African child soldiers, young boys who fight the causes of powerful men is the subject of this feature film from Cary Joji Fukunaga. Since it was released simultaneously on Netflix and in cinemas it has been boycotted by the largest theatre chains, but I am certain that the film will reach its audience anyway. Taking place in an unnamed war-torn African nation it centers around a young boy named, Agu, who is forced to join one of three warring factions after democracy collapses in his country.I had very high hopes for Beasts of No Nation which was met with mixed reviews during its film festival run and it did not disappoint at all. First of all, it is an emotionally powerful film depicting boys going through horrific events almost unfathomable to outside eyes, without ever losing its aura of realism or even trying to preach to its viewer. Secondly, it is a film that utilizes sophisticated methods to deliver its story. Sometimes that is visual storytelling, sometimes it might be just hinting at certain story elements and respecting the viewer enough to know that we can figure things out for ourselves.A lot of the film is spent on the relationship between Agu and the leader of his unit simply called the Commandant. Young Agu is played by first time actor, Abraham Attah, who delivers a layered performance in a role that requires both naivety and maturity. Idris Elba shines as the Commandant, a difficult role since we as the viewers are supposed to despise him, but still be able to understand his appeal and why the men and boys who follow him chooses to do so. What Beasts of No Nation gives us by depicting this relationship is an explanation as to how and why these soldiers are able to commit these atrocious acts and how they are indoctrinated by their leader.I would not want to forget mentioning one of the films biggest strengths. How immaculate it looks, Cary Joji Fukunaga, besides writing, directing and producing also chose to do the cinematography for his film and the result is a triumph. Such a beautifully shot film with a rich color palette and absolutely striking visuals. Filmed in Ghana the films gives us location after location that looks as if they have genuinely been through war. A few people might take issue with the slow pace, the lack of melodrama or that the film depicts its subject matter in an all to gritty way, but I found myself captivated by this gem and with all its craftsmanship along with offering a glance into the relatively unexplored perspective of the child soldier it is a strong addition to the war film genre.
I guess the only way Hollywood views Africa is as an entire continent ravaged by nothing but conflict & suffering and in a way, Beasts of No Nation is another exemplification of that. That's not to say that the film doesn't have any merit, for it is definitely a powerful, provocative & compelling piece of work but the entertainment industry's immoderate fascination with the civil war subject is still worth questioning.Set in an unnamed West African country, the story concerns a young boy named Agu who after witnessing his family being gunned down by soldiers flees from the village but inadvertently runs into the rebel forces and is coerced to join them in their fight. The plot follows Agu's harrowing journey as a child soldier and the loss of innocence he undergoes after witnessing the brutality & hardships of war.Written, shot & directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the film takes a no-holds-barred approach to render its script on the film canvas and manages to depict everything in an uncompromising manner. The camera brilliantly captures the transition our character undergoes from living in a bright, hopeful environment to a grim, disturbing one through its changing colour tones as plot progresses, and it is effectively utilised by Fukunaga.Thanks to fine editing, the story is gripping for the most part but the final act is nonetheless drawn out, making the viewers feel the runtime at that point. Coming to the performances, there are two standouts in Abraham Attah & Idris Elba, the former's input being a definite highlight as Attah carries the whole film on his own little shoulders while Elba plays the leader of the rebels with comfort and the scenes between the two form the core ingredient that keeps things glued together.On an overall scale, Beasts of No Nation is difficult to watch at times, is unflinching with its violent content, and is meant to be an upsetting experience. But where it really hits the mark is in handling the complexities of its lead character but other than that, there isn't really much in the story that separates it from other Hollywood treatments of same subject matter. Although these stories help bring certain issues to light, the exclusive focus on Africa's turmoil is nonetheless hurting the entire continent's image. Worth a shot anyway.
more City of God than Apocalypse Now, stronger on leadership & indoctrination than madness of war (though a gruesomely sublime 15-minute sequence in the middle aces the latter). Elba and the kid are strong, and CJF certainly has the chops in several different categories, but he couldn't really break this story the way it needed to be broken.(and Dan Rohmer's ambient M83 synths are way out of place)
