RUTH E. CARTER
Spotlight
Photos provided by IMDb
After the release of Marvel's Black Panther, Ryan Coogler and Ruth E. Carter made history in 2019. Immediate box office success and glamorous reviews flooded the nation, applauding their success and making Ruth E. Carter the first African American to receive an Academy Award. However, for the sequel, she went above and beyond. With more culture, characters, experience with Black Panther, and an entirely new story to work with, Ruth E. Carter had a lot to work with and did not disappoint. What allowed her to fully stretch her wings were the two main elements that changed from the previous film; the death of Chadwick Boseman, and the new almost entirely female cast. For Chadwick, Ryan Coogler decided the best plan of action was to almost cross over Chadwick’s death to reflect T’Challa’s, in that they both died in the same way; unannounced until the last moment. This allowed for a more heart-wrenching approach when Carter had to create costumes for the entire rest of the film.
Like the first movie, one of the best scenes depicted things most closely related to African culture, but obviously in a way that is still related to the film. In the first, it was the waterfall scene, in which Carter depicted the many different tribes through key color schemes. Green for the river tribe, red for the mining tribe, purple for the royal family, etc., all of those colors carry on throughout both films, creating a foundation for Carter to work off of. This is why it feels even more impactful to have this movie's a moving scene, the funeral, depicting the culturally appropriate entirely white costuming. What can be noticed throughout every scene of the film, is the attention to detail. It can be observed that, especially in Angela Bassett’s Queen Ramonda, Carter partnered with many designers to get the best quality 3D printing, styling, and cultural significance.
However what steals the show in terms of impact, was the depiction of ancient Mayan cultures through a new character, Namor, and his kingdom of Talokan. Similar to how she approached the designs of the Wakandans for the first film, Carter spent months extensively researching as much as possible to truly bring justice to Mayan culture. The key detail she had to focus on was how to differentiate Mayan and Aztec art, two cultures very commonly artistically entwined with each other. In the end, it seems she learned everything she needed to learn. The Talokanians were adorned with both Mayan cultural elements, as well as tying in references to their residence under the sea. Rather than headdresses with feathers, Carter used the fins of lionfish, as well as ample usage of turquoise and gold, and of course a good
Photos provided by IMDb
amount of “Vibranium”. The thing that Carter focused on, however, was balancing the newfound femininity in this sequel's wardrobe, and the seriousness of the story being told between the Wakandans and the Talokanils. For women, it's a matter of showing their balance of femininity and force, two topics that have kind of always summarized the women of Wakanda, feminine and fierce, beautiful and dangerous. That's why all the women in this movie finally got to suit up in elaborate, accessorized costumes, but even their everyday attire was slim and elegant, yet strong, and adjourned with gold and silver, beads and embroidery. The same can be said for Tenoch Huerta’s Namor and his people, who combine the deep hardships of the Mayan people colonized by Spanish Conquistadores, and the deep, vastness, and beauty of the ocean.
I just saw this movie about two days ago, and when I did one of the biggest things I was thinking about was the costume design. Granted, I was not as much of a fan of some of the superhero costumes, a lot of them felt somewhat cheap. But I was and always will be a fan of Ruth E. Carter's work in their wardrobes. The elegant gowns and headdresses seen in Angela Basset, and the modern streetwear seen in Letitia Wright though keeping reflected elements of the Afrofuturistic art of Wakanda. But of course, the true breadwinner is Namor, for me, Namor was one of my favorite comic book characters, so seeing him created in such an amazing way by Carter was truly inspiring. The main point of the article I read was to argue for the amount of work Carter put into this movie and say that she, once again, deserves an Academy Award for it. I 100% agree, when an artist, such as Carter, can apply so many different attributes of the art world to something, culture, history, color theory, or technology, she has to consider the movie itself and what fabrics she can use if the character has to use it underwater and can she still use it if it isn't historically accurate. One has to also remember this is a black woman working for a superhero movie, one of the least diverse franchises with a sometimes even less accepting fan base, and to have to balance all of that on top is nothing short of Academy Award-worthy.