By Enitan Abdultawab

One cannot but praise the now-buzzing Nollywood scene as new movies now heave into sight such as Ajakaju: Beast of Two Worlds, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti and the likes and, recently, it is Bolanle Austen-Peters’ ‘House of Ga’a’.

Following closely the real story of a powerful and despotic Basorun Gaa of the ancient Ọ̀yọ́ empire, ‘House of Gaa’ models the old movie of legend Adebayo Faleti who shot the movie in 2004 which was later put on stage in 2014 by students of the University of Ilorin.

Set in the old Oyo empire where the Oyomesi was an arm of the Alaafin, the plot of this movie can be likened to a Shakespearean tragedy that embodies the rise of a nobleman, his errors and his eventual downfall.

The people of Ọyọ́ witnessed a total centralization of power in the hands of Gaa who becomes very powerful after he becomes the Basorun – a position he merited due to his several war victories. He decides to install and remove any Aláàfin who would not do his wish. Eventually, he encounters his downfall when he goes up against a fortified Aláàfin Majeogbe whose magic crippled him (Gaa). To be able to walk again, he agrees to sacrifice the life of Agboyin, his son’s proposed lover and only daughter of Aláàfin Abiodun, whom Gaa himself had installed. Aláàfin, in search of revenge, allies with the Aare Kakanfo and, together, they bring Gaa’s tyranny to end.

Thematic allure

More often than not, a warlord commands respect more than any other individual in ancient times. It is why ‘House of Ga’a’ reveals how it is overly possible that an army commandant could easily usurp the power of the king and rule over the king-makers.

Ultimately, what tests an individual in his course of relating to his immediate environment is the test of power. Gaa is a representation of a tyrant leader who treats everyone as an inferior – after all, the glory of the empire in terms of warfare lies on his shoulders.

In addition, his actions are fuelled by the hatred he had of the Aláàfin when he was a kid in the handling of his older brother. This trails an individual’s high tendency to act upon Deja Vu – in respect to volatility as a defensive mechanism.

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Cinematographic allure

Transporting viewers to ancient times, where the elegance of the sword and its sheath are showcased in mesmerizing battles, ‘House of Ga’a’ offers a captivating Yoruba Odyssey. The film’s stunning scenery and cinematography perfectly complement the narrative. With its visual palace and market settings, stunts in fights, deep emotions, and masterful use of lights and costumes, this artistic masterpiece keeps the audience enthralled until the very end.

Cast allure

The cast of ‘House of Ga’a’ is strikingly rich – Jide ‘JBlaze’ Oyegbile, Femi Adebayo, Ibrahim Chatta, Bimbo Manuel, Stan Eze, Lateef Adedimeji, Mike Afolarin, Tosin Adeyemi, Toyin Abraham, Adeniyi Johnson, Femi Branch, Funke Akindele all play very significant roles. Notable are Afolarin (Oyemekun)’s eventual rise, Stan Eze( Nupe Warlord)’s single appearance, Funke Akindele (Olórí)’s unintended comic relief and, particularly, Femi Branch (Basorun Gaa)’s acts and gestures which did ‘killed’ the roles than his words.

The take-home

The script paces the action directly; there are no unnecessary plot diversions. The love affair in the final third of the movie might have been predicted by viewers given the short introduction of Oyemekun from the start of the movie – we might have seen it coming.

Rating

Excellent. Although the movie employs a few fictitious narratives which is quite understandable of a Nollywood production, it remains valid to the history it is retelling. 8/10.

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