by Akinwande Jordan
Underneath Abeokuta’s rocky landscapes, steep autobahns, and modern estates spawned from a new civilisation, untethered from the sequence of history, there lies a warrior-king hibernating, gestating, waiting, sleeping, watching what it is above with the sharpness of a hawk’s talons — poised to emerge for a second coming,or so the tale goes about one Lisabi Agbongbo Akala. Niyi Akinmolayan’s Lisabi: The Uprising is the newest foray into the movie industry’s interest in the stories of ethnic history and cultural heritage. Irrespective of intent or historical inaccuracies that may potentially be rife in these epics, we cannot deny the necessities and elevation of cultural pride they foster by the dozen.
Written by Niyi Akinmolayan and Yinka Olaoye, Lisabi: The Uprising is a visualisation of oral history and anecdotes detailing the exploits of the folk hero and his rebellious dauntingness as the pride of Igbehin (originally a native to Itoku, a village in Egba land). Perhaps the most notable piece of history about Lisabi is, according to historians, how he spearheaded the Egba insurrection against the despotic Alaafin of Oyo (Odunlade Adekola) and the expansionist empire.
Lateef Adedimeji plays the fiery yet temperate, farm-loving disposition of the eponymous character alongside Adedayo Adebowale, who plays the cavalier Osokenu. The film’s external conflict lies in this historical insurrection against the empire’s unrestrained tyranny and the oppressive feudal practices of the Sangodeyi (Ibrahim Chatta), the leader of the tribute collectors.
Class consciousness marred by monarchical complacency is the theme of Lisabi: The Uprising. The monarchical complacency and inimical apathy displayed by subordinate kings, not the least of which was the Alake of Egba, across the Yoruba land bear an uncanny resemblance to the modern age, where good men do nothing as the corridors of power unleash fire and brimstone against the unwitting masses.
Niyi Akinmolayan and Yinka Olaoye craft a discourse on history and the rage against the sickness of divine right. It might be pretty silly to debate the architectural realism of the film, but the mise-en-scene evokes the elusive quality of a bygone age. Pinpoint accuracy does not make a film like masterful art direction and visual language. The twin artistic visions of Nora Awolowo and Barnabas Emordi craft a splendid tableau that eases the suspension of disbelief with compositions par excellence.
What elevates Lisabi: The Uprising to the state of decency and enjoyability is the proportionate juxtaposition of commentary and tenets of simple storytelling. You might be compelled to say that’s an appraisal of the bare minimum, but it is almost a miracle that you get that in Nigerian films these days. There are no gilded lilies or gratuitous deviations from the three-act structure. Plot points after plot points — everything moves in unison towards the denouement devoid of narrative extravaganza.
The excellent performance by Lateef Adedimeji demonstrates why he is a staple in the film industry, and he shows a good command of the character by eschewing the mysticism or vagaries of the historical figure in favour of realism. He straddles the line between small-town farmer, Marxist leader of a revolution and messianic warrior-king. Odunlade Adekola reminds the audience that he’s more than a comic or a Falstaff of the Yoruba strain through an unsparing, kingly performance.
In Lisabi: The Uprising, Niyi Akinmolayan seems to have the balancing act within his grasp here. Though this isn’t in any way the epitome of cinematic perfection, all credits are given when it is due. There are overt traces of a director reaching for the stars here — coalescing his tentpole sensibilities with measured treatment, especially when the wind is blowing towards historical epics aimed at filling the crater in the documentation of our history.
You come out of Lisabi: The Uprising with a renewed sense of possibilities and potential, but the film is perhaps one of the most excellent big-budget productions this year. A film for the times in every aspect as we move away from the myths and fables of the old world. Maybe this time, despite our rationalities, we can spy into the stories of old and glean lessons germane to contemporary scenarios through cinema. The film does not debate the existence of Lisabi, only the reaffirming of the will of many in the face of adversity.
The story goes that Lisabi sank into the lithosphere after the insurrection against the empire, or maybe he died as all mortals do — nevertheless, this film proves that dead men tell tales through the visions of the living.