I wrote a paper for my Film Theory and Criticism class on Black Panther, applying the theories of multiculturalism and intersectionality to it. This is a summarization of that paper. I tried to make it more casual and less wordy, but since it is from a school essay it will be more formal than my usual posts.
When Black Panther came out in 2018, it took the world by storm, as it featured a black male superhero with multiple, complex female characters set in a futuristic country in Africa free from colonialism. Black Panther’s blatant rejection of Euro-centric ideologies allows the theory of multiculturalism to be applied to the film and its world, as well as the postmodernist theory of intersectionality to be applied to the story’s characters.
Multiculturalism theory and Black Panther:
Wakanda is an African country that has never been colonized and is hidden from the rest of the world. The result of this? An Afrofuturistic kingdom, rich in resources and advanced technology, in touch with its traditions and culture, and with an equal treatment of gender.
The rich nature of Wakanda and the advanced technology aid to its blockbuster action movie style. This is different from many other films set in Africa, in which the continent is seen as poor and politically chaotic, waiting to be saved by the Western hero (source). The futuristic nature of the country even becomes the film’s central moral conflict (whether or not to share their resources with the outside world).
Another clear rejection of colonialism in the film is the integration and preservation of African tradition and culture within Wakanda. Along with the coronation ceremony and the Ancestral Plane ritual, each tribe has its own chants, traditions, and clothing. Director Ryan Coogler made the decision to turn the Border tribe’s blankets into shields, using the vibranium technology. Coogler has even said that this decision was rooted in African culture and tradition: “What I found with African art and clothing and structures — things tend to have multiple uses…If you see somebody wearing a beautiful cloth, not only does that cloth protect their body, but it also tells the story of their culture and their history, written on the fabric.” (source).
The hair of the Wakandans is also a direct rejection of colonization, as no one in Wakanda has straight hair. This is to show an African country without Western oppression, as the shaming of natural African hair came with colonization. The only character with natural African hair that comes slightly close to being straight is Linda, Killmonger's partner, someone who is American and, therefore, Western.
It is implied in the film that the Wakandans do not treat females as inferior. The Dora Milaje are a highly respected group of female warriors who protect the throne, Shuri is a teenage girl who runs Wakanda’s technology department, there are many female tribal leaders, and T’challa defers to his queen mother for guidance throughout the movie. In the coronation scene in which M’baku challenges T’challa for the throne, he also verbally challenges Shuri’s authority as head of Wakanda’s technology. This is the only time in which a Wakandan challenges the authority of a woman, however, he criticizes only her age and for “scoff[ing] at tradition” rather than her gender. Already this treatment of women in the film is a concept that is different from Euro-centric ideology, but it actively challenges that ideology through its representation of Western male characters. The film makes it clear that it is only these characters that challenge the authority of women, such as the scene where American CIA operative Agent Ross assumes Okoye cannot speak English and looks to T’challa to translate. Although the film’s protagonist, Erik Killmonger is Wakandan by birth, he grew up American, thus representing the effects of Western influences. His treatment of women is both dismissive and even violent, as he kills his female partner without remorse and chokes a Wakandan spiritual leader. Nakia even has the same beliefs as him, about Wakanda extending aid to other countries, but in a way that is non-violent, distinguishing her from the Western ideology.
Intersectionality and Black Panther:
Intersectionality is a concept that positively reinforces that characters can be more than simply their race and/or gender.
Black Panther has an almost all black cast, which in turn destroys the “token black character trope”. Black Panther has characters of diverse genders, nationalities, and ages with different personalities, moral backgrounds, and goals. For example, both the protagonist, T’challa, and the antagonist, Killmonger, are black. Yet, this is not the defining trait about them. Yes, it is important and even plays into their main conflict about extending aid to other black people in America. However, their backgrounds, moral compasses, and personalities are extremely different and complex. The film even flips the script and contains only two white characters, one of which dies in the middle of the story. However, they do this in a way that does not reduce these white characters to simply their race either, as both Ross and Klaue have complete opposite personalities and goals. Not only does Black Panther encourage intersectionality of races by its diverse black characters, but by making the white characters the minority and still giving them distinct personalities, the film proves the unnecessary nature of the token black character trope. If they can make the only two white characters distinct and important to the plot, why are the “token black characters” in other movies not this way?
Multiple female characters in an action movie about a male superhero is extremely rare. More black female characters than male characters in such a movie is unheard of. Black Panther not only does this, but also gives its black female characters multiple purposes in the film. Grace Gipson writes about the Dora Milaje specifically in her dissertation that “they are placed at the center of the discussion, proving that their inclusion is not simply supplemental or an attempt to pacify Black audiences/readership” and “they are not simply ‘token, tough chicks’ with exceptional physiques, but, instead women of substance” (source). This is true of, specifically, Okoye. There is no doubt that she is an extremely tough warrior; however, there is also no doubt that she is sarcastic, loving, and extremely loyal to her country. Nakia is another tough warrior, except she is a spy. She is supportive, compassionate, speaks her mind, and is also very loyal to her country. In the scene after T’challa is presumed dead and Killmonger takes the throne, Nakia and Okoye meet up. Both despair at this sudden change in leadership, however, they are at odds on how to proceed. Okoye finds herself loyal to the throne but Nakia wants to undermine Killmonger’s kingship. Okoye reminds Nakia, “you serve your country” to which Nakia responds, “no, I save my country”. Although both women have the same interests at heart, they have very different outlooks on life and are written as separate, complex characters making them more than simply their gender.
Thanks for taking the time to read this! I hope it was interesting to you!
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