Chadwick Boseman: Why The Main Character Of "Black Panther" Is Considered A Landmark In Film
Days of mourning in the film industry.
The death of Chadwick Boseman, an American actor recognized worldwide for his starring role in the superhero film Black Panther, has shocked the world.
Boseman died at his home in Los Angeles, a victim of colon cancer that he had suffered since 2016.
The news was known on Friday night and since then there have been thousands of reactions on social networks saying goodbye to what many consider a milestone in the history of cinema.
His role in Black Panther is an icon for the black and African descent community. It marked a generation.
"Chadwick Boseman brought history to life on the big screen ... in Black Panther he was a superhero to many," Martin Luther King III, a human rights activist and eldest son of Martin Luther King Junior, wrote on Twitter.
Black Panther, directed by Ryan Cogler, was a box office success, but its significance transcends any number or award. For moviegoers, experts, young people and adults, it was a true "social revolution".
And the most visible head of that revolution was Chadwick Boseman.
The first black superhero protagonist
"Terrible news the disappearance of Chadwick Boseman. He had the talent of a great actor, the charisma of a great star and a great career. He shone in Da 5 Bloods, 42, Marshall or Get on Up. In Black Panther he turned his character into a social revolution ", reacted on Twitter the Spanish film director Juan Antonio Bayona.
Never in history has there been a film produced where a black person was a superhero.
Boseman played King T'Challa, a leading superhero from Wakanda, a fictional African country with a lot of power and very technologically advanced.
The film in general, and not only the role of Boseman, was acclaimed by critics for being a cultural before and after by having a mostly black cast. For many, a giant step forward in Hollywood's efforts to achieve social inclusion in its productions.
The science fiction genre had been regularly criticized for its lack of racial diversity and inclusion, and it was rare for a leading role to be played by a non-white person.
In fact, a study in 2014 looked at the 100 highest-grossing movies of all time in America and showed that only 8 of those 100 movies had a non-white lead.
And in six of those films the protagonist was the same: Will Smith.
The Black Panther revolution was a torrent of inspiration for black youth around the world.
"You never see black superheroes in a big production. The positive role model of this is very good," said British actress and activist Jade Anouka, who raised funds so that as many people as possible could enjoy the film.
The values of Wakanda
The film falls within a genre that experts call Afrofuturism.
This genre, according to specialist Steven Barnes, skyrocketed in popularity after the success of Black Panther.
"Black Panther was Afrofuturism at its best," Barnes told the BBC's Newsbeat in 2018.
"The film mixes our past, present and future. Our spirituality, ability to love and exercise power. It is a family and linguistic connection. Since I was a child I waited for such a film," added Barnes.
Black Panther was also acclaimed for the leading role women played in the production.
According to co-star Danai Gurira, who played military leader Okoye, the film depicted the female gender with full characters, not just physically "strong."
The Wakanda greeting was adopted by various athletes and stars around the world to give more visibility to the social phenomenon that the film represented.
Global success
The social success of the film and Boseman also led to awards, nominations and box office records.
The film grossed more than $ 1 billion globally.
It is also the highest grossing African-American directed film in history.
At the 2019 Oscars, Black Panther won awards for best soundtrack, best costume design, and best production design.
It was also nominated for best picture, but the award went to the film Green Book.
"You can see in the industry that people are starting to invest money in movies where we (the black community) are the actors and directors. That is a huge change that Black Panther has completed," Boseman said on one occasion.
Double hero
After learning that Boseman had suffered from cancer since 2016, it is understood that he was working on Black Panther at the same time he was fighting the disease.
"The star was secretly battling the disease while filming the movie that moved us all. She worked in the midst of surgery and chemotherapy. Courage, strength, perseverance. She secretly fought for her life while inspiring a generation of children," journalist Cydney Henderson wrote in a column in USA Today.
Boseman, considered by many a landmark and a legend, was clear about the significance of his role: "Black Panther has forever changed what it means to be black, young and talented."
