Anikulapo; a Folktale Reimagined
Set in 17th century Oyo Kingdom, Anikulapo retells a well-known Yoruba folktale from centuries ago of a young man and his [mis]adventures with death. Pre-release, a contrary popular opinion on the film was that it’s based on the life of late afrobeat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. This idea was mostly due to narrations from Anikulapo’s director but after watching its prologue, I got clued up on its plot.
Anikulapo stands as one of the most anticipated Nollywood movies in 2022 alongside Ebony Life TV and Biyi Bandele’s adaptation of Prof. Wole Soyinka’s classic ‘Death and the King’s Horseman’. Produced and directed by Kunle Afolayan, this film is a star-studded piece of a story well told. Over the years, he’s been a notable filmmaker adept in the creative, technical, post-production, and marketing aspects of film. Anikulapo being his latest project, sets the bar higher and features veteran and novel Nollywood actors including Ṣọla Ṣobọwale, Taiwo Hassan, Kunle Remi, Bimbọ Ademọye, amongst others
Two aspects of art that I appreciate from the film are the overt use of symbolism and their subdued meanings expressed throughout the story. These devices employed seamlessly in Anikulapo might be difficult for some of the most cunning directors in the game but not Afolayan.
Taking a cue from his Independence-Day-themed film, October 1st, Anikulapo’s release strategy was simply brilliant as not only did its premiere coincide with the director’s birthday, the trailers also marketed the film as a morbid fable of a person who has caught death in his pouch. This definitely piqued the interest of the audience. Kudos to the Netflix Naija team on the intentionality behind this.
Afolayan’s storytelling method is founded on an afrocentric viewpoint that explores particular Nigerian experiences from a multifaceted angle representing the intricacies of social, cultural, economic, and political realities. Similar to Tunde Kelani’s Ayinla, Anikulapo is strongly rooted in the Yoruba tradition with dialogues performed in the Oyo dialect of Yoruba. Although most of the characters did an excellent job of masking their native accents, someone versed in Yoruba dialects could definitely discern the difference.
Kunle Remi, a novel but familiar Nollywood actor rarely featured in Yoruba movies much less ones that call for speaking in the challenging Oyo dialect, played the starring role perhaps as a ploy to draw in more viewers. In film making, using an actor’s popularity to promote a film may seem logical, but if the star doesn’t deliver as expected, this tactic might run a risk of failure. Afolayan however, has no problem taking such calculated chances, just as in 2009’s The Figurine, starring Ramsey Noah. In Anikulapo, the 2 hours, 22 minutes film, Kunle Remi and his co-lead, Bimbọ Ademọye, drastically reduced the risk of this tactic with their stellar performances.
This recurring element in Afolayan’s work also extends to the veteran actors featured such as Hakeem Kae Kazeem and Yomi Fash-Lanso. I’m not exactly sure what Hakeem Kazeem did in the movie as he appeared to have been silent on purpose throughout his depressing scenes and only talked through a conduit for some mystic reasons that was never made clear.
According to the information I found on Twitter, the movie was shot in a film town built from scratch just for Anikulapo. The set and costumes were immaculate. The screenplay was well-written. The scenes flowed into one another until the very end despite the narrative’s style not adhering to the traditional chronological order. Music and special effects employed in the film were distinct and suitable. However, significant questions about the characters’ makeup are raised as their tribal marks looked rather unnatural.
After all is said and done, Anikulapo is an engaging tale woven aesthetically to connect with the audience on a familiar note.
Edited by Hameedah Nwosu
