The story is set in 19th-century Okrika in the Niger delta and follows elite warrior Ibanichuka's accession to the throne. Ibanichuka alternates between brutal actions, like slaughtering enslaved people, and being anointed saviour by the goddess Tamunoba. Political legitimacy, monotheism versus traditional religion, Christian proselytisation, and white colonial pressure drive the conflicts. The local priest's conversion, chief Ogan's maneuvering for trade with the British, and doubts about Ibanichuka's fertility and softness complicate his rule. Costume design, notably a mirror-fronted headpiece, creates a lavish visual identity. Prolix dialogue, vaudevillian acting, and rushed staging undercut realism and dampen pivotal scenes.
Set in the 19th-century kingdom of Okrika in the Niger delta, this Nollywood epic has a satisfying core of realpolitik and Kulturkampf that wouldn't shame the likes of old-school classical-era equivalents such as Ben-Hur. Revolving around the accession to the throne of elite warrior Ibanichuka (Patrick Diabuah), it touches on questions of political legitimacy, politics as the art of the possible, the proselytisation of west Africa by Christians and that still-simmering hot potato white colonialism.
One minute Ibanichuka is on leave for overzealously butchering enslaved people, the next the goddess Tamunoba anoints him in a lake as Okrika's saviour. Though ratified by the elders, he is still under general suspicion for his devotion to his wife, Mboro, (Monalisa Chinda Coker), who is unable to bear children, and for generally being a soft touch. He also
From Ibanichuka's mirror-fronted headpiece on downwards, Amanyanabo: The Eagle King has an undeniable claim to being the best dressed epic of all time. But its exploration of the responsibilities of power, often couched in prolix dialogue, does get ponderous. Co-directors Fred Amata and Ibinabo Fiberesima promisingly set up the pincer pressures of Ibanichuka's reign: the belligerent warrior culture testing his strength on one side, the Christians teeming like unbridled chickens on the other.
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