Sarraounia

Hard to believe it's been a year since the death of Med Hondo, a radically versatile icon of African cinema. Few weeks back i revisited Sarraounia (1986) which is one of the most important film ever made, but remains underrated in Hondo's filmography as many cinephile know him only for Oh, Sun (1967) and West Indies (1979). Some might know his the man behind the "French voice" of actor Eddie Murphy.

Sarraounia (a title indicating a female chief or a lineage of female rulers) was the Queen of the Azna and and sorceress, who cleverly fought the French in the 1899 Battle of Lougou is celebrated as a hero for her resistance against European colonialism. Additionally, the battle sequences are remarkably gritty, which adds to the authentic tone of the film. And, composers Issouf Compaoré, Pierre Akendengué, Abdoulaye Cissé provides a sweeping and majestic score that's incredibly powerful and soothing. A groundbreaking film, Sarraounia does an exceptional job at depicting the valor. The film scores on several counts, cinematography is brilliant, music is apt. Aï Keïta is excellent in the title role and dominates the screen as the vengeful sorceress exuding a total awareness of her character's bruised mentality and delivering a performance that is as physical and insidiously threatening as the land upon which she is habitually defiled by the French. The film is very impressive, a larger than life actioner that isn't lacking in style and more importantly doesn't let the style destroy the credibility. There is a lot to see, hear and experience in Sarraounia. It is an accomplished and stimulating cinematic experience from the Legendary Med Hondo.