Director
Ryan Coogler
Leading Actors/Actresses
Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Angela Bassett, Forrest Whitaker, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis
Genre
Superhero Action Movie
Language
English ( some dialogue in Xhosa and Korean)
Awards
No awards as of time of writing
Date of Release
February 16, 2018
Producer
Kevin Feige
Setting and Context
Fictional kingdom of Wakanda, in Africa, present day
Narrator and Point of View
The film primarily follows T’Challa and Killmonger, with a few scenes following supporting characters.
Tone and Mood
Varies between exciting and light-hearted, with some moments of heavy drama and melancholy.
Protagonist and Antagonist
T'Challa is the protagonist, Klaue the antagonist
Major Conflict
T’Challa and Killmonger fight over the throne of Wakanda and over what role Wakanda should play on the world stage.
Climax
T’Challa returns after his apparent death to defeat Killmonger in combat.
Foreshadowing
T’Challa’s multiple near failures, as well as other characters' admonishments of him, foreshadow his eventual defeat by Killmonger.
Understatement
The oppression of black people, while often discussed in abstract terms, is not really seen in any form in the film. It is instead a specter that hangs over the whole film, something the viewer thinks about but is never forced to confront directly.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
The original brightly colored comics were honored in the set design and also in the lighting, and in the general look of the film. The urban environment of Wakanda was created digitally and inspired by African culture and symbology.
Allusions
There are continual allusions to the original comic books in the form of settings and characters. There are also allusions to the history of African colonialism and of oppression of diasporic Africans.
Paradox
The fundamental paradox at the heart of the film is Killmonger’s status as a villain in contrast with his righteous point of view on the oppression faced by black people around the world. The film reconciles this paradox by presenting an alternate path to uplifting black people with peaceful methods at the end of the film.
Parallelism
There is a parallel between T’Challa and Killmonger dealing with the deaths of their fathers and trying to live up to their legacies and expectations. However, T’Challa eventually grows to move on and build his own legacy as king.
