‘The Legend of Inikpi’ and Attention to Detail: A Review

When we look at the wealth of culture, mythology, and folklore that the different ethnic groups of Nigeria have, it is easy to see that one of the best ways to tell great stories is to revisit the stories from the past. Cue Mercy Johnson’s The Legend of Inikpi.

Inspired by the real-life story of the selfless sacrifice of Princess Inikpi of Igala, Mercy Johnson-Okojie, who was Senior Special Assistant to Kogi State Governor on Entertainment, Arts and Culture; deeply invested her time and effort in this project. There is so much to love and not love about this movie. But before we get into, let’s look at the plot.

The plot

The Legend of Inikpi follows the dilemma the Atta (king of Igala) is faced with when he has to choose between his subjects and his most beloved daughter.

The movie opens in the present day with a young black student proposing the story of Inikpi for a project. When asked by her white professor why she could not pick a Western hero, the student launches into the legend of Inikpi.

Set in pre-colonial times, the story starts when the Igala kingdom and the Bini kingdom are on the verge of war due to a gross misunderstanding. On consulting the gods, the Oracle reveals that the Igala kingdom stands no chance and would lose the war.

This is unless the king pays a price he cannot afford to the gods, the life of his beloved daughter Inikpi. As the Bini army progresses, the king is torn apart by grief and his inability to make a decision.

We then see a flashback scene where a younger Attah’s sister died as a sacrifice to save Igala; thereby explaining his determination to protect Inikpi at all costs.

Ultimately, Inikpi decides to lay down her life to save everyone in her kingdom.

The cast

The epic movie is full of memorable names like Sam Dede who plays the Atta, Mercy Johnson playing the role of Queen Omele; Saidi Balogun as the Oracle, Odunlade Adekola playing a young Atta, and Paul Obazele as Oba Esigie of the Bini Kingdom.

It also features newcomer Nancy Ameh as the titular character Inikpi. The movie was directed by Frank Rajah.

The accolades

The most striking thing about The Legend of Inikpi is the cinematography. The colour-grading, the camera angles, and the setting of this movie all lend to the effect of transporting you to another time in history.

In addition to that, the script for the movie was incredible. The monologues from the Attah and Queen Omele were moving and articulate. Mercy Johnson really shone in this movie, reminding us all that the silver screen is her home.

Sam Dede’s acting was also impeccable. He embodied the character of the Attah so perfectly. Dede could relate exactly what he was feeling without even speaking.

The chemistry of set was so good; it was easy to believe that Sam Dede, Mercy Johnson, and Nancy Ameh were truly a family.

I have to admit that I purchased the tickets for this movie with ambivalence. This was because Nigerian epics have quite a bad reputation. But this story was actually engaging and emotional. It drags you into the intense dilemma of choosing between two things you love.

What is also lovely about this movie was the depiction of Inikpi’s agency; her making the decision her parents were too afraid to make; thereby saving everyone.

These are the kinds of stories that we should be seeing more of.

Dragging time

As The Legend of Inikpi started, I was quickly disappointed with the introduction to the story. The student narrating the story to the professor had the worst accent imaginable; she sounded like she was constantly forgetting her lines.

The conversation between the student and the professor was awkward, bumpy, and unrealistic. It was as though it was a last-minute scene filmed in the course of a minute; ill-prepared and ill-performed.

It is impossible to overstate how bad an actress the unnamed student was and how rough the conversation sounded.

Also, the costume designers should have paid more attention to detail; because there is no reason why there should be Roman alphabets printed on wax Ankara material in the supposed 17th century.

In addition to that, there is no reason whatsoever why there should be women with relaxed hair in the 17th century. There were so many little flaws they could have avoided with a quick revision.

But apparently, multiple revisions are not really something Nollywood does.

Also, Nancy Ameh’s acting bored me beyond belief. As the titular Inikpi, her personality was bland and unmemorable. She was the hero, but she failed in holding any attention.

Rather, Sam Dede carried the entire movie on his back. He and Mercy Johnson’s acting pushed the movie several steps forward.

By far the most annoying thing about this movie is that it disobeys the number one rule of thumb for movies; show, don’t tell. In this movie, we are fed so much information that they might have as well just typed out the entire screenplay for the audience to read.

The much-awaited result of Inikpi’s sacrifice was completely skimmed over by the annoying bad-accent student. The student reveals that the gods made it so that when the Bini soldiers advanced towards the Igala kingdom, they met the kingdom engulfed in smoke as though it had already been destroyed.

I would have loved to see that, but apparently, they could not manage it. But they could have five people pouring catrrh out of their noses for a whole minute. How do you completely skip out on what would have even the most iconic part of the film?

Rating: 6.5/10