One of the definitions for the word recognition, as found online at dictionary.com, is listed as "the acknowledgment of achievement and/or merit." Back in February movie audiences were treated to Black Panther, a genuinely fantastic film and, arguably, the absolute best Marvel movie ever made. It had everything you could ask for and more. A rich story with textured characters, incredible action, excellent special effects (mostly), and timely commentary on relevant social issues. It single-handedly tore down barriers of all kinds and became a shining ray of hope for the future of cinema. Naturally, a lot of people who saw it, including me, wanted this movie to get the highest recognition it could achieve. So far it has received many well-deserved accolades, including the AFI (American Film Institute) movie of the year award, the best director award for Ryan Coogler from the Academy of Science Fiction, and, as of this writing, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture. Even so, many fans and casual admirers are anxious to see if it will get the most prestigious consideration of all: an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. Which, as it turns out, has become something of an unexpected and, quite frankly, unwarranted uphill battle. While I am one of the people who does believe this movie should absolutely get nominated, it doesn't necessarily have to win. Moreover, not only are their other films from this year that I feel are more deserving of actually winning the Oscar for Best Picture, but I think that Black Panther must at least be considered for different reasons.
For those of you who have not been following the news in the world of entertainment, allow me to give you a quick rundown of some past events about this topic. Namely, the Academy's wrong-headed reaction to Black Panther and its impact. Shortly after the film struck gold at the box office and transforming into a cultural phenomenon (rightfully so I might add), there was a lot of buzz amongst the fans about the possibility of getting a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars. Traditionally, the Academy has not favored superhero movies, let alone blockbusters, for any category outside of technical achievements such as special effects, sound mixing, and costume design. Even so, Black Panther became so much more than a mere superhero movie, to the point where tons of people, especially black people, were showing their gratitude for the film and the filmmakers. So, when backed into a corner, the Academy came up with what they believed was the perfect solution. They announced that, for the first time in a long time, there was going to be a brand new category at the Oscars. It would be called "Achievement in Popular Films," and it was going to apply to movies like summer blockbusters, financially successful movies, and so on. Needless to say, this rubbed everyone the wrong way.
The most apparent problem with this idea is the timing. The Academy announced this brand new category right around the time that a film starring black people, made by black people, featuring a story that comments on the black condition, had become not only the most successful Marvel superhero movie since the first Avengers film but transcended into a more profound and relevant symbol of progress and pride. To everyone who heard this announcement from the Academy, it just felt like a slap in the face. Because we could not help but notice how this felt like segregation all over again. It amounted to little more than a "separate but equal" award (which by the way is the most annoying oxymoron in history). The idea is so outdated and mean-spirited that it was insulting to think that anyone high up in the artistic community would ever even suggest such a thing.
The good news is once the Academy heard the peoples disdain for their ridiculous idea, realizing how much it was going to negatively impact their reputation and further decrease the already declining viewership of their annual show, they wisely pulled back their plans for the new category. Since then, there hasn't really been any more news regarding Black Panthers chances at the Oscars. Though, given it's recent Golden Globe nomination, it just might look better.
As I'm sure you were able to glean from the title of this article, I am of the opinion that Black Panther does deserve to get nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Not because I feel that the Academy is now obligated to do so after their incredible blunder (frankly it annoys me that this will more likely be the case when it really shouldn't be), but because this film absolutely deserves that level of recognition. Black Panther is the first film in a long time to take as many risks as it did. Starring a predominantly black cast, featuring strong and three-dimensional female characters with compelling arcs that are not relying upon a man, and a narrative that was both incredibly entertaining and provocatively thoughtful. It is a glorious piece of cinematic history that deserves its place in the highest regard possible, and I am glad to live in a world where movies like this can exist.
Now, having said all of that, does this mean that while I want Black Panther to get nominated for Best Picture, am I also of the opinion that it should win? The answer might surprise you.
No. I don't.
Don't get me wrong. I love Black Panther. I think it is, without a doubt, Marvel Studio's best movie ever. It's not my personal favorite, that distinction still goes to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but that movie just didn't have the same impact on pop-culture and society as Black Panther. Even so, I would not personally advocate for this movie to actually win the Oscar for Best Picture.
The fact is that I personally can think of at least one other film this year that, in my opinion, is a bit more deserving of the Best Picture Oscar. My personal pick, at least at the moment, is this one:
Love, Simon is another film released this year that has a diverse cast, three-dimensional characters, talented people of all walks of life, and a story that is both entertaining and discusses a genuinely crucial social issue. It is also a movie that has been long overdue and deserves the utmost amount of praise it can get. Moreover, it may very well be my favorite movie of 2018. This is, in my mind, the one film that deserves to take home the Best Picture Oscar the most.
While Black Panther does deserve to be nominated for Best Picture, I do not believe that it should win. Why? Because while I still admire and appreciate all that it is and all that it has accomplished, it is still a massive Hollywood movie with an outrageous budget, tons of star power, and all the prestigious amounts of polish it can afford. This is not an inditement of the quality of the film, but my personal reasons for why I don't consider Black Panther to be entirely worthy of Best Picture. I prefer to advocate for the smaller movies. The ones that don't have the biggest budgets, or the most popular stars, or even the amount of technical power as the big boys. Love, Simon is not only the kind of movie I want to make for a living but is also the sort of film I enjoy seeing more of. As such, I tend to favor those kinds of movies for the highest amounts of accolades and recognition possible. My money is on the little guys.
Unfortunately, this is more than likely not the reason why the Academy didn't initially consider Black Panther for Best Picture. Yes, the possibility of racism is a contributing factor, but I personally believe that the biggest reason was something else entirely. I am of the opinion that the Academy didn't consider Black Panther for Best Picture because they didn't think it was worth their time. Traditionally, the Academy has sort of looked down upon blockbuster films, especially superhero movies, as a kind of lower form of art. Popcorn flicks that only exist to mindlessly entertain the vapid masses who aren't looking for anything unusual or meaningful. As if to say that blockbuster movies have no real value or are incapable of enriching peoples lives. Moreover, they perceivably seem to think the same way about the people who make those kinds of movies. This could not be farther from the truth.
While this negative and cynical perception is not helped by the constant popularity and financial success of things like Michael Bay's Transformers movies, that does not and should not represent the general audience as a whole. Nor should it reflect the talent and passion of real filmmakers and storytellers who actually care about what they're making. Blockbusters of all kind, especially superhero movies, are more capable of leaving a lasting impact than most people of the Academy might otherwise give them credit for. Moreover, we know that the Academy is capable of practicing this notion. Consider the films District 9 and Mad Max: Fury Road. What do these films have in common? Well, they're both genre films that utilize a lot of special effects, they have expensive and elaborate action scenes, were made by incredibly talented people who love the art of storytelling, and they both feature stories that are entertaining and enrich the lives of the viewers in some way. Also, they were both nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
Black Panther is a beautiful film that is on par with the likes of District 9 and Mad Max: Fury Road. While it is not my personal choice for Best Picture at the Oscars, I do believe that it deserves to be recognized on that level and absolutely should be nominated. The Oscars themselves are broken and have been for quite some time. They have been fueled less by artistic integrity and more by politics and money, there is no denying that. Regardless, the Oscars still mean something to many people. They may not have always represented the absolute best of any given year (I mean, Saving Private Ryan not getting Best Picture? Come on!), but achieving that level of recognition with a nomination alone is one of the most significant accomplishments that any artist can hope to make.
One of my favorite stories about an artists attitude towards getting an Oscar is the story of actor John C. Reilly. Back in 2003, John was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Chicago. While he was excited to have been considered for the award, John actually openly admitted that he hoped he would not win. Because while John was proud to have reached that level of recognition, he felt that having an Oscar would hinder his casting choices. As John would have suddenly become too expensive and prestigious to be considered for the non-Hollywood kinds of movies he still likes to do. Since then, not only has John appeared in many small hit movies, but he has also performed in beautiful big time movies like Wreck-It Ralph. Perhaps his most interesting upcoming adventure is his portrayal of Oliver Hardy, as in Laurel and Hardy, one of the greatest comedic duos of the early 20th century.
Black Panther is a relevant film. It deserves to be recognized for all of its accomplishments based on its own merits. It does, unquestionably, deserve to be nominated for many categories at the Oscars including Best Picture. Its very impact on pop-culture, society, and the human condition alone makes it worthy of the full amount of recognition it can achieve. As does any other blockbuster and superhero film that has as much heart as Black Panther.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm, thank you all for reading.
Wakanda Forever!
No comments:
Post a Comment