Mandabi

The pace of this movie is as languid as life in a sun-baked country. But stick with it. Even when the plot is predictable, the action is not, nor are the characters. Believing he has come into money from a successful relative in Paris (who is shown sweeping streets, far from wealthy), a proud middle-aged Dakar man with two strong-willed wives and several children tries to cash the money order (mandabi). He encounters catch-22 bureaucracies, his friends all become borrowers, his creditors turn ugly, and con men latch on to him, but Ousmane Sembene (the director, and one of Senegal's most important writers) leavens the frustration with humour, and even manages to sustain a certain amount of suspense-- not easy in a film as languid as this one. Scenes of city life in Dakar's warren like streets are realistically and straightforwardly presented, and the story, though very simple, stays with you long after the movie's over. A must if you're interested in African film, if only for historical interest.

Mandabi was a 1968 Senegalese film that depicted Croouption and Oligarchy in the country. Director Ousmane Sembène made this movie to tell the story of life in Senegal in the late 1960s, and the film was like a Thai Society of all time.

Ousmane Sembene's Mandabi traces the descent of a poor Senegalese Muslim who, upon trying to cash a money-order at his village post office, somehow finds himself pitted against overwhelming bureaucratic and societal forces. The protagonist, Ibrahim (Makhouredia Gueye, unassuming and comically dignified), is a lazy and vain but fundamentally decent man, an illiterate villager whose unexpected windfall becomes the catalyst of his downfall - the means by which this simple, more-or-less honest, foible-ridden individual comes face-to-face with the indifference, the corruption of the modern world. His story takes on the quality of a fable, a slight, at times comic one. Sembene, an observer of human nature, keeps his characters at arms-length, and by watching them carefully from this middle-distance is able to convey their basic equality as creatures trying to survive in a confusing, unfair world. It also happens that this mid-range staging is perfect for creating a deliberate, unobtrusive sense of comedy, of human folly gently revealed. The film is, at the same time, a window upon the culture of post-colonial Senegal, a world that seems poised uneasily between tradition (village life; Islam) and modernity (bureaucracy; crime; money-grubbing). There's no question that Sembene is on the side of the little people - he may chide Ibrahim for letting his wives run his life, for being irresponsible with money (he borrows on the money-order before it's cashed), but he also applauds him for his doggedness and faith, the things that poor people always have to lean on. A modest film but a wise one (despite a slightly forced denouement).

Through the simple event of a Senegalese man receiving a money order from his nephew working in Paris, we see so much of his world, starting with his relationships with his two wives, and how his family and his neighbors live meal to meal. There is a sense of humanity in the giving and sharing that takes place when someone is in need, but there are also many examples of predatory behavior, and indeed, it's the latter that ultimately begins to dominate. The man embarks on an odyssey through bureaucrats, con men, greedy friends, and money lenders. Many people come to him because their own children haven't recently eaten, but he owes many others, and is only actually entitled to a fraction of the money order, assuming he can cash it in the first place.

It's pretty striking how this man absolutely rules the roost over his wives at home, but is almost helpless in a world that is modernizing around him. He's been unemployed for four years, can't read (at least the French he needs to), and is often at the mercy of people far more savvy than him. In trying to get the proper forms filled out to get an identity card, which can then be used to cash the money order, he's asked for his date of birth, and he doesn't even know that, just that he was born "sometime around 1900." He can barely keep his oversized outfit from poofing out while walking around, a contrast to how elegant his wives are while they stroll around. He's a petty tyrant at home, threatening his wives with a backhand and having them wait on him, hardly a sympathetic figure, but almost a child in the world, and it's hard not to empathize with his growing humiliation.

Eight years into its independence, there is a criticism of Senegal here - how French was still the official language despite most of its citizens only speaking Wolof or Arabic, how women were being treated, how good people lived in poverty, and how layers of corruption existed in the system, including the new bourgeoisie. There is quite a contrast to the modern home of the man's nephew, and it's soul crushing how he takes advantage of his own uncle, perhaps the ultimate statement from Sembene of capitalism devouring people.

On top of its sociopolitical messages, this is a beautiful film. The colors in the fabrics and décor are rich and gorgeous, and the traditional music composed by Sembène is a treat to listen to. The film moves along with good pace, and the storytelling isn't forced or preachy. Quite a nice little find.

A Senegal tale of societal male dominance & how money changes people. Our lead character to his wives as they tend to his every comfort, "I am the husband, only I decide what to do." "Good wives consult their husband before making any decisions." Again, another example of female status/value somewhere below that of cattle.

Too often found in Islamic or poorly educated populations.