About nine months ago, the award-winning director who has been known for trailblazing movies that explore pungent topics in boldly imaginative themes and cultural narratives under crisp lenses, Kunle Afolayan, announced that he was shooting a movie “that will stir up a hurricane that will blow off the roof”.
That movie is Anikulapo — a journey through paths riddled with love, betrayal, myth and magic into the history and culture of the Yoruba people in the old Oyo kingdom. Kunle Afolayan has been known for grand and pristine movies whose stories go deep or go beyond the natural, merging the three supernatural stages that Africans traditionally believe in: the dead, the living and the unborn.
In a partnership with Netflix that has seen the platform acquire The Figurine, Phone Swap (2012), October 1 (2014), The CEO (2016) and The Bridge (2017), Anikulapo is the most recent end of the bargain and the movie, since its release, has been driving both physical and digital conversations.
Speaking about the project, Kunle Afolayan, via his verified Twitter account, revealed how glad he was that the world sees the film as a ‘masterpiece’ even though it was not nominated by the Nigerian Oscar committee.
“I am so pleased and delighted that the whole world have decided to tagged ANIKULAPO film “a masterpiece” even though the Nigeria Oscar selection committee think it’s not worth submitting for the Oscars. Will keep making doing my own thing. Anikulapo to the world regardless,” Afolayan said.
Anikulapo explores the story of a young man, Saro (Kunle Remi) whose untold background meets a complicated future as he migrates to the Oyo kingdom only to be embroiled in an affair with the youngest wife (Bimbo Ademoye) of the Alaafin (Taiwo Hassan). Not to spill the whole tea, Saro and the queen elope, facing a future where they have to define their love and navigate through the thorns of an unblessed relationship that portends greed, dignity, love, (dis)trust, magic and death.
Anikulapo stands head above its peers. Does it quite rise to the potential that the crew and the audience would want?
The Good
Cultural Glorification and Revival of History and Myth
Anikulapo is rich in culture, history and Yoruba tradition. This comes to the fore as soon as the movie begins with a camera that hovers above Saro, the anti-hero, who lays, lifeless, in the midst of an ominous forest.
Here, the Ifa corpus known as ‘Odu Ifa’ is recited to give a backstory. The word Ifa refers to the mystical figure Ifa or Orunmila, regarded by the Yoruba as the deity of wisdom and intellectual development. The Ifa divination system makes use of an extensive corpus of texts and mathematical formulas which functions as a system of thought and spiritual consultation. Today, Ifa divination, though suppressed among the Yoruba whom it originates from, remains a cultural heritage that should be revered. Ironically, the religion is practised among a few Yoruba communities and largely by the African diaspora in the Americas and the Caribbean.
Saro’s entry into Oyo Ile (Oyo kingdom) is quickly embraced by Awarun (Sola Sobowale), even though she had ulterior motives. Further, his introduction as part of the potters in Awarun’s yard was well welcomed by the workers, which represents the social coercion, unity and togetherness that has always bound autochthons. This is in line with the African philosophy of seeing the value of community — one which John Mbiti would term “I am; because we are.”
Beyond those, the film emphasises the place of work as an integral part of Yoruba communities. From potters, blacksmiths, and weavers to hunters, every member of the community contributes to communal growth. Scholar, Lai Olurode, captures the value of hard work in Yoruba communities better.
Hard work is valued and encouraged, from childhood to death. In order to obtain tangible rewards, an individual must match his ori with his chosen field of work. The Yoruba believe in a gentle rise to wealth, and that success is based upon consultation with deities, ancestors, and religious intermediaries. Under Yoruba tradition, successful individuals should sponsor, hard‐working, but less fortunate people, but reciprocity is highly valued.
Language
Sometimes, all the characters in the movie need is to make a facial expression or a mannerism to communicate their emotions. Beyond that, the manner in which the casts, especially Arolake and Saro, used the Yoruba language, is notable. There may be questions as to whether the dialect spoken matches what was obtainable in the 17th century Oyo kingdom; still, one thing is sure: our language, regardless of the dialect, is beautiful.
Visual Excellence
Anikulapo features some of the most impressive scenery from a Nollywood film. Shot at his 37 hectares project site — KAP Film Village Studio and Resort, Igbojaye, in Oyo state, the movie gives an incredible as well as a credible representation of the old Oyo kingdom.
The camera angles are impeccable, the cuts are seamless, the shots are perfect and the camera quality makes you want to journey into Oyo Ile to don some of the beautiful aso ofi as you inhale the petrichor of the red sand stained with rain.
If that is not enough, the depiction of the mythical creature, Akala, was amazing and true to life.
Star Casts
Veteran actors like Kareem ‘Baba Wande’ Adepoju (Ojumo Chief), Taiwo ‘Ogogo’ Hassan (Alaafin Ademuyiwa), Yinka Quadri (Hunter), Adewale Elesho (Ojumo Chief), Sola Sobowale (Awarun), Fathia Balogun (Ojumo Queen), Sunday ‘Aluwe’ Omobolanle (Oyo Chief), Ronke ‘Oshodi Oke’ Ojo, Dele Odule, Ropo Ewenla (Asohun Oba) and many more abound in Anikulapo. It is not only interesting to see an array of such stars who evoke a feeling of nostalgia of Nollywood classics but it is also admirable to see them thrive on a 21st-century screen on Netflix.
Costume
The costume in Anikulapo is worthy of admiration. From the hairstyles, the beads, and the colourful aso ofi fabrics to the props in sight on the set, the level of attention awarded to impersonating the past in the movie becomes apparent.
Meanwhile, Aso Ofi is a popular traditional fabric worn on special occasions by the Yoruba usually for coronations, chieftaincy, wedding engagement, festivals, naming ceremonies and other important events. Aso Ofi is revered as a marker of identity and status in the Yoruba setting and it is exclusively worn by the affluent.
Additionally, the effects and makeup are impressive. For instance, Saro’s growth from a wanderer to a sought-after necromancer is well matched by his changing looks and appeal: from a scruffy-bearded nomad with squiggly tribal marks to a finely cut hero and then back to a tragic hero beaten into a pulp as he surrenders to the arms of fate.
The Bad
Character Development
On the downside, the chemistry between Saro and Arolake appeared to be forced on the audience. Precious time that could have been spent on character development by building the blocks of their fiery love, which crumbles as quickly as it rises, with little dialogues was spent on less relevant, lewd scenes. The narrative made us understand that theirs was a case of love at first sight; but how did this connection come about, especially to the level of wanting to elope together? A back story would have gone a long way.
Dialogue
For a movie that explores the history and culture of a rich 17th-century kingdom, it did too little to appropriate the oral traditions such as proverbs, riddles, folktales, idioms, aphorisms and oral songs that form the oral literature, dramatic and quasi-dramatic discourses that constitute the repertoire of Yoruba speech. Many of the dialogues were flat and insipid, ensuring that people who have a flare for the flowery, which Yoruba lexicon is fecund with, remain starved.
No reason why Akanji (Adebowale ‘Mr Macaroni Adedayo) didn’t play the jester role whose language use is beyond everyday speech; whose language is an ornament that contains paradoxes and proverbs. After all, to the Yoruba, “owe lesin oro, oro lesin owe; b’oro ba sonu, owe la fi n waa”. (A proverb is like a horse: when the truth is missing, we use a proverb to find it).
Moreover, praise singers, who are unmissable, enduring components at palaces in traditional Yoruba settings, were missing in the movie. It is surprising that the powerful Alaafin of Oyo didn’t have an ‘Akewi’ – a court poet who would calm him down when he is riled up and imbue him with praises at will. The same was obtainable for the Ojumo King, who, when he got enraged with Saro and almost hit him, should have had a praise singer extolling him.
Oríkì (praise singing) is an important oral form and cultural heritage of the Yoruba people. Oríkì is used during individual or communal ceremonies, for individuals or of the community. Oríkì possesses a full definition of its owner. For instance, it tells of the nobility, origin, fame, profession, accomplishments, and beliefs of such a person.
The only form of oral poetry we see in the movie is the elegy done when the hunter lost his son.
Plotholes and Fillers
Is Saro from Iseyin or Gbongan? How did Akala, a mystical and powerful creature — the grim reaper — manage to drop its gourd which is the source of its power by being intimidated by a mere mortal? These are some of the many questions that come to mind in Anikulapo.
While for many of the questions, there are no answers. For some, we are made to manufacture answers ourselves. For instance, the tribal marks on Saro’s face, as extrinsic research would show, are endemic to the people of Iseyin who are similarly known for their excellence in weaving. According to The Sun, “weaving of Aso Ofi was said to have begun centuries ago in Iseyin in Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State, Ede in Osun State and Okene in Kogi State.” No surprise, then, that Saro is an impressive weaver.
Perhaps, he was taken to Gbongan after being taken away from his parents by money lenders. Thus, though he found himself in Gbongan before coming to Oyo, Saro naturally hails from Iseyin.
In addition, the movie appeared to drag a bit longer than it should have. Directors need to remember that quantity doesn’t equate with quality. Travon Free and Martin Desmond’s short film, Two Distant Strangers, is a perfect example.
Anikulapo is a narrative through which people can look into their distant past, gratify their social customs and account for the origin of certain social phenomena. The movie impresses with its exploration of myth and culture which the current age needs to be let in on to be educated about their antecedence and history. The movie typifies how far Nollywood has come from its humble beginnings and blazes a trail for further interesting and insightful narratives. Finally, it is impressive that everyday occurrences such as betrayals, distrust and greed are employed as a caravan into the culture of one of the most important kingdoms in Yoruba land.
Anikulapo is a great movie. Even though it is an example of how a master’s piece may not always be a masterpiece, it stands above its peers.
Rating: 7/10