by Allan Fish
(Mali 1987 105m) DVD1
Aka. Brightness
The magic post
p Souleymane Cissé d/w Souleymane Cissé ph Jean-Noël Ferragut, Jean-Michel Humeau ed Dounamba Coulibaly, Andrée Daventure, Marie-Catherine Mique m Michel Portal, Salif Keita art Kossa Mody Keita
Issiaka Kane (Nianankoro), Niamanto Sanogo (Soma/Djigui), Aoua Sangare (Attou), Balla Moussa Keita (Rouma Boll, the Peul King), Sountha Traore (Mah), Ismaila Sarr (Bofing), Youssouf Cissé (small boy), Koke Sangare (chief of the Komo), Youssouf Coulibaly, Manzon Coumare, Souleymane Coumare, Sidi Diallo, Nadje Doumbla, Zan Doumbla,
Souleymane Cissé’s shamanistic drama is certainly not a film for everyone. It’s leisurely, almost funereal in places. Not a lot happens for long stretches of time and the plot itself cannot mean as much to those unversed in Mali customs and heritage as those who are, and yet somehow it grabs hold of you, tightly drawing you into its magical tale until you fall under its spell. Jonathan Rosenbaum called it the greatest African film ever made and, despite the talents of Ousmane Sembene – whose Moolaadé has already been covered – it’s hard to argue with him.
Yeelen is set in 13th century Mali – though to be fair, it could just as easily be 20th century, such is the remote location of the tale. Nianankoro is accused by his father, Soma, the powerful master of the Komo, the ancient magical code of Mali, of stealing secrets from the Komo. Over the years Nianankoro and his old mother, Mah, have moved from village to village in an effort to outrun his father’s vengeance, but finally Mah comes to realise that running is useless and that Nianankoro must be prepared to either try and reconcile himself with his father, or be prepared to face him. Nianankoro leaves his mother to try and get help from his uncle in fighting Soma, and on the way tries to evade detection from Bofing, who is searching for him with his magic post, and Soma himself. He helps the King of the Peul tribe fight off unwanted attentions, and is even given the hand of his daughter in marriage, but ultimately, it proves merely a sojourn from the inevitable, and he finally faces up to his vengeful father.
There’s arguably never been a more mystical film in the history of the cinema, but whereas the finer intricacies of the shamanistic lifestyle cannot be appreciated by western eyes, the beauty of the surroundings, and the director’s skill at exploiting them, can. There are numerous sequences which, by their very alien nature, ingrain themselves in our minds, from a sequence of literal head wrestling to the death to Komo practitioners literally freezing people still to the magic post’s magically moving all over the place as two attendants try to carry it and do its bidding. One feels like a privileged witness to a soon-to-vanish way of life, and while the beliefs of the West Africans may seem from another world, their feelings, worries and sense of honour are not.
The film opens with a gorgeous sunrise, with the sun’s rays bringing the Yeelen or brightness of the title, and ends with a dazzling sequence, a sort of wizard’s duel in which, in true Merlin-like fashion, the protagonists transform themselves into animals, from elephants to lions to bulls, before being forced to submit to the power of the magic they practice in the face of a truly blinding, apocalyptic light. However, what is most remarkable about the sequence is that it is the most western of the entire film. The stand off between father and son may evoke memories of Oedipus, but cinematically it bears the distinct mark of Sergio Leone, complete with respectful distances, flashbacks and even the extreme close ups of the protagonists’ eyes. One only need close our eyes to imagine Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson in their place. Gorgeously shot, Cissé is also blessed by powerful performances from his non-professional cast, not least Kane as the noble Nianankoro, a handsome youth whose eyes speak a thousand words and who walks with the innate dignity of total majesty. A wonderful film.
Click on names for archives
Writers/Founders
Wonders in the Dark 
Surprisingly (given some of the left-fielders chosen in the early stretches of previous countdowns) I am 3 for 3 in being familiar with all of Allan’s picks so far.
Sadly I am 0 for 3 in having seen any of them! However, Yeelen is available on Netflix – while oddly enough, the more famous Akira is not. It is now #1.
I think the only African, or at least sub-Saharan, film I’ve seen – aside from The Gods Must Be Crazy films – is Xala, which I found initially amusing, eventually tedious.
MovieMan, ‘Akira’ was available on Netflix before, now it’s been moved to ‘saved’ which usually means another version is coming. So if you want to see it just wait (or go to a rental store with a decent selection as even if they have only 5 anime’s ‘Akira’ will be one).
this happens a lot when criterion releases a film already available on netflix (the new ‘Seventh Seal’ comes to mind), it will be available, then when the criterion announcement comes (about 2 months prior to release) it goes to ‘Saved’ then gives a date. just FYI.
Yes, oddly enough I noticed the same thing happened to “Greetings” which I just rented back in April. Unfortunately at this point Akira is still listed as date unknown, but friends of mine own it so it should not be at all hard to view.
I’m 2 for 3 with Allan on this one. But, considering the description of the film and the fact that I like movies like this (realistic but full of magic and mysticism), I’m gonna have to rip through Schmulee’s immense DVD library for this one. Looking forward to it. Once again, another film that would have flown out of radar range and rescued by Allan. Thanx, Dennis
This is a very great film, one of the best African films ever. Perhaps onlya few Sembenes, MOOLAADE, XALA, and CAMP DE THIOROYEand also a film called TILAI are as great.
I loved this film, but I am a bit confused by your review. I was sure that Nianankoro had sex with the Peul King’s 3rd wife–who had been unable to bear him children, thus stealing her from him. The Peul King’s response is tempered and even, despite the rage and sense of betrayal burning in his eyes. Perhaps you and I saw differently subtitled versions?
Never seen this film, but I have hard great things (besides this post I mean). Allan, and to all others who have seen it, how does this compare to Roeg’s ‘Walkabout’? This description makes it out like it moves at a little more leisurely pace, maybe I should just see it and shut up?
Some similarities to WALKABOUT Jamie, but YEELEN is more a work of realism.
Yes, you should see it, but it’s a mood piece and takes a couple of viewings to take in.
JG, I’m not sure to be honest, you may be right. When I get chance to rewatch the film, I’ll let you know. I wrote the review a day or two after watching it – mostly I write immediately after but I remember that was one of the few written later. I may have got a detail hazy. My bad!
Allan, it may be possible that there are different subtitled versions, and either would completely change the meaning of that scene, not to mention the whole film. When I saw this sequence, the idea I took away from the Peul King’s response was one of acceptance and forgiveness–a lesson Nianankoro would never have learned from his own vengeful father, but which is vital to his story. However, in a version where Nianankoro took the King’s daughter, the end implication would be different. Yes, the King would still have shown forgiveness and acceptance, but the resulting child would represent something far more important–a joining of tribes, a strengthening of bonds between the peoples of the region. In such a case, I’m not sure either of us is wrong. 🙂
I know I said I was taking a break from commenting on the Akira thread but didn’t address you, JG, so before I take my sabbatical, I’ll just say that you may be right. I have only ever seen the Kino DVD version – well I did see it on TV as well many years ago, which may have left residue, but unlikely. You’re right on subtitling, though, a badly done job can lead to misconstruing subtle details.