2007 Athens Film Festival
African film 'Bamako' lacks intensity
By Rachel Hanes, Staff Writer
May 3, 2007 | 10:36 p.m.
Courtroom dramas are often exciting, tense and provocative. If filmmakers had managed to install some of these characteristics into “Bamako,” then it probably wouldn’t have been such a bore.
“Bamako” shows the happenings of a trial held in a poor section of the village of the African city of Bamako. The trial is questioning the intentions of the World Bank and the effects of globalization on the African community. It is held in the courtyard joining a few homes, one of which belongs to Melé (Aissa Maiga), a lounge singer, Chaka (Tiécoura Traoré), her out-of-work husband, and their young daughter. While witnesses to the destruction and corruption of African society testify to the court, Melé and Chaka’s marriage begins to fall apart.
The African natives give heart-wrenching testimonies to the trials that their community, and even them personally, have faced because of the overwhelming debt that Africa faces. They want the debts to the World Bank to be freed so that the money can be given to the people rather than the bank. Throughout the film, which is beautifully shot, one can see the sadness that resides within the people and the setting of the village Bamako, and viewers are to understand that many parts of Africa face similar problems.
The plot of “Bamako” sounds interesting and relevant, but it is delivered in a manner that is tedious and, at times, boring. Three people could be heard snoring during the debut at the Athens Film Festival. For many minutes at a time, characters deliberate and debate the same issue over and over again, and a counterargument is delivered over and over again. Yes, this is how a trial works. But, for the sake of film and entertainment, does an audience need to hear (or, for those not fluent in French or Bambara, read) all of the details?
Also, the characters are hardly given depth. Visually, Melé and Chaka are two heartbroken people who feel the weight not only of their breaking marriage, but also of the faltering community. Other than this, however, audiences are given few details, and storylines between characters are not explained fully and see little resolution.
The idea behind “Bamako” is one that is important not only to natives of Africa, but also for Americans, too. The globalization issues in Africa are ones that should be brought to the public’s attention, and it is fortunate to have a film that can bring this to people’s attention. The effectiveness of it, however, is questionable. How well can a film call people to action if they can’t stay awake to understand the issue?
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Speakeasy Rating: C+
Running time: 1 hour 55 minutes
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Genre: Art/Foreign, Drama, Politics/Religion
Go here to view the movie's Web site.
To see show times for this and other films featured in the Athens International Film and Video Festival, click here.