Black Widow - A Marvelous Marvel-less Marvel Movie
It’s been a few years since the last Marvel film was released that didn’t actually feel aggressively like a superhero movie. I would argue the last one of this kind was Doctor Strange, a movie that only felt like it was tied to the Marvel brand because of it’s occasional off kilter “Marvel Humor”.
Black Widow found a way to work around that and became one of the most unique films the MCU has ever created. Before we go any further, we are about to enter POTENTIAL SPOILER TERRITORY! So proceed with caution.
I went into this film the same way I think we all enter Marvel films at this point— with a general hypothesis of plot, performances, etc. For this movie, I had expected way less than before, I wasn’t quite sure where it was going post-Natasha’s death. I was just expecting some good performances thanks to the beautiful casting that had already been laid out and for the framing of the film to be around Natasha’s death, specifically on Yelena’s part as she comes into her own. The film technically did accomplish this, but it went way beyond what I was expecting.
Marvel’s Black Widow (2021)
It was a film not centered on Natasha. In fact, I would argue she isn’t even framed as the protagonist. This is a film about family and coping with past trauma to varying degrees. Natasha acts as a frame or lens to this story or perhaps as a narrator who isn’t vocally narrating, but visually narrating.
This perspective is seen if you watch the movie with Yelena as the protagonist. Not only does Florence Pugh’s performance stand out in this film (if you haven’t already seen everyone raving about it on Twitter and Tik Tok, where have you been?), but the writing for Yelena’s character does as well. Everything about her character is desirable and leaves you wanting more, which is perfect considering this is our introduction to her. Her comedic moments also broke a lot of ground— they didn’t really rely on the typical Marvel mold. Marvel usually bases their comedy on references, meta-humor, and situational comedy pretty strictly so this really made Yelena shine. Like I mentioned before, this is something I’ve yet to see Marvel do so boldly. It was something I expected in Doctor Strange and even possibly a bit in the Loki series recently, but those never truly strayed too far from what Marvel typically does. Black Widow changed the game and allowed the film to feel a bit refreshing.
The most refreshing aspect of this film is that it wasn’t written to be a superhero movie. Marvel has shown interest in exploring this, especially with their recent Disney+ series, Wandavision is of course the primary example here without any question. This movie dipped out of the superhero genre in the most fitting yet subtle way, which I think has left too many predictable film critics’ opinions of this film looking fairly shallow. This is a spy movie, not a superhero movie. The film has a heist-centered plot (and no, not like the chaotic time heist in Endgame). It isn’t all about the fight scenes, though the ones in this are brilliantly executed and progress the plot forward seamlessly. The scenes that steal the show in this movie are the confrontational conversational scenes between characters. These scenes left me on the edge of my seat and some struck way harder than I could’ve imagined. For me, the scene between Yelena and Alexei singing American Pie hit so close to home (maybe it’s my soft spot for the song, but I thought it was a beautiful reoccurring song choice throughout the film. I’ve been waiting for years for this song to be used in a film like this).
I know I already raved about Florence’s performance, but she definitely didn’t carry this film on her back. David Harbour, as expected, portrayed this role flawlessly. He was the perfect comedic relief and provided so much range within Alexei. Rachel Weisz played Melina so mysteriously to the point that we were still left guessing her motives until the very last second. She brought so much patience and depth to the role with just her presence. Also, I have to mention Olga Kurylenko, O-T Fagbenle, Ray Winestone, and the rest of the supporting cast. The talent withing the ensemble of this film and their connections with the main characters held such a strong purpose. They helped create and heighten so many moments throughout the story.
Marvel’s Black Widow (2021)
The one thing I feel like we should discuss above all else with this film is just how truly feminist it is. This is a film written entirely through the woman’s gaze, not the man’s. It’s powerful considering that Natasha, as a character, has consistently fallen victim to the male gaze throughout her time in the MCU. Besides easily passing the Bechdel Test (it’s the bare minimum, but still important considering approximately 1/3 of Hollywood films still don’t pass each year), this movie dives into the issue of the objectification of women. The Widow program is run by a man who takes away everything from these little girls to turn them into killing machines. They lose free will, their childhood, families, personality, and even the right to bear children. They are turned into literal objects to do his bidding while Natasha and Yelena spend the entire film fighting against that to set them free. It speaks to the many issues women face today in a way that can be understood by everyone. While some have voiced issue with Yelena’s conversation on the helicopter about not being able to have a period, it is entirely necessary to point out how she lost the right to her own body. This is specifically applied to the politicization of women’s rights in relevance to anything under the “planned parenthood” umbrella, from birth control all the way to abortion. Any true issue the widows face in this film feels like an aligned metaphor for women’s rights that are still being debated today, no matter the country. This film does not try to push a feminist perspective in a performative way, it truthfully shows us how it affects us.
This film was a major step for Marvel and it’s almost a bittersweet watch considering you know from the opening credits that it all leads to (spoiler!) Natasha’s passing. I feel the main fault of the film is when it came out. If this came out in 2016 it would have allowed us to fall in love with these characters and their stories even more. Furthermore, it would have been able to give Natasha more justice as a character before her death. Plus, this movie and Captain Marvel (2019) should have easily switched slots in terms of release dates. This way, Captain Marvel would have had a more proper introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Endgame that would establish her abilities and how much power she truly wields in relation to all the Marvel heroes. That’s the main problem this film faces— it just feels like it’s a bit late to the party. I do think that the movie creators recognized this and combated it by putting the focus on Yelena. That way, the film becomes a puzzle piece for future stories that will unfold (watch that clip after the credits roll…).
Overall, I highly recommend this movie for a watch or even a rewatch in theaters. After all, we are #backtothemovies this summer and I am all about supporting small business movie theaters right now as they recover from last year (highly recommend you research if there are any near you and consider them for your next cinema experience). There are so many details to this movie that have left me thinking about it all week after seeing it last weekend. I applaud Jac Schaeffer, Ned Benson, and Eric Pearson for their writing with this film and especially Cate Shortland for her direction on this film. They created a magnificent jumping-off point for the rest of the MCU to work off of as they move forward into Phase 4.
