Bassett dazzles in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

The Oscars are coming up this Sunday and, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever received 5 different nominations in 5 different categories. The movie follows Wakanda after the death of King T’Challa and the discovery of another strong world power. Shuri, Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), and other Wakandans fight to protect their nation in and out of Wakanda.

Bassett has won two Golden Globes and 16 NAACP awards. She is a Yale graduate who has been acting since 1985. This year, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. This is her second time nominated, her first being in 1994 for Best Actress for her role as Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It. She has also played many other well-known roles such as Ramona Royale in American Horror Story, Dr. Catherine Banfield in ER, and Athena Grant in 9-1-1.

In her most recent film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Bassett plays Queen Ramonda who is a strong, caring, and wise leader and mother. After the death of her son, she turns her attention to helping her daughter, Shuri, grieve and prepare to become a good leader. She does her best to protect her no matter what. Basset acted using a subtle yet enticing face and body language that displayed her internal conflicts. And when she spoke, she spoke with assurance and power. At one point in the movie, she delivers French soldiers to a U.N. meeting and lectures the leaders on their greediness for vibranium, a fictional metal in the Marvel world. She captivates the audience with her commanding line delivery, leaving the courtroom speechless. Bassett’s most impactful scene was after the first big conflict, when she gives another speech to the leaders of the Wakandan tribes. Basset does an excellent job of portraying a grieving mother who fears the loss of her daughter and is also trying to lead and protect a nation.

A common theme for the character of Queen Romonda is learning how to live and deal with grief while not letting it consume her and still being able to show up for those who need her. An example of this is when she had to be okay with her daughter Shuri going out in the field again. This was especially difficult for Queen Romonda because she did not want to lose another child after the death of her son. Bassett wonderfully portrays the character’s struggle to learn to live with the fear of the loss of Shuri, making the performance feel real and authentic.

Although the acting was genuine and enjoyable, the plot was hard to follow at times. Especially Shuri’s character arc. The confusing flashbacks did not help.

Overall the movie was a pleasant watch and leaves an emotional impact on the audience. I really enjoyed the acting in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, especially Angela Basset. She did a beautiful job displaying the internal struggles of her character mourning her son and needing to show up for her nation. She definitely deserves the Best Supporting Actress Oscar and viewers across the nation will be rooting for her. Her acting deserves a 5/5 and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a ⅘.