Actors’ performances are the gold effect for any great movie. Netflix released a Yoruba epic movie titled Jagun Jagun on August 10, 2023.
The indigenous movie tells a story of a warlord, Ogunjimi who feels threatened by a skilful young fighter Gbotija. Despite being the powerful kingmaker and feared for his ruthless war tactics, Gbotija rattled the warlord up with his rebel spirit which changes the course of it all.
Set during the pre-colonial era in the Yoruba kingdom, the epic movie Jagun Jagun transcends beyond a historical event into a current plague in the 21st century showing that Yoruba epics mirror current issues, not just recount history. Some of the commendations about the movie are the story’s depth and how the performances enhanced them.
In no categorical order, here are three actors who delivered compelling performances in Jagun Jagun:
Lateef Adedimeji as Gbotija
We first see Adedimeji as Gbotija, a young man with the power to speak and control trees, but before our very eyes, he evolves into an impeccable swordsman. Many may know him for his amazing comical roles or his teary eye-lover-boy scenes, but all that is left behind is as he embodies this character.
From the first scene, it’s clear that he put in the work to gain some muscle which was necessary for this character, as he fights in various scenes. While his performances throughout the movie are great, one scene that truly brings it home is when Gbotija breaks the fourth wall which stands as a barrier between the audience and the actor.
Breaking the fourth wall occurs when an actor directs his or her message to the audience and is frowned upon because it is meant to serve as a barrier between the actor and reality. However, Lateef does it in such an impeccable way that pushes the theme of political thuggery to the limelight when he faces the camera while remaining in character.
In a few words, he addresses what in our time is a system in which young men and women of the nation are used for negative political errands like; ballot box stealing, killing, vandalism, illicit tax collection, and much more. In his case, he is a young warrior who has just lost it all on the altar of a promotion task he was ordered to fulfill.
He returns after the third quest to question the evil actions of his master as he declares boldly to his other co-slaves the evil that has been done to them. With his portrayal, Jagun Jagun reminds us of our ability to fight this menace at least with the bold step of youths refusing to be puppets to evil course.
Ibrahim Yekini as Gbogunmi
Ibrahim Yekini delivers a captivating performance as Gbogunmi, Ogundiji’s right hand. His portrayal helps us truly understand Ogundiji’s true relationship with his subjects as we see him drop Gbogumi when he no longer has no use for him by pairing him with Gbotija. His confidence to challenge Ogundiji paves the way for Gbotija to do what was finally needed in his death.
We have seen Yekini previously on our screens in Yoruba movies, but this time we see him embrace a deeply traditional role. His eyes tell the message he is trying to tell at various intervals without misinterpretation. The mannerisms are never at any point too much or too little and when it’s time, he makes his presence known when he directs a line to the audience.
His father-son relationship with Adedimeji’s character adds more nuance and heart to the movie, proving his mastery of the craft.
Bukunmi Oluwasina as Iroyinogunkitan/Agemo
Iroyinogunkitan is believed to be Ogundiji’s only child but is later revealed as Agemo, a mystical being that arises in the face of a difficult war. Agemo is Ogundiji’s secret weapon and, as such, was under his control, but the fascinating thing is that Oluwasina’s roles never spill into one another until they need to.
We hate her initially based on how we are introduced to her character, but we fall in love just as quickly as Gbotija does. Oluwasina has us so wrapped around her little finger and emotionally invested in Kitan’s character that the reveal of her as the havoc-wrecking mystical being Agemo does nothing to change our love for her.
Instead, we empathize with the little orphan trapped in a grown woman’s body. The eventual heartwrenching death of her character is the final part of her enchanting performance that takes us from casual viewers to lifelong fans of Oluwasina who can’t wait to see what she does next.
