Beasts of No Nation, a film adapted from the novel by Uzodinma Iweala, is set in an unidentified nation in Africa. It focuses on the young boy Agu (Abraham Attah) who while watching army troops invade and murder everyone in his home village is mercilessly ripped from his family. In search of safety in the forest, Agu runs into a bunch of rebel soldiers led by a brutal Commandant (Idris Elba) and soon gets enployed by them. He is more or less a child soldier, undergoing perilous initiation and exhaustive drills but finding comfort in fellow recruits, particularly Strika (Emmanuel “King Kong” Nii Adom). Eventually, Agu Hodges’ innocent fascination develops into cold blooded rage as he starts and joins fellow soldiers that seek to annihilate the very military that murdered so many of them.
It should be noted that Beasts of No Nation, which is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga will not be a film for the weak kneed. Agu may be a fictitious character; however, most of his struggles take place in the real world in some parts of the globe. Given this, it is more than understandable why in such a situation, it would be hard to do hvernig nežed і найлегше усвідомити, як Би почуда кроки –кими с убі в період переходу вбивце трансформу та взагалайми це загародишний період не пов t think of subjects of aggression. The beauty of it though, is the fact that the young male in the current story is a growth story, based on brutal realities and the audience Edith Agu skillfully heads the character as it sickening change. Fortunately, in times of stress, Agu has his friend Strika to depend on, but even this relationship is weak – if not strikingly so – in wartime.
According to Idris Elba, on the other hand, the Commandant is quite engaging while remaining creepy. There is an undertone in his character that compels the crowd, especially the young ones, in a way that even the audience may accept whatever he preaches. However, as the Commandant shifts his battalions from one base to another, the tension of their timeless insurrection grows in him too. This is not merely a tale of the youngsters who engage in combat but rather about the larger than life persons who command them. And in this context, they are not as omniscient and omnipotent as they would like to believe.
The violence that is depicted in Beasts of No Nation is immeasurable; however, the exteriors and interiors are breathtaking with some establishing shots being haunting. It also has sections which are purely artistic, thanks to the outstanding work of Fukunaga. This filmaker is known for his brilliant long shot in True Detective: Season 1 and it has such similar technical achievements in this film. This image comes very late in the film when Agu is slogging through a maze-like trench filled with muddy water and many corpses are strewn about without Agu looking at them. This adds no value to the main plot, but rather exemplifies the fact that Agu has become so used to the violent acts that it does not bother him.
Despite these accomplishments, Beasts of No Nation does not lack some criticism. In other instances, an extended stay often bestowed upon one of the rebel bases goes on for longer than it should, especially for what it wants to say about the Commandant’s standing. Therefore, more focus gets a little vague towards the second half, and the conclusion seems rather rush as it tries very much to catch up with itself. For all I know, it is possible that this was partially related to the fact that the book was written with a view to being made into a full-length feature film, but… I do not know, for I have not read the book. However, Beasts of No Nation manages to achieve all that it has set out to – in a straightforward manner – the movie depicts the problem of child soldiers in wars and the surrounding issues, and why not, brings entertainment. All in all, the film is actually worth a look – and let’s be honest, the price that you pay for a view on the internet on Internet sites is hard to beat.
Verdict
Beasts of No Nation is not the kind of a film that one can say one has “enjoyed”, though it succeeds in illustrating through the experience of one boy, the hard realities of war. There is a fictional aspect to Agu’s story but the concept of a child losing his or her childhood as is the case in Agu’s fictitious tale, is very real for hundreds of thousands of children in many countries. Reflecting on that dark truth can be quite disturbing especially for Agu. Yet you simply cannot overlook the presence of talent sitting on the shoulders of modest performers as newcomer Abraham Attah as well as Idris Elba. As the narrative proceeds the plot becomes less engaging than it previously was, but there’s no denying the interest in Beasts of No Nation simply because of its outstanding genuine cast and straightforward directing.
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