Nollywood has kept on surprising us with some very beautiful traditional tales and this is one of them, Òrìṣà. This film is a great reminder of what we are as Africans and also as Yoruba people. The costumes, the chants, the culture, all which is out there in full power through this movie.
Directed by Odunlade Adekola, one of the most respected and now a reliable director in Nigeria, 0risa (Deity) is a good film. The movie is also a film he stars in. The film was also very interesting with the other leading actors such as Shaffy Bello, Femi Adebayo, Muyiwa Ademola, Binta Ayo Mogaji, and Jide Kosoko. The novel is profound and spiritual and displays the manner in which power, betrayal and tradition interplay with the people as well as the gods (Orisa). The film is full of lessons and it portrays the repercussions of human activities when they do not obey the heavenly directions.
I will speak, just as I used to do, about the plot (the main story) of the film, about my opinion on the film, and about my final conclusion in this review. I will also have some of the good lessons that I chose in it.
THE PLOT
The Òrisa movie is the one that transports us back to one of the Yoruba kingdoms. It was carried in the era where the kings, chiefs, warriors and priests lived under directions of the gods. People were of the opinion that the Òrìṣà powerful spiritual beings were the ones who controlled life, rain, war and healing and all the other aspects in between.
Odunlade Adekola is the character of a strong warrior and spiritual leader that is close to gods. The people believe in him and the king respects him. However, just like all good tales, there are antagonists who are not pleased with the emergence of his power.
The film starts by showing that there is peace in the land, but shortly after, there is trouble. Gods are giving warnings of something that has gone wrong. Oracle (babalawO) discourages the king but the king does not mind. There are other self-seekers in the palace who aspire to become the bosses. They start to betray their people themselves in order to have more authority.
This is where, in the midst of that the gods grant a divine mission into the character of Odunlade. He has to complete some spiritual endeavour to bring harmony back to land. And as he is doing this, his predecessors at home are out to destroy him. He is also charged of the crimes he never committed and even some people he trusted turn on him.
His struggle to redeem his name and to fulfill his destiny is then depicted in the movie, physically and spiritually. Righteous squads, mysticism ritual, strong invocation and treasonous angst, free-frayed are they (line).
The big moment in the movie arrives at a point where all the secrets are clarified, when betrayers of the land are revealed and at last, justice is served by the event of the intervention of the Òrìṣà.
MY REVIEW
I was happy it was true. The movie is not a film, it is an epic. I was hooked on it at the start and at the finish. It was a slap to my face in the case of acting. Odunlade Adekola actually demonstrated that he is not just a good actor but a serious filmmaker too. His song was extremely good. It is in his words, his feelings and his self belief that you could feel his strength. He performed in the movie.
Shaffy Bello did a very good job too. and then still she was enigma, sage stuff. Others who will not participate in it are Femi Adebayo and Muyiwa Ademola. It is easy to know that these actors were well aware of what roles were expected of them and they did their best. The extras of those who depict villagers and warriors as well as priests performed well. The movie was realistic. They did not read texts. They seemed to be leading that kind of life.
Also, I would like to say some words concerning the costume and make-up. This is when one of the best scenes took place. They were dressed in a way we would want to see in a traditional Yoruba environment. They had beads, wrappers, staff of power, animal skin and face paints, among others. It can be inferred that the costume designers have conducted serious research. The warriors appeared realistic, the priests appeared powerful and even the animals used in the movie appeared symbolic. This was also symbolic that in one of her scenes Odunlade was holding a black cat. It reminded us about what it means in the African tradition to have a relationship between animals and spiritual things.
The greater part of the movie was delivered in Yoruba, though rather deep Yoruba. Despite the fact I can communicate in Yoruba, there were situations when I was straining my ears as some of the proverbs were offensive. And that was all--that is what I thought. It gave an extra beauty to the movie. The English subtitles were very useful to the non-understanders of Yoruba. The sound effects and the music were great. Wow. Very deep. There was spiritual energy that could be sensed. Not only making drama actually, you could see that those incantations were very much real things that existed in the traditional Yoruba people.
All its scenes were accompanied with drums, flutes and classical chants. It also served to add tension to a part where there was tension in it. And I even go into a kind of a goose-bump. At other times when it was emotional, the sound came in strong Yoruba voices. it is a good story. The music in the background in the rituals and sacrifices was extremely religious. You can have a feeling that something sacred is taking place, whereas you just stare at the screen.
It was written so badly and was terrible. One of the greatest things I learnt is always this: Regardless how mighty a person can be, disrespect to the divine will only translate to destruction. I was not expecting that certain characters would act as they did. The lies of leaders, betrayals of close friends, and God analyses, the movie helps us to know that the gods (or spiritual laws) do not sleep. Among the greatest things I learnt was the following: No one is as strong as he/she may be, the disrespect of divine will will equal to the destruction. Furthermore, we can learn patience, truth and the influence of destiny by means of the film. When something is in your destiny, nothing can stop it regardless of the time of coming.
As a Nigerian, especially a Yoruba person, I felt proud watching this. The movie brought back the glory of Yoruba history. It didn’t make our culture look evil like some people try to do. It showed that even in our traditional ways, there is order, justice, and deep wisdom. The use of Ifá, the Òrìṣà, and other spiritual elements was handled with respect. They were not just used for drama; they were explained well. For people who want to learn about African spirituality without fear, this movie is a good introduction.
CONCLUSION
To summarise we can show that 50 50 (Deity) is not only a film and as we begin to realise, it is a celebration of the Yoruba culture and African spiritual heritage. Odunlade Adekola has made something special out of this movie. He did not only make us laugh, he made us learn and learn about our past, about our ancestors and he used this chance to remind us, to issue a tale of terror of betrayal, greed and dishonor. Nothing about the movie is perfect, some of its scenes were too long, a couple of parts were somewhat slow but I do rate the movie 9/10.
This movie is great when you are a person who loves the traditions, culture of the nation, action and the spiritual direction. It is not because of Yoruba people. You will relate to it even though you are in Igbo, or haussa or any part of Africa. Whose is it? It is our history. I would recommend all the people to view Òrìṣà. Take a trip to the movie theater and relax and go through this spiritual experience. This will make you learn, experience, and be proud to say that you are an African.
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