Late Nigerian playwright, novelist, and filmmaker Biyi Bandele, who passed away in August of this year, debuted his first feature film in 2013 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Half of a Yellow Sun, based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, was Bandele’s first on-screen adaptation. Bandele’s work returned to the festival this year with his final film, The King’s Horseman.
It has been 30 days since the king of Yorubaland died. The day has come for him to be buried. However, it is not a time of mourning but of celebration. His horseman, Elésin Oba (Odunlade Adekola), must guide his ruler in life and death. So, tonight he will fulfill his duty and join his king in the afterlife by ritual suicide, or the spirit of his king will roam the earth and bring disaster to his people.
While parading through the village market, Elésin notices a beautiful young woman. Overtaken by desire, he decides that he should wed her before his ritual sacrifice. He goes to see Iyaloja (Shaffy Bello), the mother of the market, to seek her approval. Since the young woman was to marry her son, Iyaloja reluctantly agrees but not before warning Elésin not to allow his worldly desires to affect his spiritual purpose and his obligation to his king and the people.
Meanwhile, the news of a death set to take place this night has made it to Simon Pilkings (Mark Elderkin), the British district commander. Determined to stop this illegal suicide (by colonial standards), he sends Sergeant Amusa (Jide Kosoko) to stop Elésin, only for him to be humiliated by the village’s women and sent packing. This forces Simon to step up and put an end to this ritualistic transaction, disrupting the community and making way for a tragic and unforeseen consequence.
A co-production between Netflix and Ebonylife TV, The King’s Horseman is adapted from the 1975 play by Wole Soyinka, Death and the King’s Horseman. The play was written in English based on events from an incident in Nigeria. Bandele decided to use the Indigenous language of the people for his reimagining. The Yoruba language, often accompanied in the film by drums and simple melodies, adds depth by amplifying all emotions, from joy to outrage. The songs feel happier, the sadness is heavier, and the anger stings more and more with every syllable.
Another thing made clear in the film is the effect of colonialism and the misconceptions surrounding cultural traditions. When we first meet the British commander, he and his wife, played by Jenny Stead, dance around their homes in sacred ceremonial robes. The Sergeant has an intense reaction, choosing not to look at them as they laugh and brag about how these “costumes” are sure to get them the win at the masquerade ball that evening. Later, the commander’s wife is told that she and the British generally have “no respect for what you do not understand.” Feeling proud of her husband for going to stop the suicide of one man, she couldn’t provide an answer to the mass genocide taking place on the same soil.
This story is not a happy one but an important one. Even though the commander stopped the ritual, the community did not blame him entirely for their fate. Elésin, in his arrogance, was the one who defiled his purpose, and his decision to delay his duties brought about an ending that even he did not consider. Well-written with a beautiful display of Yoruba culture, The King’s Horseman is a memorable story about tradition, duty, and cultural respect, as well as a fitting addition to the legacy of its director, Biyi Bandele.
Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars
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