Legendary Filmmaker Steven Spielberg Weighs In On BLACK PANTHER And Its Cultural Significance

Legendary Filmmaker Steven Spielberg Weighs In On BLACK PANTHER And Its Cultural Significance

Legendary filmmaker and Ready Player One director Steven Spielberg addresses the cultural significance of Marvel's Black Panther and how its success is incredibly important for future generations.

By MattIsForReal - Mar 24, 2018 04:03 PM EST
Filed Under: Black Panther
Source: EW Canada
Marvel's Black Panther is more than a box office success story for Disney. It's an incredibly important and significant cultural film. So naturally legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who is no stranger to creating cultural breakout films himself, has offered his thoughts on the movie.

"I think Ryan Coogler did an amazing job writing and directing a movie that is culturally, perhaps, the largest cultural break-out film of the last decade," Spielberg told EW Canada. "It's going to really change things and keep things changed for the betterment of all of us."

Black Panther has been viewed as a cultural watershed, finally giving the black community, especially young children, a hero who they can relate to unlike ever before in Hollywood. So often are people of color forced to relate to the "white savior." On the flip side, Spielberg pointed out the importance of giving white children a hero who doesn't necessarily always look like them, broadening their horizons.

"I think the whole idea that young white kids from principally red communities are going to say 'I want to grow up and look and be just like Black Panther.' I think that's a wonderful, wonderful thing that's happening right now,"he added.

Steven Spielberg, who directed the upcoming sci-fi film Ready Player One, is no stranger to culturally significant films. In the 80s he directed The Color Purple, a film that tells the story of a young African American girl and shows the problems African American women faced during the early 20th century. Though the film received positive reviews from critics and was a box office success, Spielberg drew criticism for it.

"The Color Purple was pretty way ahead of its time too. And I was criticized for directing The Color Purple because I wasn't a black director," ​he recalled during the interview. "I understand that now. I didn't understand it then, but I understand the criticism looking back at the time."

For Black Panther to have this type of box office success - becoming the highest-grossing superhero movie of all time in the United States - with a black director and a predominantly black cast is absolutely monumental.
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NotoriousWolf23
NotoriousWolf23 - 3/24/2018, 4:41 PM
ButIAmBruceW
ButIAmBruceW - 3/25/2018, 11:46 AM
@NotoriousWolf23 - there's my girl!!
she's now my favorite MCU lady followed by peggy carter *hearty eyes* haha!!don't pay attention to me bro
noahthegrand
noahthegrand - 3/24/2018, 4:42 PM
I think this movie is important
incredibleTalk
incredibleTalk - 3/24/2018, 5:31 PM
@noahthegrand - "Wakanda Forever" in "the Color Purple"...

...tell me when you see it....

Kumkani
Kumkani - 3/24/2018, 5:36 PM
@incredibleTalk - LMAO
ButIAmBruceW
ButIAmBruceW - 3/25/2018, 11:48 AM
@incredibleTalk - very hilarious!
HeavyMetal4Life
HeavyMetal4Life - 3/24/2018, 4:47 PM
MarvelDCAllDay
MarvelDCAllDay - 3/24/2018, 4:47 PM
That one point about the white children in red areas liking BP was a good one. Hope reality reflects it.
MrCamw1
MrCamw1 - 3/24/2018, 4:48 PM
I loved The Color Purple so this white man is alright by me lol. In all seriousness glad he enjoyed the film.
Kumkani
Kumkani - 3/24/2018, 4:51 PM
Great article @Mattapherr

On topic, but I remember @BlackBeltJones predicting how culturally important Black Panther was gonna be. It's been a really beautiful thing to witness all this praise outpouring for the film. It certainly deserves it. Such a well written, acted and directed film.

I'm really glad and still a bit surprised Marvel and Disney let Ryan and co make Black Panther the way they did, as unfiltered and bold as it was. A character in the film explicitly mentions that black communities in America are "flooded with drugs and weapons" and that the people are "overly policed and incarcerated." That's the kind of dialogue and discussion I remember first learning and hearing about in the film Boyz n the Hood (perfectly articulated by Laurence Fishburne's character). That was really risky, but Kevin Feige certainty knew Black Panther had to tackle those kind of topics head on, and Ryan and Cole certainly addressed it with such nuance.

Agree wholeheartedly with Spielberg's comments. The Color Purple was a magnificent and heartbreaking film. A little sad that he was criticised for directing it but I can see why, and happy he saw why now too. Good to know he thought Black Panther was great.

Wakanda Forever!
LEVITIKUZ
LEVITIKUZ - 3/24/2018, 5:03 PM
@BlindWedjat - Shit now I wanna rewatch Boyz n the Hood.

Lawrence’s character also mentioned how there is a liquor store on every block.

And that one character drank a carton of milk straight from the carton lol

Think it was his son in the film but the name escapes me
MyCoolYoung
MyCoolYoung - 3/24/2018, 4:53 PM
I don't think I was borned at the time so forgive me for not knowing, but I did not know or realize he directed the color purple.
eddyxx
eddyxx - 3/24/2018, 4:53 PM
Every black person I know loves The Color Purple.

eddyxx
eddyxx - 3/24/2018, 4:56 PM
@eddyxx -
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