niave view that technological progress is enough to solve all problems, however Killmonger's efforts and anti-traditional views disprove this notion. Technological progress is not equivalent or a substitute for moral judgement, wisdom and politics...

The traditional tribal loyalties and honor of the Jabbari tribes also argue for the effecacy of these primative bonds when the technological might of Wakanda is captured by Killmonger... it is this method of political order that maintains Wakanda's integrity and bring it back from the brink of global war...

Ultimately, a diplomatic, non-isolationist and open to gradual change leader emerges in T'Chala's efforts once he assumes the throne... From the pragmatic cooperation with the American agent to the outreach and recognistion of the limits of dogmatic adherence to tradition, while respecring it's wisdom as a time tested method of social organisation and societal bonds...

Yeah... Interesting stuff, but could have been explored more if the movie wasn't so trapped in being an episode of a kids show... Reminds me of the attempts Ridley Scott made in tryi g to elevate Prometheus beyond the Alien slasher movie in space genre...

Thanks for pointing out these often neglected themes 👍

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Tradition vs Progress is all over the movie.

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Some nice thoughts in there. Thx for sharing

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Good points. I wouldn't say it's holding them back though. They're using the technology imparted to them to make life better for themselves, and those caves look more like the Bat Cave than actual caves. And everybody has their old time traditions which motivate how society works. This would be there's. The fact that one can choose violence to challenge another doesn't seem to be holding them back, but I guess I would say there is a bit of barbarism to it.

I'm trying to go for an entertaining, informative youtube channel so, if you have the time, take a look. Hope you enjoy what you see and if you have any thoughts or criticisms, i'd love to hear them. Thanks in advance. Review right here- https://youtu.be/FwPQPeEAhjg

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To me, that spoke of how Wakanda was divided. The political commentary of the movie is that Wakanda is insular and doesn't share its tech with the world. That notion is amplified by the fact it doesn't share that tech with the entirety of its own country, which M'Baku even criticized them for when they went to him for help only after Kilmonger threatened the world.

It really did not appear that primitive in the city. You can tell by that scene where T'Challa's sister criticizes him for wearing his sandals inside. Outside the city was much different, and T'Challa and the royal family seemed to be going through the traditional motions rather than embracing it as an efficient system. During the challenge, there was some eye rolling and a "can we get this over with" feeling displayed by the royals, but not displayed by the rest of Wakanda because they were separate, which was the motif of the story.

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Great observation! Couldn’t agree more.

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