from variety.com
Variety Review of The Narrow Path:
The Narrow Path
(Nigeria)
By ROBERT KOEHLER
A Mainline Film and Television Prods. presentation (International sales: Mainline Film and Television Prods., Lagos.) Produced by Tunde Kelani. Directed, written by Tunde Kelani.
With: Sola Asedeko, Seyi Fasuyi, Eniola Olaniyan, Joke Muyiwa, Olu Okekanye, Ayo Badmus, Segun Adefila, Khabirat Kafidipe.
For a film that includes two rapes and the attempted torching of an entire village, Tunde Kelani’s “The Narrow Path” extends the filmmaker’s consistent ability to deliver low-budget films that have an affable, often jaunty, tone. As always with the leading voice in Nigeria’s independent video feature movement, storytelling takes the form of a fable — in this case, about a courtship that threatens to collapse before the wedding night, and the strife that ensues; events lead to a happy ending with a politically progressive message. A sure hitmaker locally and in West African venues, pic deserves fest programmers’ attention worldwide.
As important as Ousmane Sembene and Abderrhamane Sissako are to presenting African cinema beyond the continent, Kelani is arguably more influential than these two at home, and has played a key role in establishing one of Africa’s few real film industries in Nigeria (often dubbed “Nollywood”). Production, unlike classical Francophone co-productions, is largely homegrown, and with primary concern for playing to local auds.
While Kelani is hardly in Sembene’s or Sissako’s class as an artist, the sense of village life, relationships and politics in “The Narrow Path” equals and may well surpass a similar setting portrayed in Sembene’s recent village tale, “Moolaade.”
Facing the prospect of an ersatz bidding war among suitors in various nearby villages, pretty Awero (Sola Asedeko) whittles the candidates down to clumsy hunter Odejimi (Seyi Fasuyi) and effete rich man Lapade (Ayo Badmus), and settles on Odejimi. Dauda (Segun Adefila), a shady but charismatic fellow from the city (as Lagos is referred to here), seems ineffectual in his come-ons to Awero, until he rapes her one night in a remote corner of the village.
Odejimi, who has already had a somewhat comical faceoff with Lapade, accidentally shoots his rival in the jungle while hunting. Although no one buys blowhard Lapade’s true claim that Odejimi shot him, the incident has tainted Odejimi’s romantic vision of courtship and marriage. A culturally worse discovery on the wedding night sours him on life with his bride-to-be.
Kelani applies a fluid and casual filmmaking hand that invites the viewer to participate in the village folderol. Evincing a Shakespearean influence, dramatic conflict (men from the two villages are on the verge of war by the final act) is preceded by jolly comedy that introduces likable characters who simply want to lead happy lives, with a narrative leading inevitably to reconciliation conducted by women.
Just this side of annoyingly broad, the perfs Kelani draws out of his actors fully support the fable’s basic nature.
If there’s a continuing problem with Kelani’s movies, it’s a tendency for incredibly insipid, intrusive and low-grade synthesizer music on the soundtrack (by Seun Owoaje). Locations in Nigeria and Benin are used naturally, never for picture-postcard effect.
Camera (color/B&W, DV), Kelani, Lukaan Abdulrahman; editors, Mumin Wale Kelani, Frank Anore; music, Seun Owoaje; production designer, Kehinde Oyedepo; costume designer, Abiola Atanda; sound, Abimbola Ogunsanya, Fatai Izebe; assistant director, Olu Okekanye. Reviewed on videodisc, Los Angeles, Feb. 18, 2007. (In Pan African Film Festival.) Running time: 93 MIN.
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Date in print: Mon., Apr. 2, 2007, Weekly
Links posted in this story:
Abimbola Ogunsanya,
Abiola Atanda,
Ayo Badmus,
Eniola Olaniyan,
Fatai Izebe,
Frank Anore,
Joke Muyiwa,
Kehinde Oyedepo,
Khabirat Kafidipe,
Lukaan Abdulrahman,
Moolaade,
Mumin Kelani,
Olu Okekanye,
Ousmane Sembene,
Segun Adefila,
Seun Owoaje,
Seyi Fasuyi,
Sola Asedeko,
Tunde Kelani
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BAYO ADEBOWALE’S GREAT AFRICAN NOVEL “THE VIRGIN” HAS BEEN MADE INTO A FILM (FOR THE SECOND TIME) BY TUNDE KELANI
FROM naijarules.com
Who stole the ‘purity’ of this innocent girl?
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By Akeem Lasisi
Published: Friday, 4 Jan 2008
Tunde Kelani’s latest film, The Narrow Path, which he adapted from Bayo Adebowale’s novel, The Virgin, takes Nollywood closer to the ideal. One query that many Nigerian films have not been able to answer borders on how appropriately they have been able to represent or portray the realities of our society. But somehow, Tunde Kelani once again cleverly answers that in The Narrow Path, one of the films that kicked off the 2007 movie season in the country. Only that – well, if observing this matters at all - the 1: 38 minutes movie takes the viewer to some 100 years back in time.
Asedeko (Awero)
The Narrow Path is the story of Awero, a village belle, who, by the virtue of her unadulterated beauty, becomes the toast of several men who want her hand in marriage. At least, three men – hunter Odejinmi, moneybags Lapade and Dauda the sex monger – persistently express their desires accordingly.
Set in Orita Village, where the mud-house home of Awero’s father, Jibosa, (played by a veteran actor, Olu Okekanye) and his wife become a sort of Mecca where men pay homage to secure the heart of their daughter, actions move to Agbede and Aku, which are Odejinmi’s and Lapade’s villages respectively.
As each of Odejinmi and Lapade push their desires to have Awero, (Sola Asedeko) they clash openly occasionally. The two rivals adopt different approaches to achieve their desires: Odejinmi exercises restraint, preaching love to Awero, while Lapade is eager to flaunt his wealth. Yet, unknown to the two, there is Dauda, the Lagos boy, who is also surreptitiously enticing the lady with ‘city gifts’ such as Saturday Night Powder, Nku Cream and a big mirror. Along the line, Dauda – played by the leader of Crown Troupe of Africa, Dauda Adefila – forces Awero to an unholy and abominable bed where he rapes her and forcefully ‘disflowers’ her. Although he runs back to Lagos immediately afterwards, it is the abominable act that fast-tracks the conflict that pushes Orita and Agbede villages to the very narrow path of war.
The forced exit of Awero’s innocence is the beginning of a suspense and dramatic irony on which the success of the film largely rests. After the Awero family has given Odejinmi a nod, the process leading to the marriage becomes swift. Odejinmi endlessly dreams about the first night – which every villager is also eager to celebrate, as is the custom – when he will go into Awero and turn her into a woman. In the months that precede the traditional wedding, however, misery, depression and nightmares have become the lot of Awero, who cannot imagine the shame that will befall her and her parents when everyone gets to know that she is ‘a broken pot’.
Although The Narrow Path centrally celebrates marital processes in the traditional Yoruba setting, Kelani configures the plot in such a manner that every aspect of it drips with a message. It is a film in which costuming and language tell a story, for instance. Awero and her friends – among whom is Kabirat Kafidipe, popularly called Arapa-re-Gagan, based on the role she played in Kelani’s Saworo Ide – tie only wrappers round their virgin bodies. They don’t wear bras, for example. Yet, the wrappers are tied so tight that the girls feel safe, thus reminding the viewer of the days of guarded innocence.
Kelani further scores a point in his casting. He parades the likes of Okekanye, Seyi Fasuyi, Eniola Olaniyan, Joke Muyiwa, Lere Paimo, Olofa Ina, Mama Rainbow and Ayo Badmus who are able to blend into the rural environment of the film. Where he needs a clownish sanitary inspector, he goes for Papa Ajasco. And where a city girl/education officials required, he goes for Bukky Wright.
It is a good thing that The Narrow Path is subtitled. But there seems to be a puzzle here. The film is rendered in English. Yet, it is sub-titled in English. It is true that Bayo Adebowale’s novel, The Virgin, which is the parent script, is in English. But even if The Narrow Path has to be in the same language, why not subtitle it in Yoruba or French?
Also, in the film, Dauda wears a dreadlock. Some may want to argue that dreadlocks were not a popular sight at the time the story is depicting.
Although The Narrow Path also scores a point in bringing out the versatility of the several ‘Yoruba’ actors and actresses who now act in the ‘English’ movie, an actor such as Badmus fails to totally escapes the cross of mannerism even in his deformed state in the movie. At some points, his gesticulations are too close to what one had seen from him in other films he had acted in.
Beyond such observations, however, The Narrow Path, despite its moderate budget and the simplicity in its setting, fulfils the ambition of any standard film in terms of the significance of its message and entertainment value.
Who stole the purity of this innocent girl?
posted by Uyiuyi, on April l,2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The Narrow Path
Tunde Kelani’s film deals with an extremely touchy subject
Written by Laura Adibe Photography by NGEX website
What is admirable about Nollywood film is the ability by its filmmakers to put together films on moderate budgets with quick turnarounds. Kelani’s film, done on a moderate budget, pieces together a story with a very important message. The Narrow Path deals with such issues as rape, marriage, and innocence.
Tunde Kelani’s film in which he wrote, directed, produced and even partly shot has screened in numerous festivals such as the Women of Color Arts & Film Festival and the New York African Film Festival. The film, an adaptation of Bayo Adebowale’s novel, The Virgin and a sequel to The White Handkerchief follows protagonist, Awero (Sola Asedeko) , who must choose between three suitors who wish to have her hand in marriage. Her wedding night is transformed when she must cope with a shameful secret line that places her in an awkward position between shame and honor.
Tags: BAYO ADEBOWALES GREAT NOVEL THE VIRGIN HAS BEEN MADE IN
