Amanyanabo: The Eagle King review – a lavish Nollywood epic of crowns, gods and colonial tension

This visually stunning historical drama follows the rise of warrior-king Ibanichuka and combines dazzling pageantry with themes of power, faith and empireSet 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 has a monotheism problem: the local priest has switched sides to Christianity, desecrating his former idols, and chief Ogan (Nkem Owoh) is slyly pushing the lord’s agenda in Okrika – which may include free trade with the British. Continue reading...

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