Adapted from Chimamanda Adichie's novel, Ben Bandele's film 'Half a Yellow Sun' tells the story of two Nigerian sisters whose lives are torn apart first by their marriages, and then by the Biafran War. Background on the latter is provided by the insertion of old news-film; this is necessary because the characters themselves seem quite univolved in the war, save as victims, and the film doesn't give us an understanding of exactly why the dispute broke out beyond a generic appeal to the legacy of racism left over from Empire. The lead characters have potential - a pair of strong, beautiful, hyper-priveleged and somewhat arrogant females, but the film never quite gives them the depth of critical treatment they need to become wholly interesting. As a consequence, the movie sort of rolled past me, without engaging, and I'm someone who has actively browsed the internet to learn more about the conflict. Maybe the book would have offered me more insight.
Review of Half of a Yellow Sun
