Failed Oscar Campaigns: "Black Panther" (2018)

Scene from Black Panther (2018)

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Black Panther (2018)

Directed By: Ryan Coogler

Written By: Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole (Written By), Stan Lee & Jack Kirby (Based on Comics)

Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-fi

Running Time: 134 minutes

Summary: T'Challa, heir to the hidden but advanced kingdom of Wakanda, must step forward to lead his people into a new future and must confront a challenger from his country's past.

- The Movie -

One of the most shocking things about 2020 is that this will be the first year in over a decade to not feature the release of a Marvel Cinematic Universe title. While the franchise has dominated the box office and public discourse, it's telling that they've postponed their major releases, doing their best to cope with a global pandemic. From a business standpoint, it makes the most sense even if fans greatly miss the unifying nature of blockbuster entertainment. Following a barrage of announcements from Disney last week, it's become clearer why everyone has a strong affection for these, where even the names cause many to salivate from anticipation. One has to wonder what they'll think of next and, more importantly, if it will be as big as what came before.

One of the bigger issues comes with the Black Panther sequel. While it would be tough for any groundbreaking film to follow up on their success, it's more troubling to know that they will be doing so without their lead actor. It's not due to contractual issues, but the passing of Chadwick Boseman from cancer. His passing at a young age left fans to reflect on a different kind of strength that he carried, where he pushed himself to be tougher. In fact, he shot Black Panther while undergoing treatment privately. Given that he's currently being considered for Oscars with both Da 5 Bloods and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, it feels like a good time to look at the film that helped give him a permanent place in pop culture, elevating his short career into something more monumental.

It's hard to overstate the impact that Black Panther had on pop culture. Even as a comic book movie, it stood out for all of the right reasons. From director Ryan Coogler, it was the first major success to feature a predominantly Black cast. It explored the dynamics of Africa and America in their identity, using Wakanda as this land of empowerment that held deeper symbolism for centuries of history. Its use of Afrofuturism helped to reshape the culture and opened the gates to the idea that anyone could be a superhero, that they can be a significant role model. It was the high note that Marvel needed, especially going into their significant crossover title Infinity War. What nobody expected was that by the time it came out months later, Coogler's movie would still be playing in theaters in a significant way.

What's even more impressive is that this was the film that also changed The Oscars. After a near-century of not recognizing movies adapted from comic books, Black Panther helped to change the public perception by reflecting a perfect cross-section of popular films and artistic merit, proving that these films were deserving of respect. While it was the 18th film in a very recognizable franchise, it managed to break new ground and revealed how much that the industry was ready for a change. In fact, some could argue that in the short run, there have been few Best Picture nominees of the past decade with as much staying power, likely to be discussed in some form for the next few decades. It set a bar that has since been met by films like Joker, and one can hope that this is more than a unique anomaly.

- The Campaign -

Part of the film's unsuspecting success came from being the 18th film in a franchise. At the time it was seen as a novelty, serving as one of the first major Black superhero movies. While Coogler had proven himself with Rocky spin-off Creed (itself gaining Sylvester Stallone a late-career acting nomination), it wasn't clear if his indie aesthetic would translate to a big blockbuster. Also in tow was Boseman, who had a decent string of dramas like 42 and Get On Up, but hadn't ever really taken off. He was introduced in Captain America: Civil War briefly as T'Challa, setting himself up for a spin-off. The positive reaction lead many to anticipate Black Panther as this fun action movie. Nobody had any anticipation, especially when compared to Avengers: Infinity War, which according to producer Kevin Feige would be "the most ambitious crossover in history." For what it's worth, nobody expected the film to be a cultural landmark. 

The early advertisements for it went over very well. The imagery alone lead to a discussion of the film's use of Afrofuturism, presenting a world that hadn't been seen before. There was anticipation to see if the film could live up to the height. By the time of its release, the iconography had become widespread, the celebration of this Black hero becoming a thing to celebrate. Celebrities were selling out theaters to allow lower-income fans a chance to see it for free. This was considered a big moment, and it was easy to see why. It was a positive representation of Black strength. How it dealt with identity enriched this reading as it explored the duality of American and African idealism, finding Michael B. Jordan's Killmonger to be one of the most perplexing comic book villains of the modern age.

Wakanda especially became a cultural phenomenon. It symbolized a world of Black strength where the culture got to grow into something more proud and powerful. The greeting (hands over chest) quickly became a tradition among fans, shouting "Wakanda forever!" as this loving tribute to their own culture. This was so true that by the time of the 2019 Academy Awards ceremony, Boseman was walking the red carpet while performing the greeting to various fans lining the bleachers. The soundtrack, curated by Kendrick Lamar, became a big hit and helped to elevate the film into another medium. 

What was more impressive was that even fans who complained that MCU films were generic and indistinct thought that it was a big deal. At the box office, it grossed over $1.3 billion and became one of Marvel's biggest movies. The film was so successful that it managed to maintain a theatrical presence until the studio's next film Infinity War. While it may have been coincidental, the success of the film made Boseman's role in the crossover movie all the more exciting to fans. With so much praise behind the film, it became apparent that it would be one of the great success stories of the year. To go further, filmmaker Christopher Nolan would raise anticipation by suggesting that it was worthy of a Best Picture nomination.

This was during a time where Best Picture as a category hadn't nominated a superhero movie. There was the argument made that the extension to 10 nominations was because films like The Dark Knight wasn't nominated. Even with the rising popularity of the genre, it remained perplexing what it would take to get a film like this into the field. Another issue is that Marvel as a studio hadn't had any major wins in spite of their overwhelming presence. While this seemed doubtful to change, its success was owed in some small part to a series of obstacles. The most noteworthy was the presence of the short-lived Best Popular Film category, which many saw as designed to give Black Panther an easy win. The category didn't last more than a month, but it's argued that its impact was felt when films like Bohemian Rhapsody (financially successful, critically reviled) got into Best Picture, if just to try and get higher ratings.

Of course, it would be fair to suggest that in the best of circumstances, Black Panther deserved to win. It was the cross-section of art and commerce, where it told a significant message about Black identity and did so with vibrant and unique imagery. It is why the merchandise continued to be more successful than the Infinity War counterpart. People couldn't stop talking about the film and enjoyed joking about how the only white characters were in The Hobbit series, making them "Tolkien White Guys." Endless essays were written and soon the film was dominating the awards season. It wasn't only that. They were winning at places like The S.A.G. Awards for their ensemble, proving that this was more than an empty spectacle. It made several people's best of end of year lists. Everything was in place for the unthinkable.

Disney and Marvel set up a campaign for every significant award imaginable. They were planning to a breakthrough in ways that none of their other films had. While some could argue that there had been other significant Marvel movies previously, this was the first to feel like it had something greater to offer to the culture. But would The Academy break free of the taboos? Would they recognize comic book movies as something much more legitimate? The Best Picture nomination would embody more than a popular film nomination. It would be a chance to legitimize this style of filmmaking as a reputable part of the industry. With everything up in the air, everyone had no choice but to wait and see what happened next.

- The Payoff -

On the day when Oscar nominations were announced, Black Panther officially became part of history. It received that Best Picture nomination that symbolized a shift in what could be considered for the category. While Infinity War only received one nomination, Black Panther swept up seven that reflected a decent mix of categories that ranged from technical to music. The film was perfectly recognized in a year that saw a nice diversity in their line-up with films like BlacKkKlansman also representing how diverse Black voices were in 2018. Whether people see this as a backlash to Best Popular Film's fallout is still up for debate. Even then, the cultural acceptance of Coogler's film was enough to suggest to the contrary.

Among the noteworthy achievements was how many firsts the film had beyond its comic book roots. Hanna Beachler became the first Black person nominated for Best Production Design. Ludwig Goransson became the first since Superman in 1978 to have a Best Original Score nomination for a comic book movie. With all of this said, it was the first nominee for Best Picture in four years, since Selma, to not also have a major acting or writing nomination. Given that many felt that Jordan and Boseman were snubbed, it proved to be a big sticking point.

The film also tied with Dick Tracy for most Oscar wins for a comic book movie with three. Each of them also symbolized something significant in their own respective right. Beachler became the first Black woman to win Best Production Design. Ruth E. Carter became the first Black woman to win Best Costume Design. Meanwhile, Goransson became the first person to win Best Original Score for a comic book movie. While this honor has since doubled (Hildur Guonadottir won for Joker), it proved how much ground was being broken with all of these nominations. Even if it will be some time before a comic book movie won, it at least marked a significant shift that continues to redefine what a Best Picture nominee looks like.

In the short time since, Black Panther has reinvented The Oscars in significant ways. As a comic book movie, it ushered in more respect for diverse entertainment like Joker with its dark themes. Beyond that, it gave reputation to Black artists who were being recognized for art that was more than conventional period pieces. If nothing else, it helped to predict more ambitious winners like Parasite the following year. With all of that said, the short run of Marvel movies since haven't had nearly as much luck with Oscars, so there's still room to grow and find ways to make another significant nomination. In other categories, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse broke Disney/Pixar's long streak of winning the category with an Afro-Latino take on the character. Other places saw comedians like Tiffany Haddish get celebrated for their humor during the ceremony.

There's clearly more to the legacy that continues to build along with The M.C.U.'s hold on pop culture. Still, for this one shining moment, they proved their worth by making entertainment that spoke to the masses. As the end of the year articles for 2020 suggest that a lack of comic book movies has created a cultural void, it's clear that these movies will always mean something to a certain demographic. Not only that but now there's no excuse for superhero cinema to be much more ambitious, taking chances on non-white markets. Success has been proven and the awards only justify that their voices have been respected. It's a good starting point, and one can only hope that this continues for everyone involved. Will this year find Boseman getting posthumous respect? One can hope. Over the course of a few years, he helped to change the industry for the better. It's only a shame that he couldn't be around to see his long-term success.