By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Tunde Kelani
Starring: Ayo Badmus | Seyi Fasuyi | Sola Asedeko
Country: nigeria
Year: 2007
Running time: 90
IMDB: http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/aff07/thenarrowpath
Bruce says: “The African films I’ve seen recently have all been quite melodramatic; THE NARROW PATH is no exception. Awero (Sola Asedeko), a young village girl is beautiful and much in demand as a potential wife for men in neighboring villages. Lapade (Ayo Badmus), the richer of the two ‘finalists’ in her suitor contest, is the more disgusting. Odejimi (Seyi Fasuyi), the better of the two, is no trophy, as he views a wife as mere chattel. At least he is somewhat sexy. Awero could care less about the suitors because she spends her free time with her best friend Dauda (Segun Adefila), her childhood sweetheart who now lives in
Lagos. Her father picks the less repulsive of the two men.
“As her wedding date approaches Awero is raped. Afraid to tell her parents, she becomes mute and reclusive quite unlike her former self. Reluctantly, she does go through with the marriage ceremony. On her wedding night there is incessant drumming, dancing, chanting and the ritualistic listening at windows and doors to determine if the marriage has been consummated. Her worst fears are confirmed when her husband rejects her after discovering she is not a virgin. After Awero is returned to her village she admits the rape but refuses to name her attacker. Adding fuel to the village flames, Odejimi ‘accidentally’ hits Lapade while hunting; the neighboring villages seem headed towards a tribal war.
“The subtitles are noticeably insufficient. Although the story is fascinating, many of the actors overact their roles to an embarrassing degree, many gestures being more worthy of the stage. Kelani effectively uses sepia fantasy sequences to counterbalance the lush colors of Nigerian village life. 3 cats”