Tag Archives: film
March 1, 2018 WHY BLACK PANTHER LIVES UP TO THE HYPE…AND SHATTERS IT
Yes, there was and is a lot of hype about Black Panther. And folks, it deserves it…on so many levels.
AS A COMIC BOOK STORY
We’ve been inundated with comic book movies for the past decade. But this one hits every note of a good one…and goes beyond that. Awesome director. Check. An engrossing world. Check. A protagonist in conflict that finds his way. Check. An antagonist with a compelling story and motive. Check. A love interest that can hold their own. Check. A solid cast of characters (with some acting chops). Check. Wow action. Check. Up to date humor. Check. A story that not just says something about their world but about ours. Check.
AS A FILM
Black Panther succeeded where The Last Jedi failed: the challenging feat of speaking to many things, old and new, while maintaining a clear story with heart. It spoke to so much simultaneously: ancient story and new story, reality and imagination, African and Black America relations, Black and White relations, artifacts and technology, fantasy and sci-fi, tradition and progress, colonization and isolation, violent revolution and non-violent resistance, and these are just what I’ve found with my friends. Yet, at its core the film never lost its focus: the hard work of good leadership means we must be our brother’s keeper.
AS A CULTURAL REFLECTION
Box office records aside, there is no mistaking that this film is very significant especially, to the Black community. I can’t remember a film that has inspired a whole people group to buy tickets so that as many as possible in their community would have a chance to see it. The film is really speaking to the Black community something I, as non-Black minority, can only attempt to understand from the outside.
Representation in places of power (American films have that power, with global effect) is huge for a people that have felt belittled or tokenified. As Roy Wood Jr. from the Daily Show put it: “It’s nice to have a black movie that’s not about slavery, singing, or slinging dope.” Yes, there have been superhero films with Black protagonists (Blade). But Black Panther was a superhero film with a predominantly Black cast. Yes, there have been films with predominantly Black casts (see Tyler Perry movies). But this film is a major studio film, if not one of the biggest, Marvel, eh hem, Disney even.
Then there is THE story of a people…that a people have been longing for. Research has shown that those who know the stories of their family and origin have more resilience. But what if your family was torn apart and you were cut off from the stories of your culture and origin? This is exactly what happened to an ENTIRE people group. Black Americans come from a people who were torn from their families, kidnapped, brought to a country not their own, and made slaves. This, I think, is why Black Panther resonates so deeply with the Black community. Black Panther gave a whole community of people a story, even if it’s a “what if?”, that offers inspiration and a different narrative. It is a miracle that the Black community has kept hope alive for so long. Speaking of the spiritual, this leads me to the final and most significant level, to me, of what makes this film so good.
AS REDEMPTIVE ANALOGY
If you look closely, Black Panther is full of redemptive analogies (whether intentional or not), elements that point to a deeper spiritual reality of what God is doing. In the film we have:
A people who are given a treasure: A chosen people are given a great treasure from the heavens, in the form of the alien substance of vibranium, but kept it to themselves. (the Jewish people, are given revelation of the one true God, even coming in the form ofJesus Christ who offers us an alien righteousness, but kept it to themselves).
A people who hide themselves: The chosen people that become the Kingdom of Wakanda, literally live in a bubble, hidden from the outside world and their needs. (the chosen people become the Kingdom of God, the Church, often live in a bubble, hiding themselves from the needs of the world around them)
(Spoiler Alert) A people who must learn to care for others outside of themselves: T’Challa, as newly crowned king, must step up and break from the status quo, even amongst the former kings of his own people, calling out that it was wrong to turn their backs on their brother, the world, especially when they have been blessed with great resources. This must be done with respect (read: not colonization) and even if it comes at great risk. (Disciples of Jesus, as co-heirs with Christ, must step up and break from the status quo, even sometimes amongst former leaders, to call out that it is wrong to turn our backs on our own brothers, the world, especially when we have been blessed with the resources of God in Christ. This must be done with respect, even it if comes at great risk).
As stewards of the greatest treasure of all, may we not turn our backs on our brothers or our world that is in need.
Tags: Black America, Black Panther, comic book movies, film, Kingdom of God, redemptive analogies, Ryan Coogler, Wakanda
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June 5, 2017 what makes wonder woman so wonderful?
posted by Dave
every once in awhile a superhero film comes along that communicates something worth thinking about on human nature.
wonder woman is such a film.
finally, a dc universe film has come along helmed by a masterful director (who just so happens to be a woman ;). wonder woman is a refreshing take on a classic character that has one foot in mythology and one foot firmly planted in the human condition (tellingly, in the world’s first world-wide war). it is an impressive feat that somehow this movie manages to be a creation story, a loss of innocence story, a period piece, a war of the sexes, a hero’s journey, a commentary on war, and a commentary on human nature.
what leaves me most in wonder though is how the film is able to pull off a sort of anti superhero commentary on the superhero genre itself; in which the protagonist is simultaneously literally god-like in power but also powerless in the context of man’s inhumanity to man.
wonder woman is a character whose values are out of time like captain america and whose powers are out of this world like superman, but she is also unlike either of them. she is a woman. it is in this space that her story and motive takes flight.
most superhero stories are almost completely centered on the protagonist or team of superpowered protagonists to defeat the clear antagonist. it took wonder woman to make me realize what superhero stories are too often missing: context. specifically, social context. diana is amazingly powerful but in the film she’s never really a lone ranger hero. when she is in themyscira she is surrounded by a sisterhood of amazonians. when she is the “real world” she is surrounded by the brotherhood of a rag-tag team. the people around her teach her, influence her, and ultimately motivate her. some may see this as a weakness but i believe this is the strength of wonder woman’s story. she gains the humility and moral courage to recognize it is not just about her. in fact, more so than any other superhero film i can recall, wonder woman has the bravery to admit as well as to capture the gravity of the challenge before her (and really all of us)…that it is not so much about the villains outside of us but rather the evil that is within all of mankind. (SPOILER ALERT) so why is humanity worth saving then (this is the very temptation Jesus wrestled with in the garden)? a repeated line in the film states: “it is not about deserving…it is about believing.” we are not all good. we are broken. we are all in need of a power greater than ourselves.
wonder woman is not just about truth, justice, and the american way, but she recognizes that at the core is the hardest work of all…loving the other.
Tags: dcu, film, patty jenkins, the human condition, war, women, wonder woman
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March 7, 2017 Borders, Babies, and Being Born-Again: The Intersection of the Film “Logan” with the Undocumented Immigrant
by Dave K. and Phil O.
I saw “Logan”, the final film of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, with a couple of friends this weekend. It was pretty violent (of course), emotional (surprise), and brilliant if you think about it (here’s my 3 sentence review). There is one of the theories in our discussions about it (cuz that’s what makes a movie fun to watch!) that is of particular interest considering our current times. A friend that I watched it with, Felipe Orozco (my lightsaber chopstick wielding partner in nerdom film analysis and resident co-drafter of a theology of the oppressed), has posited that the film “Logan” is social commentary on the plight of the undocumented immigrant (in fact, Patrick Stewart, aka Charles Xavier, aka Professor X, essentially made the same connection).
WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD
Here are some connections between the film and the undocumented immigrant:
1. Mexican women were the surrogate mothers for the mutant children*
The undocumented immigrant has most often been portrayed as of Mexican origin, hence all the talk of “a wall” to secure our southern border. The surrogate role is also important because the U.S. does not have clean hands as it was involved in some of the very issues that gave rise for the need for Mexicans to emigrate.
2. The identity of mutant minority was forced on the children, a mutant minority whose rights are limited and are already being eradicated.*
Undocumented immigrant children did not get to decide whether or not they wanted to be brought into another country. What little protections the children do have, like DACA recipients*, are at risk because of the current administration’s rhetoric and policies. Even adult undocumented immigrants are vulnerable because their very status means they do not have the protection of the law of the country as do citizens of the country.
3. The mutant children are trying to find sanctuary [across a northern border] from being rounded up by a government agency*
Different U.S. cities have claimed to be sanctuary cities. But that hasn’t stopped Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are raiding and rounding up undocumented immigrants with little to no due process, even those with no criminal record.
4. A black family (another minority) takes in Logan, Charles, and Laura and are put at risk because of it.*
To extend kindness to someone who is oppressed is a life giving reminder to them of their humanity. However, defending and protecting undocumented immigrants put yourself at risk.* Whether consciously, as an ally, or unconsciously, as someone simply being hospitable to guests, to care for the vulnerable makes you vulnerable to the forces that oppose them.
5. Finally, the point of identifying with the undocumented immigrant can be found within the very structure of the story itself (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT).
The story itself can be seen as an “evolution” of Logan’s journey (and possibly ours) of rejecting the immigrant to accepting the immigrant. The film begins with Logan waking up from a drunken stupor to find ethnically Mexican “cholos” trying to steal his car hub caps (this fits in with the general stereotype of immigrants as criminals). A Mexican woman has smuggled a child across the border of Mexico into the U.S. and insists that Logan take her, to which he initially refuses vehemently. It is revealed that this undocumented immigrant child, raised in Mexico, is in fact Logan’s daughter by blood. The film captures his struggle to accept this child as well as the goal to reach another northern border (of Canada) for safety and freedom from their oppressors. The film ends for Logan when Laura finally calls him “Daddy” and with his dying words Logan states “So this is what it feels like” indicating the loving bond that has finally been forged with this undocumented immigrant, who is “very much like [him]”. Then at the very end of the film Laura, turns the cross that marks Logan’s grave on its side to reveal an “X”. This is of course a reference to the “X-Men” but could also be emphasizing the chiastic structure of the story. Here’s a broad breakdown of this literary technique in the story that creates a mirroring effect:
A1 – Logan’s waking at the beginning of his story
B1 – Logan rejects an immigrant’s plea (Gabriela) to save himself
C1 – Logan reluctantly takes the immigrant child out of Mexico
X – Logan and company stays the night at the Munson home
C2 – Logan reluctantly takes the immigrant child to “Eden”
B2 – Logan defends an immigrant (Laura) to sacrifice his life
A2 – Logan’s dying at the end of his story
In any chiastic structure the meaning is found in the center of the events. That center, arguably, (in a rare moment of peace in the home of family that receives them as guests) are the final words that Logan hears from Charles’ (aka Professor X) before Xavier is attacked: “This is what life looks like: people love each other. You should take a moment…” Charles presses Logan a final time to accept a path of love. This becomes the turning point in the story in which Logan must internalize this love without the help of his dear old friend who had become like a father to him.
By the end of the story he has learned to love the undocumented immigrant as his own daughter, as himself. In his death, he is born again to experience the intimate love of family. Maybe in this he has found a glimpse of the real promised land they have all been seeking…the “Eden” of the King.
*connections that Phil pointed out
Tags: bible, comics, film, films inspired by comics, logan, logan movie, movies, undocumented immigrants, Wolverine, x-23, x-men
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May 30, 2014 5 lessons in leadership from “x-men days of future past”
by dave k.
this past weekend, i watched the 5th installment of the x-men series of films: “x-men: days of future past”. the series has delivered with great character driven and thematically rich stories, and this latest installment is no exception (the exception, of course, is x-men 3). days of future past can inspire lots of conversation but i found its vision of developing leaders to be quite compelling. by leader i mean a person who has influence upon others. of course that influence can be good or bad, to either tear down life or to build up life. i keep a broad definition here because many people don’t even realize that they are leaders and exert significant influence on those around them. here are 5 lessons on leadership i’ve found embedded in the story:
1. a good leader raises up other leaders
wolverine. nuff said. ok, i could say more…logan (wolverine), who once could barely lead himself was influenced by charles xavier (professor x) to hone his gifts to lead others, to a point where he is entrusted with the task to reverse the destiny of his whole species. it is so great to see the full arc of wolverine’s character from where he was when prof x first met him (in x-men 1) to the kind of leader he becomes, largely by prof x’s guidance, by the end of this film. what an interesting thought test: have you raised a leader in such a way that if they could go back in time they could help you become a leader?
2. a good leader can lose their way and sometimes needs help too
even a leader needed guidance to become who they’ve become. and even when they do take on the responsibility of leadership no leader is beyond accountability. leaders are not God, only God is God who by definition is the one all must answer to and the only one that answers to none…if God had to answer to someone that person would be God. leaders can have tremendous impact for good or bad, that is precisely why they may need even more accountability. even a leader at his best needs a team, that is why it is called x-men not x-man.
3. a good leader doesn’t make people walk in the way; they only show them the way (may contain spoilers)
charles literally has the power to make people walk in a certain way but he has to learn in his leadership that to do that defeats his purpose of leadership development (to raise up young mutants to be those who don’t destroy but build up others with their gifts). with his life he has to model his convictions of non-violence and faith that good prevails even when everything he sees may run contrary to that. to try or even to think that one can control another not only hinders the growth of an individuals own initiative but hinders real intimacy (something raven picked up on and that turned her away from charles). at the climax of the film charles only explains the choices to raven. the moment when charles gives raven the freedom to chose her path with that information, even if means total destruction, he has empowered her as a leader.
2. a good leader isn’t about their greatness but about bringing out greatness in others
if a leader is only about their greatness that greatness ends with them. this is true in at least two senses. in one sense, a leader about his own greatness diminishes in greatness because whatever work they are about dies with them. but when greatness is called out in others, it is no longer limited to an individual, but there can be countless more to contribute to the work and vision can multiply. charles vision for consecutive generations is realized in his students who will go on to become teachers in their own right. in another sense, a leader ceases to be great when they are about their greatness, as this self-centeredness is the way of most of the world. a leader stands out when paradoxically they’re not about standing out. the powerful human officials are about dominating mutants and preserving their own kind while erik (magneto), representing a powerful mutant, is about dominating humans and preserving his own kind. charles stands out as a leader because he is about caring for others who might not even care for him and his kind and thus does a greater good reconciling both parties.
5. a good leader must embrace pain in order to heal pain
in trying to do good the younger charles has had his heart broken to such a point that he no longer sees the point of engaging the world. it is true that when you believe in people and love people they can hurt you and let you down. you can even be hurt when the person doesn’t even intend to harm you. In fact there is a condition called vicarious traumatization in which people caring for traumatized people can themselves begin to exhibit symptoms of the traumatized. so how does one move forward in this broken world? one can withdraw and try to numb oneself from pain, like the young charles. one can retaliate and try to inflict your pain on others, like the young erik (magneto). or one can engage with the pain for a solution, like the future charles will. charles must learn, like us all, that we cannot protect ourselves from pain in this world. pain can actually be the very thing that can lead us to compassion for others in pain and causes us to dream and fight for the hope of a better future.
Tags: charles xavier, dave, film, leadership, leadership development, professor x, themes, x-men, x-men days of future past
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January 29, 2013 Laaf #48: Jurassic Park 20 Years Later or “Id’s Getting Hot in Here, So Take Off All Your Morals”
LECTURE CREATED AND GIVEN BY MATT C. (AKA PROFESSOR FAIL)
TOPIC: Reflections (Psycho-analysis of) on the 20 year Anniversary of “Jurassic Park”
FILM: “Jurassic Park”
DATE GIVEN: Saturday, January 15th 2013
Professor Fail brings us a lecture and a film asking thrilling questions like: How Jurassic Park hold up as a film 20 years later? What happened to the kids in the film? What do I notice about the film now as an adult (aka how can i sound academic and pretentious to get some laafs)?
***click on the first thumbnail image below to get the enlarged slide show of the lecture.
Tags: dinosaurs, film, freud, id, island, jurassic park, jurassic park 20 year anniversary, psycho analysis
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LaaF...Culture! 