52 | The Lion King
Movies
October 1
A Movie Review By Funke Osae-Brown
K
unle Afolayan’s latest movie, ‘Oc-
tober 1’ is unique in that it takes the
audience into an unknown world
of the unspoken; the unspoken actions
and inactions of religious hypocrisy and
political injustice.
The film takes us back in time to Nigeria
on the eve of Independence with all
the events taking place within a month.
It begins with Inspector Danladi Waziri,
a role well played by Sadiq Daba, nar-
rating an account of his investigation of
the murder of five female virgins in the
remote village of Akote. Listening to him
are the colonial masters, Mr. Winterbot-
tom an attaché to the outgoing gover-
nor of Lagos, Ackerman, and Tomkins
Colins, DCO from Kenya,
A police officer from the North, Waziri
is diligent and determined to resolve
the mystery behind the serial murder. In
spite of the fact that he has written a
report of his findings, Winterbottom and
his men still want to hear Waziri narrate
his experience verbally.
As Waziri begins to narrate his investiga-
tions verbally, the film takes the audi-
ence into a busy market day in Akote.
Each of the scenes shown are interject-
ed with demonstrations from women,
with the famous Funmilayo Kuti (played
by Deola Sagoe) leading them. Inspec-
tor Waziri is received at the motor park
by the humorous Sergeant Afonja, who
gives him a progress report on the mur-
ders. Sergeant Afonja takes him to ex-
amine one of the corpses. The portrayal
of this scene is very commendable. The
corpse is not shown but its state is rightly
captured in the words of Inspector Wa-
ziri who brilliantly delivers the lines thus:
“Discolouration around the neck sug-
gesting strangulation; the same for the
other victim. Blood around the vagina
suggesting rape.”
‘October 1’ is a brilliant recreation of
history where the script writer, Tunde Ba-
balola, supported by the director, Kunle
Afolayan skillfully creates a story of
pain, treachery, betrayal and religious
hypocrisy.
In a show of betrayal, Reverend Father
Downing, undermines the trust of the
people of Akote by sexually violating
two young boys, Agbekoya and Prince
Aderopo, who lived with him in a bid to
get western education at the famous
Kings’ College in Lagos.
Hurt by the Reverend’s violation of
his person, one of the boys, Prince
Aderopo, decides to rape five virgin
girls of Akote before October 1, the
same day he is billed to travel to Britain
on scholarship for his university edu-
cation as revenge for the violation he
has suffered. This theme of betrayal,
religious pretense and treachery runs
through the entire film. Father Down-
ing’s love for boys is the main plot on
which other sub plots of the film are
woven. He is the pedophile, who sleeps
with Aderopo and Agbekoya.
‘October 1’ is also a film rich in the use
of language. The language employed
in the film is as diverse as the characters
are.
Yoruba is the predominant language
in Akote, but characters like Sergeant
Waziri, and the innocent Hausa traveler;
wrongly accused of killing Chidinma,
speak Hausa. Okafor, a hunter, whose
daughter is the fifth victim of Aderopo’s
escapade, and his other Igbo brothers,
speak Igbo. These languages bring to
light the diversity of a people on the
verge of independence.
The death of Chidinma, and the re-
sponse of the Igbo community in Akote
to her killing, including Okafor’s ultimate
revenge, confirm how contentious cross
cultural issues have always been in
Nigeria.
‘October 1’ also unhappily reminds us
that corruption and injustice were part
of the legacies inherited at independ-
ence. The criminal in the film is Prince
Aderopo, but he is left unpunished be-
cause he is the son of a notable king.
Instead, an innocent Hausa traveller is
accused of the murder of Chidinma.
And Winterbottom insists it remains so
because the Hausa man is unknown; a
faceless man, while Prince Aderopo is
well known, hence he is incapable of
murder. But the grand plot is not to pro-
tect Prince Aderopo, but to cover the
inadequacies of Father Downing.
‘October 1’ premiered recently and is
an interesting film worth seeing.
