Review: 'House of Ga'a'

Cast: Femi Branch, Kunle Coker, Bimbo Manuel, Mike Afolarin, Toyin Adeyemi, Bridget Nkem, Funke Akindele, Dele Odule, Ibrahim Chatta and Adeniyi Johnson. 

Director: Bolanle Austen-Peters 

Date of Release: July 26th, 2024

Plot: A Kingmaker/ Prime Minister ruthlessly rises to power, determined to become more powerful than the Aalafins he served.

"House of Ga'a" was compared with the 2004 version directed by the late Adebayo Faleti even before its release on Netflix. Some argue that the straight-to-video version was richer in culture, while others contend that the new release is more detailed. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the debate over these two versions will continue for a while. People need to realise directors have different perspectives when it comes to book adaptations or reenacting a true story. 

The movie was about probably the most evil,  amoral and perverse figure in Yoruba history, Bashorun Ga'a.   Non-history buffs would find "House of Ga'a" entertaining if they could stomach the violence in it. Those who would fully appreciate it and give a critical analysis would have to be conversant with Yoruba history or at least have read its source material, The History of the Yorubas, written by Nigerian historian, Rvd. Samuel Johnson. Published in 1921, Ga'a is prominently featured in Chapter 5: "Bashorun Gaha and His Atrocities". If you've seen the movie and have any doubts about the level of Ga'a's evilness, find and read this book. 

"House of Ga'a" was a rich reenactment of the  Old Oyo empire in the 18th century, with Bashorun Ga'a (Femi Branch) taking centre stage. However, viewers who have read up on Ga'a and his disposal of 4 Aalafins would immediately note that the film was rather fast-paced. The events that led to each Aalafin's overthrow were either condensed or changed, particularly that of  Aalafin Agboluaje and Aalafin Majeogbe. In addition, it paid more attention to Ga'a's disposal of the kings, as Ga'a's atrocities also spread to the people of Oyo. However, the viewers must not fault the director or the scriptwriter,  as they had the production cost and running time to consider. If they were going to accuratelyately re-enact the events that led to each Aalafin's removal and death, "House of Ga'a" would have been a 5 part mini-series, instead of a full-length film of 1hr 59 mins. 

The script also took creative and dramatic liberties with the story. First, Ga'a's youngest and soft-hearted son, Oyemakun (Mike Afolarin), served as the film's narrator, considering from Rvd. Johnson's account, all of Ga'a's sons were just like him, basking in the power their father gave them, which allowed them to terrorise anyone they wanted at the time. The second was the addition of Zenub (Toyin Adeyemi), the captured Nupe woman who becomes Ga'a's concubine but is much hated by his household. Third is Oyemakun's courtship of the lovely Princess Agbonyin (Bridget Nkem), which was probably the only bright light in the entire movie. 

My reaction to Femi Branch's portrayal of Ga'a is mixed. The warrior installed as Bashorun after a victorious battle with the Nupes, according to history, suddenly became drunk with power, with a perverse need to bring each Aalafin to his knees. The film gave Ga'a a long-hidden motive (via flashback) for his actions, yet... are we supposed to sympathise with him? It even took the viewers to know who he lost all those years ago and if it was an attempt to show he has a heart, it failed. Ga'a had NO heart, just a lust for power for himself and who he chose to give it to among his family. The part where he finally begged for mercy from Abiodun, stating it was 'a mistake' was laughable. Who's going to believe such a man, who hid his later inability to walk, would utter such a statement? I highly doubt it. All the same, the scene when he shed angry tears and swore vengeance on Majeogbe was chilling. Branch delivered and delivered well but he could've radiated his evil aura without scowling and pursing up his lips so much. 

The costumes... beautiful and lavish. The gold jewellery used along with the coral beads can be accepted since some parts of Old Oyo dealt with Portuguese traders at the time.  But some of the Aso Oke materials were just too modern and flashy to be accurate for that era, as well as some of the women's hairstyles, their hair couldn't have possibly been that smooth at the time! 

As the movie had a dark and bleak tone, the writer was no doubt compelled to end it on a hopeful note, after its main character's downfall. However, "House of Ga'a" is a well-made movie enough to motivate us to read more about Yoruba history. 

"Bi o laya ko seka, sugbon bi o ba ranti iku Gaa ki o so oto”. (“If you are brave, venture into wickedness, but if you remembered Gaa’s death, adhere to the truth”)

Trivia: 

Bashorun Ga'a's story can be found in "The History of The Yorubas", written by Rvd. Samuel Johnson. Rvd. Johnson was a great-grandson of Aalafin Abiodun, the King who finally defeated Ga'a and had him executed. Revd Johnson's brother, Dr. Obadiah Johnson, was the second Nigerian to qualify as a medical doctor and re-complied Rvd Johnson's manuscript after his death, which eventually led to the book's publication. 

The scenes where Oyemakun trained with the female Dahomey warrior were based on a true existence... the Agojie. The Agojie was an all-female military regiment of the Dahomey kingdom (now Benin Republic), which existed from the 17th to the late 19th century.