Black Panther - Character and Storytelling

Black Panther (2018)

For this lecture we looked into character and how a character f its into storytelling. Specifically plot vs story characters, do the events cause the characters to respond, or do the characters cause the events. A characters value changes throughout the story also. For example, in the film we watched titled 'Moon', the main character Sam Bell's (Sam Rockwell) adjective is to finish his contract so he can make it back home to his wife. However, as the story unfolds Sam finds out that there is no home, that he is a clone of someone else and his purpose is to fulfil his role and die so the process is repeated over again. By the end of the film he realises that there is no hope for himself and that he needs to sacrifice himself to stop the process from starting again. So at the beginning of the film he is hopeful, but after one scene he is now fearful/ hopeless. This creates an interesting character dynamic between Sam and his clone self. 

In 'Black Panther' both T'Challa and Killmonger start their story relatively the same and there are so many parrlells throughout from character choices down to costuming. T'Challa starts his story shadowing his father, Killmonger the same. The characters are the same but one single event causes the two to diverge down entirely different paths. 

T'Challa (Black Panther)

T'Challa grows up wealthy surrounded by family and in his native country where his people have not interacted with the outside world. His personal world view is to help people, and bring peace and equality to his nation. His inherited world is that of his alter ego the Black Panther, this role was passed down to him after the death of his father. His wants/ goals are to be successful in his role as king. His father left a big legacy which he will struggle to live up to. His needs are to put things right, to fix other people's problems. His internal traits are humility and power, his external traits both strength and weakness. His flaws are a constant need to prove his worth against others and blind faith in the people around him. As an overall story arc he starts off opposed to the idea that his country should be helping the outside world, he has never lived with the struggle that others have suffered and prioritises his thriving people over those truly in need. By the end of the film he realises that there must be a balance between the two, no longer blindsided he is able to do the right thing. A value change in a scene for T'Challa is when he enters a sleep state and is able to talk to his father. He enters that scene proud and strong from winning his right to be king. By the end of the scene he realises that he has been lied so and feel cheated out of the truth.

Killmonger

Killmonger is T'Challa's cousin and although his father was a prince he never grew up in his native country. His father was killed by his uncle and he grew up in America in a poor neighbourhood. His personal world view is that people of colour have suffered too long and he can change the norms, however his world view is radicalised as he believes that forcing people under his rule will bring justice. His inherited world is Wakanda. His wants/ goals is to see equality for people of colour. His needs, although his disguises them as a need to create freedom he actually needs answers and justice for the death of his father. Internally he has traits of fear and hatred. His external traits are that of power and strength. His biggest flaw is that he wants power but for all the wrong reasons. He begins the story smart and ahead of the game, he has a clear plan. By the end of the film he has lost control and becomes power hungry. There is a clear value change is his final scene. He enters the scene ready to kill T'Challa, he has lost sight of his end goal. By the end of this scene he realises that he has lost and wants nothing more than to see his vision of peace.