Watch out for the upcoming Nollywood movie titled Basorun Gaa’s

First of all, as an ardent fan of historical drama it’s is such an amazing feeling to finally start seeing content that are based on our local history and culture as against having to constantly depend on Hollywood giving us Medieval, Greek, Viking, Mongolian etc. stories.

For many people, historical movies are like vehicles that transport us to the past we so desperately want see, what was it like for the people, how did they live and how did those events shape our society today. This begs the question of accuracy in movies

   This aerial view is something I’m impressed about. This is something films like Anikulapo and Jagungun lacked, not that they didn’t have aerial view but they were not as extended and didn’t have the information about the entire city as seen in this scene here. Although if you notice at some point you can barely tell the difference between the huts and trees. Also the round huts roof look too similar, when considering a city we know that the farmer’s house will definitely be different from what the merchants house will look like, plus Africans usually built compounds to house their extended household, these compounds should have been seen in this aeries shot. Nevertheless I applaud the vfx team for this view of Old Oyo where the story is set.

It was great to see Bashorun Gas’s household and I love how BAP paid attention to the women, in some films the harem are usually relegated but history tells us that rich and powerful African men loved their harem, the women truly were the household. It may be just me but I think a lot of people pay attention to the backdrop of a setting, in these three frames you will notice that the backdrops are all bushes. Palace court entrance facing bush, market also, Bashorun’s sons lair.
We should have seen the city as backdrop… This will give us the impression of life happening simultaneously as our story is being told, we see this in Hollywood a lot, when movies are big budgeted it’s not just to focus on what is happening on screen but also what is happening around the screen. Could have been better This will give us the impression of life happening simultaneously as our story is being told, we see this in Hollywood a lot, when movies are big budgeted it’s not just to focus on what is happening on screen but also what is happening around the screen. Could have been better High and low reliefs should be adopted against the use of graffiti in our films. Our ancestors made use of these arts, they are not foreign to us, just painting on the walls of some scenes diminishes the value of the set, remember that kings would have an entire guild of artists who worked to beautify their palaces, and these arts are still studied in art schools all over the world.
The graffiti in the outer wall of the first frame should not have been there at all sef. 2d Art can never replace 2 dimensional art. We’ve seen the bastardized use of graffiti in so many Nigerian epic films and if we’re improving our story telling then we should improve in that aspect as well. Also these arts are not necessarily needed in every wall just because the film is historical.

Once again I’m highly impressed by the vfx team but these elements look too crispy. In the first frame, the three buildings on the left are looking like structures in obudu cattle ranch. The walls of the fence has too sharp edges, remember these story is set in old Oyo

Even though our ancients had amazing tech, their structures couldn’t have been as sharp, also slight aging of the textures could have helped the look, my eyes were able to quickly pick out the vfx structures in each scene as against the actual ones. Same problem with Ogundiji’s house in JagunJagun. Too sharp and the entrance which was an actual construction looked contrasting depth of Field. This is absolutely very important but somehow we tend to neglect this. If you have seen Woman King you’d remember how the interior of each house looked so bulky and felt real, in our films we see more of flat walls and less of columns, archs, levels that actually gives the impression of a grand set.
Sometimes the structures look like they can be toppled by wind and rain. If we have gone from making films with 5m budget to 500m then we should be able to get better at more accurate set constructions. In some films, although with lesser budgets you’d see walls built up with wood and canvas then painted with mud and highly graffitied, it still doesn’t pass off. Also the depths in structures will improve lighting in the scene as we see in the Woman King scene. Look at a king’s forecourt, they are help up but tiny looking slicks. And that’s seated there is supposed to be the Almighty Alaafin of Old Oyo Empire, the same Oyo that terrorized Dahomey in the third frame.

Did the Nupe’s really dress like this going to war in those days?

The second frame, is that an actual Oyo warrior? Third frame, can an Oyo Bashorun go to war looking like this and without a head gear?
The first frame looks like the depiction of Oyo empire soldiers inaccurately depicted in Gina
Prince-Bythewood’s Woman King (gosh I was so pissed).
Now look at our own depiction of ancient Oyo warriors, looks like something off Ajoche. Where are the Kembe, charms and amulets, the snail shells and ado, feathers and animal skins.

Finally, Bashorun Gaa is going to be an amazing film and I can’t wait to see it. It’s a right step in the perfect direction.
As someone who have been in the set of a film production severally I know the Herculean task of making films, non can be perfect and I know for certain.…..that my generation of film makers will definitely take us there. For now I look forward to more films from BAP, Kunle Afolayan, Femi Adebayo etc.
Peoplesmind