Media and Communications: Django Unchained and Black Panther

This essay delves into the complexities of media representation, particularly focusing on the portrayal of race and the impact of post-colonial memory. It examines how Black characters have been represented in films, with a specific analysis of Django Unchained and Black Panther. The essay explores themes of slavery, identity, cultural representation, and the evolution of Black characters in Hollywood. It highlights the significance of these films in challenging stereotypes, promoting cultural understanding, and empowering Black communities. The analysis considers the films' impact on audiences, the changing landscape of filmmaking, and the influence of Afrofuturism. The essay also references the works of Edward Said and other scholars to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Ultimately, this essay argues that these films are critical in fostering a more inclusive and accurate representation of Black people in media.

Running head: MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS
Media and Communication
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Race and representation.............................................................................................................2
Black representation post colonialism.......................................................................................4
Representation of Black characters in films...............................................................................5
Cultural representation of black ethnicity..................................................................................6
Portray of each character and their roles....................................................................................8
Research of Edward Said...........................................................................................................9
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................9
Reference..................................................................................................................................11

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Introduction
Post colonial memory brings an idea of domination that has been constantly practiced
in the colonial period by the white skinned people in the world (Ashcroft 2013). The whites
around the world have had a dominant attitude towards the others of the darker skin tones and
flatter nose. The post colonial memory brings to us the times which had no support for the
people who were blacks and they were underrepresented in most arenas (Esping-Andersen
2013). The blacks were people who had plenty of potentiality to perform better and outplay
the white skinned people. The post colonial memory provides a staggering insight into the
world of domination that was created by the whites. In terms of their representation in the
media and films, it is seen that the blacks were hardly given much of the coverage and they
were constantly underplayed in the media domain despite their tremendous potentiality (Fiske
and Hancock 2016). The films that were produced by the Hollywood had white lead actors
and the black skin actors were not taken much into consideration. The aim of the report is to
focus on the various aspects of post colonial memory and the films that have been chosen for
the report are Django Unchained and Black Panther. The films will be discussed in light of
the title and a detailed understanding of the phenomenon will be presented in the report.
Race and representation
The media has been a domain that has practiced colonial standards for long and hence
has kept the blacks out of the media domain and representation of them has been
inconsistence in the society. The two movies that have been selected for the report are
completely based on blacks and the actors in the movies are of Afro origin. The scene in the
contemporary media is changing fast and it is seen that the makers are shifting towards an
open mentality of incorporating the blacks in the popular media (Hartley 2017). Django
Unchained comes and provides a completely different view of the people who were the slaves

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in the society. The film revolves around a slave, his freedom and his fight to get back his wife
from a sadistic plantation owner (Tarantino 2014). The fight of the slave named Django is
extremely well portrayed in the film and it shows the realities that are associated with such
practice of slavery. The notion of a man buying another man or woman and treating the
person like a product has been well reflected in the film by Tarantino. The film Black Panther
is one of the biggest hits in Hollywood history and created frenzy in the global box office
(Forbes.com 2018). The film is a superhero flick and it deals is one of the first films in this
genre which has a black man leading and portraying the role of superhero. The film has a
caste that is all black and this makes it one of the most stand out films in the history of
Marvel Cinematic universe (Marvel.com 2018). The entire black population has put forward
complete support to the film. The entire production team of the film was African in origin
and it makes it a unique cinematic production in the history of Marvel films. The plot of the
film is based in Africa and a fictional country named Wakanda has been highlighted in the
film constantly. The success of the film goes on to show that the audience is open to accept
such changes in the filmmaking and hence these should be incorporated more often. The idea
of Afrofuturism is constantly growing and the film bases in the idea completely. Afrofuturism
is known as a mixture of African history, magic realism and science fiction (Womack 2013).
Black Panther truly follows the Afrofuturism element and turns out to be a game changer
when it comes to the comic film universe. In Black Panther it is shown that the African
women are security official to a king and this enhances the image that everyone has with
black females that they are incapable of taking any strong decision. The decision to showcase
women as powerful has led to creation of a belief that the women are now empowered
enough to take stand on their own (Keyes 2013). The desire for the audience to know and
have an understanding of the voices of Africa and its history is something that drove the
audience in large numbers to the theatres.

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Black representation post colonialism
The blacks had a constant identity crisis due to the lack of representation to the
society (Coner-Edwards and Spurlock 2014). The post colonial period marked a different era
for them and it was seen that the blacks gradually started to get their due share of
representation in media and films. The identity of the blacks started to come into light in this
period (Ashcroft, Griffiths and Tiffin 2013). The ethnicity and nationality of the people came
into being in the media and films have gone deeper into a better understanding of the society
and their lifestyles. The films such as Django Unchained have been a complete game changer
for the viewers and people have gladly accepted the depiction of the blacks in the film. The
various malpractices that have went against the blacks in both the films have made it sure that
the audience is aware of the situation and position of the blacks in the society in the colonial
period (Said 2016). The makers of Black Panther and the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe
were hesitant in taking up a comic that had all the black characters as they did not hope for
enthusiastic audience response. After the film released it was seen that the representation
made the film even more popular among the movie goers and it ranks as the highest grossing
film that Hollywood has ever made (Marvel.com 2018). A movie like Black Panther
empowers people of all colors as it is the first superhero movie that is carried by a black
superhero on his own completely (Coner-Edwards and Spurlock 2014). In Django
Unchained, Jamie Foxx played the role of Django to perfection and it was one of those
movies where the back man was not used as a sidekick rather he was the centre of all the
action (Holtzman and Sharpe 2014). The film showed that the Django was powerful enough
to fight his own battle and that the man required no help from the whites to sustain a battle
against the person who held his wife. This entire idea was very empowering for the Blacks as
it was a complete change in the way of portraying the blacks and the regular use of the Afro-
American actors was not practiced and a meaty role was given (Zald 2017). The blacks are

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often portrayed as people who cannot fight for their love and lose out, however this movie
was completely opposite to the common notion (Coner-Edwards and Spurlock 2014).
Django’s love for his wife was well portrayed and the bravery he showed in fighting for his
wife was excellent. The ideal portrayal of the black love was something new and added to the
idea of representation of the blacks. The film gives a raw feel of the harshness of the slavery
practice in those eras against the blacks. The people need to understand the brutality of the
movement and it was well depicted in the film. Many a times the movies show it as a practice
that is natural and no heightened image of the real practice is given but Quentin rightly
showcases the issue with the needed amount of gore and life.
Representation of Black characters in films
The blacks had low level of representation in the films and any form of production
that was artistic in origin. The actual facts and details about the African culture can never be
understood unless there is a thorough research on the African culture. The idea of
representation has gained popularity as the people have accepted the depiction of the blacks
on the wide screen. The representation has led the people to accept the culture and connect
with it emotionally and feel the distress in which it persists (Behm-Morawitz and Ortiz 2013).
Until recent times, the Hollywood avoided taking risks that are related to the representation
of the blacks on the big screen. The film media is one of the most far reaching media
channels and it leaves a far reaching impact on the audience base as people connect with the
film media due to the immersive experience that they feel while watching a film (Holtzman
and Sharpe 2014). A filmmaker has huge priorities to make sure that the reality is well
depicted in the film so that the audience connects with the content of the film. The typical
attribute that is attached to a black man are due to the lack of representation of the black clan
in Hollywood (Carr 2016). It has led to the creation of certain stereotypes among people and

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such stereotypes can only be got rid of when they will be sufficiently represented in the
content of the films that are being produced. Both the films, Django Unchained and Black
Panther have broken the common stereotypes and have ensured that a new dimension is
provided to the blacks on screen (Marvel.com 2018). The character attributes have been
challenged in the film and a definite arch is provided to each of the character in both the
films. Previously it was seen that the black men were showcased in the films as buffoons or
comic reliefs. Films like Hancock showcased that the power that the black superhero had
needed guidance from a white man in order to be well utilized (Coner-Edwards and Spurlock
2014). However, these two films have completely changed this perception and have
showcased a stronger grip on the characters of the people who are African origin. The
Hollywood films were made at a time when these were not mere films but a weapon that was
used to assert western domination and spread the colonial approach in the entire world. The
white people and the western world constantly wished to sideline other cultures and establish
their culture as the prime one(Behm-Morawitz and Ortiz 2013). However with changing
thought patterns, makers have come up with films that have represented the blacks and their
culture in good details. Though a certain amount of stereotyping remains, it is seen that
efforts are being made to make sure that the representation is proper in nature (Behm-
Morawitz and Ortiz 2013). Django Unchained is a film that has completely turned the idea of
a black male and added the quotient of heroism that was previously attributed to only white
men. The post colonial behavior has allowed the audience to lap up content that is much
varied and has a different appeal rather than the same age old depiction and style
(Marvel.com 2018).

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Cultural representation of black ethnicity
In the post colonial period of 1965, the culture and ethic value of the black population
in America is promoted to minimize the levels of discrimination in the following ages. This
gave the equal privilege to enjoy all forms of fundamental rights that are implemented by the
government (Zald 2017). In Django Unchained, the director has been able to highlight on the
strong sides of the black ethic people, which later helped them to dominate over the white
population in the post-colonial period. The dominating culture of the white people over the
black counter-parts in the 19th century American society has been clearly mentioned along
with the violent practice of the society (Behm-Morawitz and Ortiz 2013).. The film has
highly emphasized on the use of the nigger word, which was used by the white people to
describe on the black people of the society (Carr 2016). The film faced higher levels of
criticism due to the sheer high levels of brutality that has been displayed for the white
population among the weaker black sections. Nevertheless, there is also certain group of
critic that has appreciated the usages of strong portrayal of the white dominating culture.
One of the main causes of success of the black liberation movement in the American
society is the increased levels of awareness with in the black population. The black American
society has been able to deal with the rising complexities in the mixed ethic culture. The
black subculture is a part of the 19th century American society (Zald 2017). Nevertheless, the
anthological attention towards the given society remains insignificant. Most of the study
related to the nigger subculture has highlighted on the psychological stress that was a
common part of the black-American culture. The people have been able to deal with the
cultural thoughts that are related with the major issues and the behavioral pattern of the
people. The ethnic background difference of the people among the black and the white
skinned people is the major cause of cultural conflict in the 19th century (Behm-Morawitz and
Ortiz 2013).

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The release of the movie Black Panther has promoted the past cultural significance of
the African people. With the help of the fiction fantasy, it is possible to highlight few of the
important historic culture of the African American. The movie has also highlighted on the
importance of physical strength among the society, which helped them to dominate over
different parts in globe. In spite of the fact that the movie had used the fictional name of
Wakanda, the dressing and other forms of production design was inspired from the real tribal
culture of the African people. The film has also used the textile that was evident part of the
African culture, which was mostly evident from the costume design used in the film. The
cultural touch stone that has been used to portray the superstar in the movie is the main cause
of success.
Portray of each character and their roles
The movie Django Unchained moves around the character of black nigger, who was
set free by a bounty hunter from a group of outlawed. Soon after his release, Django decided
to lead the life of the bounty hunter, where he was able to make use of his nigger skills and
make rapid progress. This character displayed the violent nature that was hidden within the
black people, who were mostly dominated by the white (Carr 2016). The ultimate aim of
Django was to gain freedom from all types of social torture and also restore peaceful life with
his wife. This wish of the character represented the desire of most of the black people during
those periods in the American society. Through the struggle of Django, it was possible to
highlight on the mental and physical struggle of the black people during the period of 19th
century (Carr 2016).
There was also another character Dr. King Schultz, who purchased Django. This
character represented the group of white people in the American society, who trained the
black people for their business activities. This group of white people also helped the nigger

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for their own benefits of business and did not bother about their personal needs. Another
group of people has been represented by the character Calvin Candie, who purchased the
niggers for their own entertainment activities. The violent nature of this group of people has
also been represented through this character (Carr 2016).
In the Black Panther movie, the main character has been seen to gain super power
once he ate the special root of African tree. In spite of the fantasy touch, the main character of
the film has been able to showcase the use and the power of the traditional medicines in the
African culture. Other major characters of the movie also help to highlight on the traditional
techniques increasing strength of among the African culture (Carr 2016).
Research of Edward Said
The research work of Edward Said has highlighted few of the important point of the
post colonial period. Much of the work has highlighted on the drawbacks of the African and
American culture that he believes is the root cause of colonial conflict and labor movements.
The concept of orientalism was described in the given context, which is one of the major
subjects for anthropology in the context of post-colonial wars. The misinterpretation of the
concepts related to the African and American (Said 2016). According to him, the beginning
of European colonization, the Europeans got associated with the less developed nations of the
east. The Europeans recognized their civilization as well as culture to be immensely exotic
and unusual and further established the concept of orientalism, which has been referred as the
investigation of the orientals or the people whpo belonged from these unsual civilization.
Said further discussed the way Europeans used this concept in order define themselves. The
culture of the non-western world was questioned as most people are able to deal with the
issues of metropolitan society. It is also important to highlight on the stereotypes nature of the

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people, where most of them are bound under the traditional beliefs. He further argued that is
is the historical reality that nationalism-restoration of the people, the pronouncement of
recognition, identity deriving from new cultural practices has been regraded as a mobilized
political authority initiated and further triggered the conflict against western power in the
African and non-Europea world. Said has been able to suggest that changes within the both
African and American culture are the key that helped in the purpose of collaboration
activities. Said has also used the practical examples, which made it possible for the American
society to accept the black skinned people. Nevertheless, it has not been able to highlight on
the important strategies that has resulted in the negative effects of the collaboration of both
societies (Said 2016).
Conclusion
The current study has been able to highlight on the important points about the culture
and ethnic background of the African American from the movies of Django Unchained and
The Black Panther. It is therefore possible to highlight on the important parts of the character
that reflected the behavior of people belonging to different social groups during the American
society of 19th century. The research work of Edward Said and the concept of orientialsim
have been discussed in the given context to describe the similarities of the African and
American culture.

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Reference
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handbook of media psychology, pp.252-266.
Carr, J., 2016. Introduction: Django Unchained—Disrupting Classical Hollywood Historical
Realism?. Black Camera, 7(2), pp.37-44.
Coner-Edwards, A.F. and Spurlock, J., 2014. Black families in crisis: The middle class.
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Keyes, C.L., 2013. Empowering self, making choices, creating spaces. Ethnomusicology: A
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