Beasts of No Nation
Beasts of No Nation
(2015)
A Review by Grant Kanigan
Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Written by: Cary Joji Fukunaga, based on
Uzodinma Iweala's novel
Starring: Abraham Attah, Idris Elba
Rating: Not Rated
Release Date: October 16th, 2015, (Netflix Exclusive)
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Idris Elba and Abraham Attah walk a dangerous road in Beasts of No Nation
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"You and I, in fact everyone all over the world, we’re literally African under the skin; brothers and sisters separated by a mere two thousand generations. Old-fashioned concepts of race are not only socially divisive, but scientifically wrong."
- Dr. Spencer WellsWells' statement is an important fact when watching a story with the heft and weight of Fukunaga's Beasts of No Nation. The story follows young Agu, (Abraham Attah), a young, rambunctious boy in the midst of a war ravaged unnamed African country. The fact it's unnamed is interesting; aside from literally being "of No Nation" like the title suggests, this creative choice leaves the film open enough for the audience to project themselves into the country, to see themselves in Agu's situation, and to feel Agu's pain. Had the filmmakers chosen to specify a country, it's easier for the audience to 'other' the characters; to say they're from over there; they're not western; we don't do that. Without a specific nation, the characters could be in Sierra Leone - or your backyard. This isn't happening to Africans, this is happening to us. As Wells and many others have said - 'we are all Africans.'
Beasts of No Nation opens with Agu, a child between the age of 9-12, who lives with his family inside of the walls of a militarily protected refugee outpost. Life is simple but tough within the walls of his community, surrounded by government soldiers who protect the town from the civil war raging outside. Finding joy in whatever is available, Agu and his friends play pranks, joke with the local soldiers and enjoy time with their families. However, civil war soon finds its way within Agu's hometown, tearing his family apart, and leaving his brother and father dead. On the run from bloodthirsty soldiers, and just trying to survive, Agu stumbles across a group of child soldiers led by the mysterious Commandant, (Idris Elba).
At first the Commandant and his privates offer food, shelter and purpose, as well as refuge from those who killed Agu's father. The Commandant additionally seems to offer vengeance towards those who killed Agu's father, keeps the children under his care, and offers them structure, in the way a football team serves to "toughen" kids up. However, nothing is ever as simple as it seems. At first it's handing a child a gun, then killing a weak young boy, then snorting mystery drugs before an ambush, and finally, cold blooded murder. By the time the Commandant becomes disturbingly affectionate towards Agu, the young boy learns that some fates are worse than death.
Beasts of No Nation approaches some of the heaviest subject matter imaginable - child soldiers, physical, mental and sexual abuse, as well as extreme violence. Yet, it's never exploitative towards its subject. In voiceovers expunging internal strife, we understand the cognitive dissonance inside Agu's mind. Is it worth being alive if one is forced to murder the innocent? What God would allow children to murder an infant for no other reason than boredom? No sane God would allow such a thing, and if they did, would a person want to live on that God's Earth? Hearing a child ask "Sun, why are you shining at this world? I am wanting to catch you in my hands, to squeeze you until you can not shine no more. That way, everything is always dark and nobody's ever having to see all the terrible things that are happening here," is powerful and completely devastating. It's a testament to Abraham Attah's acting ability that such monologues are totally believable. As an actor, Attah takes what could be either a archetypical monster or a helpless victim and makes Agu a complex, multifaceted enigma.
Attah, only 14 years of age, is arguably the best child actor of all time. Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver, Leonardo DiCaprio in This Boy's Life, Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild and this year's Room star Jacob Trembelay are all examples of fantastic work by young thespians, years ahead of their peers, but none match the range, complexity and power of Abraham Attah. As Agu, he is forced to be silly, scared, weak, strong, confused, and disconnected. It's a role few grown actors could play. Idris Elba, opposite Agu, as the nefarious Commandant, has to match Attah's abilities. Known for playing cool-as-ice characters like the BBC's Luther, Stringer Bell in The Wire, Nelson Mandela in Long Walk to Freedom and the hero of Pacific Rim, the sadistic, abusive and psychotic Commandant is a far cry from Elba's usual fare; and he absolutely nails it. In a role that could easily become a caricature, Elba is restrained when need be, and monstrous when the role calls for it. It's some of his best work. That neither actors were nominated for an Academy Award is absolutely criminal*. At the helm of the entire production, is talented Director/Cinematographer Cary Fukunaga.
Cary Fukunaga, a native of Los Angeles, is best known for his layered 2012 adaptation of Jane Eyre, and the explosive first season of True Detective. Off-kilter and methodical, he's an interesting choice for directing a film about child soldiers in a civil war-torn African country. Beasts of No Nation is, (so far), Fukunaga's masterwork. Showering beautiful African landscapes across the blood spattered hands of the film's main cast, his keen directorial ability and dazzling cinematography make for an unique cinematic portrait. The juxtaposition of the African landscape with extreme violence seem to showcase the downfall of man - we have been given a paradise, and all we can do with it is shower it in our brothers' blood. Yet, Fukunaga shows, all is not lost. Agu is a child; although he has been forced to do terrible things to survive, there is still time for change; to let him walk his own path in a brighter direction. Fukunaga's film seems to suggest in life, there are two types of people: innocent and evil. Yet, most of us lie somewhere in between, searching for what works best for us and refusing to choose a side; beasts of no nation.
GRANT'S RATING: 5/5 STARS
*Beasts of No Nation is a Netflix Original production - meaning besides a few select festivals and theatres, it premiered exclusively on the streaming service. While this might mean nothing for the average film viewer, it's a major shake up in the industry. Theatre owners are up in arms about streaming services, and have major pull within the film industry. To nominate a Netflix production would likely be seen by many as an acceptance of this new way of film distribution. This is likely the biggest reason that Beasts of No Nation didn't receive any Oscar nominations. If it were to have been released in a 'traditional' way, I have no doubt it would have swept the awards ceremony. Still, I commend Netflix on their great taste in filmmaking, and enjoy the accessibility of their service.
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