Nigerian films are severally criticised has having low aesthetic values. When compared with the film of the developed world and other developing nations such as India, China, Nigerian video films can be said to be “aesthetically immature or inadequate”.
Helen Muchimba in an article titled: “Nigerian film lights Zambia’s Screen”, published in BBC Focus on Africa Magazine and also published on the BBC News Website identified that “Nollywood films are packed with simple but dramatic storylines…the stories tend to be quite simple but very dramatic and heavy on the emotions and somewhat stereotypical”. However, this prowess is often overshadowed by technical irregularities, unforgivably obvious artistic violations of cinematographic and filmic aesthetic conventions.
In addition the Wikipedia posits that “Nollywood (Nigerian video films) have trite plots, poor dialogue, and poor production values, and are stereotypical (some worry that the prevalence of witchcraft and violence in the movies may encourage the worst stereotypes about Africans).” It is typical to find just one Nollywood video film out of twenty that can survive the judgements of many film critics such as the renowned filmmaker Ola Balogun and Eddie Ugbomah. The situation is so dire that the National Film Video Censor’s Board (NFVCB) came up with a list technical problems which Nollywood videographers should avoid in their works; the NFVCB was prompted to publish the list on their website because it had observed that most of the movies produced in Nigeria keep recurring with these problems. Below some items on the list, which constitute these aesthetic misdeeds, will be explained.
A. Use of foul/vulgar language
Unlike many Hollywood films that are couched in very sophisticated language and occasional poetry. Many Nollywood video films make use of unpolished, foul and vulgar language. This is a result of the fact that most of the films are not properly scripted and are shot straight from improvisational acting and role playing, a situation in which actors use words the way it best occur to them.
A. Use of foul/vulgar language
Unlike many Hollywood films that are couched in very sophisticated language and occasional poetry. Many Nollywood video films make use of unpolished, foul and vulgar language. This is a result of the fact that most of the films are not properly scripted and are shot straight from improvisational acting and role playing, a situation in which actors use words the way it best occur to them.
B. Extraneous background noise or interferences
It is very difficult to find video films that do not have noise interfering with the dialogue of the actors, the film’s audio has noise either from the generator being used to power the shooting equipment or from the neighbourhood of the film’s location. It is almost a norm to hear extraneous noise filtering into the actual film’s sound.
C. Low Audio
Coupled with the problem of extraneous noise and interferences is the subject of low audio quality. Usually the film score or soundtrack is louder and clearer than the actual film dialogue in many Nollywood works; many examples of works with this deficiency abound.
D. Music conflicting with dialogue
This problem is closely linked with the above identified problems. In many Nigerian films film music is at war with the film dialogue such that it is the music that overrides the dialogue.
E. Non-crediting of music used in the work
Sometimes the music (songs, tunes etc) that is used for the film other than those composed, performed and processed for the film is not credited.
F. Spelling errors
It is mundane to find spelling errors in the title of films, in the opening and closing ending credits and in subtitles. This is a lack of finesse and excellence.
H. Editing problems
In many films cuts, fades, dissolves etc are used unjustifiably, and it is so annoying to see the editors of these bad movies indicate (NSE) in front of their names on the credits list, I wonder what the acronym means.
I. Poor picture quality
It is needless to say that the picture quality of many Nigerian films can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those from India let alone Hollywood because a lot of them feature very poor pictures terribly captured. I saw recently a Nigerian film on Africa Magic, DSTV in which the frame was shaking, a typical pointer to the fact that a tripod was not used during the movie’s filming. Also dull, dark and blurred pictures abound problems that are resultant of the lack of proper balancing of the camera.
J. Use of lengthy and unnecessary flashbacks and scenes
This is very common with Yoruba films; I believe this is done with the intent of filling up the tape time. In the name in flashback, many scenes are repeated which the spectator has seen earlier in the film.
K. Incomplete Storylines
It is common to have stories that are presented in parts. The two part movies are marketers favourite. Some films have storylines that are not completed in the first tape necessitating a second tape usually the conclusion of the story that began in the first tape, meanwhile there are films in which the story is not completed but the plot was deviated mid way.
L. Shot Composition problems
Some filmmakers- directors and cinematographer-in Nollywood do not understand how the film camera works and thus it is very common to see lapses. As Tunde Kelani puts it “it is the audience that now make the films for their own viewing”.
M. Indecent Exposure
“Sex sells” and this phrase has been the stimuli for the abundant inclusion of indecency in many video films. It is very common to see actresses dress outrageous- exhibiting the “salient” parts of their bodies (flaunting).Such films are DANGEROUS GAMES I and II, COMPUTER GIRLS, ABUJA BIG GIRLS, DOMITILLA etc are common example of films with abundance vulgar exposures.
N. Excessive brutality
There is excessive brutality in Nigerian films, a trend that has given Nigeria the reputation of a violent country with many foreigners who are Nollywood fans. As Onyero Mgbejume puts it “home video programme producers always want to excel competitors with lots of action in their production in order to sell their works; this had led them to exploit themes and storylines with: lot of blood letting, lot of murder, lot of suggestive sex, lot of pornography, lot of brutality, lot of occultism, lot of witchcraft, lot of robbery and lot of ritual killing…”[NFI,2001]. Many works based on the above has been done including LIVING IN BONDAGE (1992), ISSAKABA (2002), THE BIG BOYS CLUB (2005), RITUALS (1998), DOMITILLA (Zeb Ejiro,1996). It is not as if these stories are untrue infact there are many incidents in society involving such but the problem is that they are now a stereotype.
O. The recycling of stars and the star system
It is common to have the exact same set of actors who star in a Teco Benson’s movie star in a Chico Ejiro movie or another work by Teco Benson and another after that and playing in the same exact roles with minute changes. It is so bad that directors and film marketers who fund the films fight over actors as in the case of Emeka Ike and others.[Tribune Online,2005]
P. Excessive promo of films in other films
The average Nollywood video film features at least ten (10) minutes of the promotion of other films on its tape. This is too much as it bores the audience.
Q. Stereotypism
Many Nigerian films are similar in plot such that the average spectator can predict the eventual dénouement of the plot. A typical story about prostitution would feature a lady or a girl who is either raped as a child and as a result loses her will and becomes a whore for sexual satisfaction, rolling with all sought of men until the Mr Right, usually a fine and rich young man, appears and saves her or a girl (an orphan) who is maltreated by her relative and has to vend for herself and as a result becomes a prostitute until rescue comes in the form of a fine, bright and rich young man. Many other types of stereotypes abound including wealthy a chief whose affluence is as a result of their membership of a money ritual cult and starts to have problems upon overstepping the bound set for him by the cult etc. Other aesthetic flaws include continuity problems, misrepresentation of our culture and institutions, lengthy and unnecessary scenes.
These flaws are a result of the fact that many film directors in the Nigerian film industry are neither trained for the jobs nor educated in the art of filmmaking. There are very few auteurs in the industry. A lot of the film directors are in the trade because it is the “in-thing” to do.
Consequently, the excessive control of the movie marketers on the content of the works aids this imperfection. According to practitioners in the industry, the marketers who fund the film productions are asserting their authority on the director and over his artistic creation. Aside from choosing stories, it has been confirmed that they select the actors to appear in the movies and the number of days in which the film must be shoot and ready for exhibition. A situation critics has blamed for not allowing the best to come from the directors.
Adenugba, Olushola Oladele,
March,2006
Ibadan
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