Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
“My heart was buried with her”
The undertaking of this film by Coogler is no small feat. Faced with the tragedy of Boseman and having to incorporate that into the story in a way that was both respectful and continued the legacy of his character in the right way was a difficult thing to do, but to Coogler’s credit he seemed to do it seamlessly. The whole film felt like this emotional tribute to Chadwick and a collective processing of this tragedy both in our world and in the world of the MCU.
The delicacy of how they chose to write the characters we’ve come to know was beautiful. It’s a study on how grief moulds and shapes people, how it changes them over time, yet what I think was most poignant is how the base of everyone was still the same. Shuri, who has undergone a massive amount of grief and guilt, is clearly a changed person, yet there’s glimpses we get of her more upbeat personality, but instead of this being her personality it’s more a relief from the guilt she feels, a glimpse to a future that could’ve been.
The latest Marvel projects have been hit or miss, but what can’t be denied is the massive step up in performances that these projects have featured, and Wakanda Forever not only continues this trend, but might feature some of the best performances within the MCU. This is an ensemble cast, and by that I mean that as a collective they’re an acting force. There’s not a single performance that doesn’t feel wrapped up in emotion and is so palpable it’s able to felt through the screen.
Letitia Wright specifically is an exemplary lead for the film. Strangely, upon rewatching Black Panther before this I didn’t realise how little of a character she is in that film. She’s essentially there for comic relief and to be the tech person for Wakanda, but other than that she doesn’t do that much. In contrast, to have her helm an entire film that already had so many eyes on it and to do it so beautifully, I was simply blown away by her performance. She is the emotional lynchpin that ties the film together. I found myself teary eyed for the majority of the film just due to her so delicately struggling with the grief she feels. Her entire character arc is so expertly written and she grounds it with such care that it ends up being a stunning, cathartic release for Shuri but also the audience.
Alongside her, possibly the standout of the film, is Angela Bassett. My Lord, what a performance. In the ways which Wright’s performance is more subdued and nuanced, Bassett is maximalist in how she conveys her emotions, but to no less effect. She’s simply magnetic on screen, every time she appeared she demanded your attention and didn’t let go of you until she left the screen. I loved how much time they took with her character in the beginning, she basically felt like the main character for the first half. It felt like watching royalty, but it also felt just as much like watching a grieving mother having to deal with her hurt while maintaining her position as a global figure.
Danai Gurira and Lupita Nyong’o return and also deliver outstanding performances. You’re also experiencing their hurt just as much as you are the main characters. There’s something so beautiful watching every character deal with grief in a different way. Newcomer Dominique Thorne was a pleasant comic relief in the film, but also fell to some of the same Marvel trappings we’ve come to know. Another standout performance was from Tenoch Heurta. The way in which Namor was written as an antagonist is some of the best writing for a villain Marvel has to offer. How they managed to humanise him and get you to sympathise with his cause, yet also allowing a hate to fester inside you against him was brilliant. This was only enhanced further by the powerful performance from Heurta. He makes long scenes of explanatory dialogue feel rhythmic, and makes it such a pleasure to watch. He was simply fantastic at toeing the line between love and hate that it’s hard not to leave the film enamoured by his portrayal.
Much like the first film, this sequel boasts a delectable score from Ludwig Goransson. The way in which he’s crafted a world in his music is something to be admired. The sounds of Wakanda are just as tangible as the people. In this film he also gets to create the sounds of Talocan, which to no one’s surprise are amazing. It’s just refreshing to have blockbuster scores that don’t feel generic and actually use the film and the culture in it to inform how it should sound.
Not only is the score just as high quality, but also the production design. The costuming, on the whole, is phenomenal. The more natural clothing is pitch perfect, the superhero costumes might leave a bit to be desired however. Okoye’s suit in particular at the end looks very haphazardly put together when compared to the rest of the cast. But the world of Wakanda, and Talocan, is simply stunning. The use of locations we’ve seen previously, in particular the Throne Room, and also new locations that felt right contextually were just beautiful.
The beauty of this film is only enhanced by the wonderful cinematography that the film has to offer. Often Marvel films may have sequences that looks visually stunning, but it’s rare to say that about the entire film. This film delivers in that front. Much like how the performances and writing takes a slower pace, it feels like the camera takes it’s time, as if it too is mourning the loss of Boseman. What transpires is truly magnificent scenes that help you feel the weight of grief.
It does have its problems. Ironheart as a character is heavily underbaked. She’s essentially a plot device for the film and while her moments of levity are good in the moment, I don’t think they were necessary. However, the way they’ve set up her character and the burden she’s going to feel I really hope is explored as they’ve set themselves up to have a rich and complex character. There’s been complaints I’ve read of Ross’s story also being unnecessary, but in all honesty his story is so inoffensive and hardly explored that I didn’t mind the necessary detour for the story to progress.
I’ve also read criticisms that the film isn’t action oriented, and I have to say I don’t understand this at all. I thought the film was well balanced in terms of handling the action Marvel fans expect and the nuanced dialogue we got, if anything I would’ve loved more dialogue scenes as they were the best parts of the film. The film does run long however, but I’m honestly not sure what you’d cut. For all it’s shortcomings this film did what it needed to do and did that well. I was a mess for 3 hours and teared up multiple times. The care and love that was put into this film by everyone is felt emanating from the screen. Those final few minutes as well are just perfect