Night of the Kings

Greetings again from the darkness. Could you tell a story that lasts all night? What if you were standing on a box in front of a few hundred rowdy inmates? What if your life depended on it? Writer-director Phillippe Lacote (RUN, 2015) opens the film with an aerial shot over the jungles of the Ivory Coast and slowly makes way to the isolated prison known as La MACA.

The camera takes us to the bed of a police pickup truck where a handcuffed young man is being escorted by an armed guard. It's the first day of his prison sentence. La MACA has a warden and prison guards, but even they admit the place is mostly run by the inmates. The warden (Issaka Sawadogo) meets with the new prisoner (newcomer Bakary Kone), but it's Blackbeard (Steve Tientcheu) who summons the newbie to his cell. Blackbird has been the Dangaro, Chief of Prisoners, for years, and only recently has his hulking presence led to chatter of diminishing losing power. With his fatigue requiring regular intake from oxygen tanks, Blackbird realizes his reign is near ... and tradition requires that, once too weak to lead, he take his own life.

Blackbird names the wide-eyed new prisoner Roman, meaning he will be the storyteller at that evening's Red Moon. Blackbeard has this planned as his final hurrah as leader. Two prisoners are vying to become the new Dangaro: Blackbeard's loyal assistant Half-Mad (Jean Cyrille Digbeau) and rival faction leader Lass (Abdoul Karim Konate). They each have their eye on wearing the "crown".

If all this sounds a bit convoluted, you should know it's fascinating to watch unfold on the screen. The rules and rituals are followed vigorously, and just like in any political situation, behind-the-scenes maneuverings are ongoing. We never lose sight of the fact that there are hundreds of criminals gathered in a confined area, yet the structure of their organization lends itself to Roman's storytelling.

As a member of the Microbes gang in the Lawless Quarter of Abidjan, Roman doesn't consider himself a storyteller, and is reluctant to begin. Urged on by the aggressive reactions of his audience, he's soon weaving tales blending his childhood, the recent arrest of local legend Zama King, and the mythology and history of the Ivory Coast. Stunning flashbacks and visuals are utilized in just the right dosage to help us understand the stories without losing the danger Roman faces. What danger, you ask? Well a fellow prisoner named Silence (played by Denis Lavant, from 2012 cult favorite HOLY MOTORS), who keeps a chicken perched on his shoulder, warns Roman that his story must last through the night until the Red Moon sets on the horizon ... or the ritual demands he be killed. Talk about motivation - as if the metal hook in the stairwell wasn't enough!

Filmmaker Lacote excels with his 'story within a story' and the blending of truth and fiction. The fed-up guards watching through the small window in their protected office says more than words could. And cinematographer Tobie Marier Robitaille works wonders within the claustrophobic confines of the prison, and by capturing the emotions of the participants. This is an original film that could be equally effective as a stage production, as both vehicles can convey the glory of the moment morning breaks. Let's hope this isn't "once upon a time" for Lacote, and that he has more to offer at this level. Available February 26, 2021 in select theatres and Virtual Cinemas

Combining african realism with magic. The wild prison of Abidjan become the scene to explore both the country's turbulent present and social conditions through rite and music. A very different 'prison movie' that shows that young african cinema draw its way not by imitating but by creating new species, adapted to its specialities. Acting is superbe - Denis lavant holds a very distinctive role, underlying his peculiarity as a unique performer - and the director manages genuisly the scenes where the lot of prisoners act as a chorus in ancient tragedy. The living music tradition of western Africa palys too an important role. Surprisingly astonishing!!!!

For once , the trade paper reviews were actually accurate, it is so different from what 'we' are used to watching. And I was totally engaged from the very first moments of the film until the end and for me it was a movie that stays with you and you come to understand some of the deeper aspects of the film after you have watched it. The movie has completely different 'sensibilities' than Hollywood fare, it is most decidedly 1) African and 2) by a foreign (French) director. The best I can tell anyone reading this review is that I was so glad I watched it and enjoyed every last minute of it.

A gripping, imaginative movie set in the Ivory Coast, Night of the Kings centers on a young criminal named Roman who is forced to use his imagination to survive two nights in a lawless jail. In reality, our Roman (the title of a storyteller, our character's proper name is never given) is little more than a pawn in a bigger game of jail politics as the overlord plays a dangerous game to hold onto power as he physically weakens. What proceeds is a fascinating tale-within-a-tale as the Roman desperately weaves real life and fantasy to pass the time and remain alive. The setup and execution of this film is brilliant in its use of storytelling as the narrative intercuts between the story being told and life inside the jail.

Barry Kone as the Roman, the storyteller of the movie does an incredible job, transitioning from confused and helpless to confident to desperate as he spins his plates and lays his anecdote. The prison's Dangoro, or overlord, played by Steve Tientcheu is a quiet, brooding man wasting away as he feels his power slipping. Tientcheu plays the character smaller than his large frame suggests, sitting or laying down the majority of the time tethered to an oxygen tank. While he doesn't get much screentime, his presence is felt throughout as some inmates scheme against him and others furiously protect him.

Lacote's second outing after 2015's politically charged film Run, Night of the Kings shows no signs of a sophomore slump. He wastes little time getting to the point, dumping the Roman in the thick of things, leaving him, and by virtue us, confused and bewildered as events play out around him. The mixture of hardened criminals, prison politics, and world-weary wardens flesh out the world of this prison as a grimy gulag, a spot in the middle of nowhere where all the inmates have to look forward to is stories. The power and seduction of storytelling is the very heart of the matter, as inmates eagerly assist the Roman, acting out bits of his story in a sort of mimed improvisation that gives us a peek into not just the imagination of the Roman, but the imagination of these criminals as well. The story within the story told is a muddled mess, a result of a kid who's putting together any and everything in a desperate attempt at holding their attention. Directed wonderfully by Lacote, he makes you feel the dirt and the grime of the place, the desperation of the inmates for a good story and the desperation of the overlord, playing this final hand to keep his supremacy.

Overall, The Night of the Kings is well worth the time spent watching. An ode to storytelling itself, and how stories are shaped and molded, it's rife with all the necessary ingredients: great characters, great visuals, and ticking clocks. A fascinating story, wonderfully acted by both the actual actors and the inmates within the film, and perfectly paced at 93 minutes makes this a quick, engrossing, enjoyable film that will you leave you wondering what other stories this region of the world is capable of. Night of the Kings will be released in theaters and virtual cinemas on February 26th, and on video on demand on March 5th.

In Ivory Coast's notorious Maca prison where the inmates essentially run the place, the leader, Blackbeard is ill and under pressure to kill himself per tradition. He delays this by appointing a new 'Roman' who must tell a story for the prisoners, following which, unbeknownst to him, he will be killed.

Something of a unique experience in that the film primarily follows the actual story Roman is making up as he goes along in the hope that morning comes before he finishes, so that he can live. It's all rather weird - prisoners play out parts of the story - and troubling as a lot if what happens is loosely based on fact. Nicely and realistically acted by all involved, it's definitely not be for everyone, but worth catching nonetheless.