Black Panther Flashcards
Who was Black panther directed by?
Ryan Coogler
when was Black panther released?
February 2018
what is the main plot of the film?
It shows us the fictional African nation of Wakanda which has avoided European colonisation and achieved technological superiority through the use of the mineral ‘vibranium’.
who was the film produced by?
Marvel studios, a famous comic book brand which is also a subsidiary of the Walt Disney company
how much did the film gross worldwide?
well over $1 billion
48% in non-European countries
what did Black panther break records for?
the highest opening weekend in the USA
what was Black panther one of the only of?
superhero film to be nominated for a ‘Best picture’ academy award
what did Black panther win three Oscars for?
costume, production design, and original soundtrack
what is the historical context of Africa from the 15th-20th century?
-From the 15th-20th century European powers such as Britain colonised African countries and exploited the continent for both resources and slave labour- African’s were branded as ‘savages’ and ‘animalistic’
what is the historical context of Africa from the 20th century onwards?
African Americans attempted to establish a new sense of cultural identity such as the Harlem renaissance- a cultural movement during the 1920s which attempted to redefine a back cultural identity- it became a MECCA for cultural affirmation
what was the harlem renaissance?
a cultural movement during the 1920s which attempted to define black cultural identity- it became a MECCA for cultural affirmation
what are the similarities between the harlem renaissance and black panther?
Just like Harlem, Wakanda is seen to symbolise a MECCA for cultural affirmation for African-Americans
what was the black panther party?
a political activist group established initially to provide armed monitoring of the police behaviour and prevent police brutality in the US
what is the cultural context behind black panther?
-science fiction and superhero blockbusters have been traditionally dominated by white, male characters (lacking diverse representations) - during the 90s actors like Will smith and Wesley snipes did break ground playing black characters, but superhero films still rarely featured African American characters as the protagonist, and were just side kick characters (e.g the Falcon in the Captain America films)
what has black cinema traditionally consisted of?
issues based social realism or have been art house/prestige pictures (e.g moonlight 2016)
what is one of the only few movies which features an African American character as the protagonist?
Blade (1998)
what hashtag was released about the Oscar’s and what was it about?
oscarsowhite in 2016- this drew attention to the lack of diversity in the films nominated
what do US and European movies typically portray Africa as?
as a underpriviliged, developing continent, focusing on civil wars, famine and terrorism- very few films from Africa also reach western mainstream.
what is the political context behind Black panther?
-Before the film was made, America had it’s first African American president, Barack Obama who created many initiatives that aided minority and women’s groups: from universal healthcare, to college and entrepreneurship access funds for the under-priviliged. However, Donald trump, the president at the time of the film’s release has vowed to reverse many of Barack Obama’s initiatives
what was a marketing technique used for Black panther?
-Disney, their distributor adopted a ‘360-degree customer experience’ to their marketing- their aim was to turn their film into a cultural event across a variety of media and platforms raising it’s profile from being ‘another superhero’ movie into something more politically resonant
Where were black panther teaser trailers shown?
they were shown between NBA games
who did Black panther collaborate with?
a company named Lexus, the collaboration was called ‘Long live the king’ and was shown during the super bowl
how did Black panther use crowdfunding?
they used crowd funding projects to buy under priviliged children a ticket to watch the movie
during what month was Black panther released?
During Black history month
what did the production and designers interview about after the film’s release?
they gave detailed interviews about how the costumes, makeup and hair celebrates African culture
what happened during New york fashion week?
There was a ‘welcome to wakanda’ catwalk show at New York fashion week which featured in numerous fashion magazines- and on opening weekend 44% of ticket buyers were female
what is the BBFC?
an independent, non governmental body that classifies film and video releases in the UK- however, the local council can overrule these decisions
what did the BBFC rate the black panther movie?
an 18, however many local councils overruled this claiming it was a 15.
when the theatrical release was released what age certificate did it gain?
a 12a certificate- despite the fact that the movie features little romantic drama, and no sex or nudity. the film is fairly violent, but the combat is fantastical (hard to imitate) and there is a strong moral code to most of the conflict
what was the age rating for black panther in the US?
PG 13
when was the teaser trailer released and how many views did it get?
The teaser trailer was released by Disney in June 2017 during the NBA finals, and within 24 hours in had been viewed 89 million times on youtube.
what was the most tweeted about film in 2018?
Black panther- it received more than 5 million tweets globally and in mid march 2018, it became the most tweeted about film ever with 35 million tweets
what does the film challenge about African stereotypes?
it subverts the stereotypes shrouded by post colonial thinking prompting the reality that Technology can thrive within African
what stars does the movie feature?
it incorporates some of the most talented and esteemed African American/black actors:
-Chadwick Boseman
-Michael B.Jordan
-Forest Whitaker
why has Black panther been such a global success?
due to it being the first superhero film to focus upon the black community, combined with a setting outside of the stereotypically safe, American city setting- Black panther is a film that resonates with Black cinema, celebrating black culture, lifestyles, potential and traditions
Black panther was the first ever superhero film to be nominated for…
An oscar- despite the fact that the Oscars were accused in 2016 of whitewashing the industry, only rewarding white actors, white directors and white writers
