…With The Title Elesin Oba
The ever gorgeous and hard-working Mosunmola Abudu (Mo Abudu), CEO of Ebonylife Group, is one of the outstanding filmmakers in the entertainment industry. One unique thing about this woman is that, she spends heavily on every movie project she undertakes, making sure it perfectly comes out. Her movies are equally rated high in cinemas, as they always make A-list of high earning cinema movies. Her movies such as Chief Daddy, The Wedding Party 1&2, Oluture, Royal Hibiscus, Fifty, Your Excellency, amongst others, are still part of most talked-about Nigerian movies.
Just a few days ago, she premiered her latest movie: ‘Elesin Oba’, (The King’s Horseman). Elesin Oba is based on real life events in Nigeria in 1943. It is inspired by true life events in the Oyo empire in the 1940s.
In ‘Elesin Oba’, the Kings Chief Horseman succumbs to the lure of beauty and sexual desire on the very evening he is set to die in order to fulfil his a life-long debt of ritual suicide, to accompany a dead Alaafin to the realm of the ancestors.
He derails from a very important generational and spiritual transaction. This sets in motion a series of catastrophic consequences in a spell-binding film of emotions, humorous and tragic role reversals that puts ancient beliefs and customs on trial in an ever increasingly post modern and Western world.
The original Death and the King’s Horseman was a stage play written by Prof. Wole Soyinka, who won Africa’s First Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.
According to the Executive Producer of the film, ‘in filming Elesin Oba, we chose to stay close to the original work, which is already well known globally as a great example of African drama.
It’s a honour to see this compelling introduction to African thought and tradition on screen. It’s the inter-wearing of European and Yoruba ideals to depict universal themes of cultural responsibility that has never been more important than now”.
The film stars: Odunlade Adekola, Shaffy Bello, Dufemi Okanlawon, Omowunmi Dada, Jenny Stead, Mark Elderkin, Lanley Kirkwood and a special appearance by the movie legend, Taiwo Ajai Lycett and Joke Silva, It was directed by the late Biyi Bandele.
Many who are familiar with Mo Abudu’s movies can state the fact that she doesn’t settle for less, rather she goes for the very best, and also doesn’t joke with the word quality in anything she does. From the setting, to custume, casts and locations, everything was top-notch.
Despite that the movie impressed many viewers, there were also those who had their reservation. Many remarked that it didn’t meet their expectations, considering the earlier hype.
All the nagative and positive comments on social media have made the movie trend.
A critic said ‘Elesin Oba’ was an elaborate stage play. It was not properly adapted to a movie. It may be in a bid to stay true to the original script, that made the producer to leave it as a stage play.
It is a well-acted stage play in movie format. However, the white actors are too wooden, they almost have no expressions that fit their scenes and conversations.
The movie is full of lengthy monologues and dialogues. Nobody talks like that in real life. Movies portray real life conversations, as opposed to how stage plays go on with lengthy conversations.
With clear and beautiful pictures and good costumes, the movie could be better in watching it, you just could not shake off the feeling of watching a stage play. The lighting, the way the actors are blocked to face the cameras, as they were ensuring that they don’t back the audience, and how the actors project their voices, to enable the person at the back of the stage to hear them.
Some have no problem with the dual language where one does not speak the other person’s language, but somehow understands it. That is artistic licence and the movie maker is allowed such liberties.
A movie buff commented: The star of this production is Shaffy Bello. She carries the weight of the show. I am disappointed that Odunlade Adekola as Elesin makes no effort to speak accented Yoruba dialect that matches that of the Iyaloja. It provides a disconnect, as they are from the same town and yet speak markedly different accents. I cannot get over the atrocious beard given to Elesin. It is totally unnecessary. Also is there anywhere in Yorubaland where women carry the body of a dead man?
I don’t understand that particular part of the production.
It is difficult to translate a play into a movie, but others have done it successfully, even converting original screenplays into stage productions, but Elesin Oba appears to make no effort to truly adapt. It just gives us the original stage play, filmed on location”.
Out of the many comments on social media, one Ayodeji said clearly that movie critics would fault ‘Elesin Oba’, forgetting that it’s an adaptation of a stage play. What I love most about the movie is the depth of Yoruba language and cultural display. The message is clear, colonialism mid-wifed lots of our affairs and we never recovered.
While another person remarked that ‘Elesin Oba’ was a beautiful movie that revealed the depth of the Yoruba language, the rich cultural values, the casting, the storyline and interpretation were all beautiful. I am sure Prof. Soyinka would be proud of this.
Yet, I do not expect all to appreciate this movie because not all would understand the logic and hardwork embedded in the adaptation of a stage play to filming”.
One needs a proper understanding to realise that the movie, ‘Elesin Oba’ is a tricky project to pull off, as such. It is understandable that the feed back on the movie would be a mix of positive and negative.
And one can’t take the fact from Mo Abudu that ‘Elesin Oba’ is filled with many moral lessons.
The costumes were perfect for the movie, as we all know that costumes are also a very vital element of every film.
The cast also delivered their roles perfectly, despite that some people had their reservations. Star actress, Kaffy Bello delivered her role perfectly. She is not, however, a regular face in Yoruba movies. She often features in English movies. She played her Iyaloja role perfectly.
Also, star actor, Odunlade Adekola was able to prove that he is a versatile actor, who could deliver any role. This definitely will also increase his rating in the industry and give him more global recognition.
The importance and impact of this story cannot be over emphasised. It has been performed in many countries across the world.
The theme of the clash of cultures continues to resonate with people and further enlightens audiences about colonisation. It asserts that no culture is superior to other.
The richness of Yoruba culture, its language, music, fashion, dance, proverbs and other attributes are brought to life. And as a person, you have a sense of duty to your ancestors and your people and whatever you do, do not abandon your mother tongue. Do not trample on your tradition.
