The Hero’s Journey “The Black Panther”
The film industry plays a vital role in depicting the society we live in from a different light. There are various themes that the filmmakers present to the viewers and require a central character to deliver the message home. This character also referred to like the protagonist, has to overcome various hurdles in the course of the journey i.e., the plot development. The challenges to be overcome depending on the thematic concerns of the film and the process followed by the protagonist to achieve the desired outcome is referred to as the hero’s journey (Leopold, 2019). The film industry, therefore, plays an educative purpose besides entertainment in society and is also a considerable employment creator (Saunders, 2019).
Probably one of the most highly rated movies of the year 2018, the Black Panther is a Marvels comic books based film that follows the journey of the main character T’chala into the liberation of his people as well as establishes a just rule. T’chala assumes the leadership of the Wakanda clan an advanced African civilization after the death of his father, T’chaka. The Kingdom of Wakanda is advanced in various aspects, including technology as well as their medicine. However, besides the technological advancements, most of the inhabitants lead essential lives in the farmsteads and countryside.
The hero’s journey in the film follows a series of challenges in plot development. Upon his appointment to be the leader of his people after his father’s demise, T’chala is faced with many leadership challenges where he is required to make critical decisions. Sometimes he is forced to consult his father in the spirit world in search of advice as well as guidance on the decision-making process. However, his most outstanding challenge comes when Killmonger raises his claim to the throne, and this has to be settled the traditional way through a battle duel. In the first round, T’chala almost loses his life at the waterfall but emerges victorious in the long run. At the end of the plot development, the protagonist can achieve his set out goals, and there is even the creation of a Wakanda memorial in the heart of the United Nations, where T’chala presents to the world the genuine mature of the Wakanda kingdom.
The Black Panther is a film that has managed to capture the hero’s journey from the initial stages of problem inception up to the final step in which the challenge at hand gets solved. There are various virtues that the main character exhibits, including; resilience, dedication to a course as well as the display of exemplary leadership skills. These are all essential skills that an ideal leader is required to exhibit effective leadership (Karam & Kirby-Hirst, 2019).
In the film, it is also possible to identify the concept of myths and how these myths have been used to shape human existence. For instance, there are scenes when T’chala travels to another dimension and has conversations with his deceased father, asking for guidance. This is a mythical world where he gets to interact with the spirit world. The purpose of such a scene is to present the viewer with the understanding that, despite the hero’s superpotential. There are times when he also feels powerless and has to outsource his power from elsewhere. It is, therefore, possible to see how myths in the film, as well as other aspects of our day to day living, have been used to shape human experiences. The film industry is, therefore, an essential aspect of our culture where entertainment meets learning (Naylor, 2019).