Black Bra

Story – Nwafor Anayo

Screenplay – Chuks Obiorah

Director – Andy Amenechi

Starring:

Nonso Diobi – Frank

Adaora Ukoh – Leader Laura

Uche Jombo – Nelly

Oge Okoye – Irene

Sabina Mole – Edwina

Portia Nwachukwu – Francisca

Onny Michael – Caleb

Oscar Rodondo – Nonso

Linc Edochie – Phillip

Themes Eplored

Patriarchy in Nigeria

Feminism in Nigeria

Rape in Nollywood Movies

Cultism in Nollywood Movies

Retribution in Nigerian Films

Gender roles in Nigerian Films

MY RATING – 80%

The opening scene of the film is with the leader of a group- the Sisterhood of the black bra – initiating some new recruits. The premise is that the group exists to “fight chauvinism.”  The new recruits are given a beatdown, the reasoning behind it that they  will become fearless and will “never fear being beat by a man..” the whole situation is reminiscent of being online in a black Greek Letter Organisation, the pledging/rushing process that takes place across colleges in the USA.

In the next scene we see one of the black Bra sisters (named after the undergarments that they clothe their breasts in) visiting a guy’s house. He persuades her to come and have a look at his place. That is her intention but when she wants to leave he wants her to stay longer. She gives her excuse to leave, “I don’t normall yvisit guy’s houses.” His response is laughable, “But you know I love you…We have known each other for a good two weeks.”

WHOA!!! Love in two weeks… NONSENSE! ROBBISH! This guy is ridiculous! So many times I watch these films and it is always some booolsheeet the guy is talking about. Walking in a supermarket, meeting a woman and falling in love in ten seconds, and then professing that they know the persons character and want to spend their life with them… Like I said before and I’ll say it again… NONSENSE! I have to substitute the word love for fancy in my head because some of these scenarios are just too stupid and the love word is thrown around far too casually.

So back to the film… This guy who claims he has fallen in love with the Black Bra sister in all of two weeks leans in for a kiss, causing the girl in question to jump up,

“What is the meaning of all this?”

This same guy who was claiming love is now ready to rape his “love” It appears premeditated and he even has a knife to make sure there is no struggle. She does however struggle and is overpowered. After the rape he tells his friend about what had just occurred, to which his friend remarks,

“How could you. I thought you really loved her.”

The rapist is unrepentant, seeing her body as his right and says,

“My love for her does not mean I shouldn’t make love to her. Stuff like this happens everyday in school.”

He has no remorse for his actions. In fact the commonality of rape in his eyes makes it ok, even know that he knows it is a shameful thing for her to have to deal with, adding in his conversation,

“The shame of it all will not allow her tell anybody.”

This is where the power of the Black Bra sisterhood comes in. when they hear about what has happened to a fellow member payback is eminent. They roll up on campus with 3 girls a car and some guns. They find the rapist, take him to a dirt track road and point their guns,

“Pull your clothes off!”

This is payback and he gets a taste of how Nelly, the girl that he raped was made to feel. He feels the shame when they take him to the middle of the crowded campus and let him out of the car wearing only his underwear. As he is thrown out of the car the crowd jeer and mock. He spends time afterwards depressed and crying to his friend about the situation,

“You can’t imagine the humiliation and shame!”

I liked this film’s portrayal of rape better than any other Nollywood film I’ve watched in the sense that although this guy believed he was entitled to the girl’s body when he was explicitly told no by her, after he is attacked by the sisterhood, we see him receiving a fraction of the shame that she must have felt. It will make guys who think like him perhaps think more about their actions and the effect that rape can have on the victim.

In the meantime Frank is busy toasting Irene. He relentlessly pursues her with gifts, love letters, declarations of love, meals and taxis to school. It is when he remembers her birthday when it seems that nobody else does that she eventually falls for his charms. The sisters get him beaten up but still Irene wants to be with him so they decide to keep an eye on him to make sure he does not treat her badly in any way, instead of trying to put her off him.

Sex is used as a tool to conquer…

Frank spends all his time and money to get Irene to fall in love with him so he can basically sleep with her. When he does this he is ready to dash her aside and move on. We see his friend ask him, “What’s next?” to this he replies,

“Catch a new girl of course.” 

After they sleep together Irene is even more affectionate and gooey eyed around Frank, whereas he is cold and aloof. It appears that her sisters have been proved right about him.

While Frank is determined to “catch new babes” Irene is becoming overly possessive. She controls what clothes he wears and what time he returns to his room on campus. There is a complete gender role reversal. We see Irene behaving in the way that Frank was at the beginning of their courtship. Frank tries his utmost to get new girls but everyone knows that Irene is his girl and the reputation of the Sisterhood of the black bra so they evade him like the plague.

Finally after numerous indiscretions Irene dumps Frank but warns him that if he will not be with her he will never have another girl on that campus. Frank is over the moon at this news and excited about his newfound freedom, leaving Irene distraught and wondering where she went wrong.

The film ends with both Frank and Irene dead. Irene is shot by some thugs that Frank hired, on realising that he could not get any other girl as long as she was still around and Frank is shot by members of the black Bra to avenge Irene’s death.

I felt the ending let down what was an otherwise good, solid film. It was over the top and as if the makers didn’t know where to go with the ending and just thought of killing off the characters Romeo and Juliet style but without really exploring what they were doing and why.

The film teaches us that women need to get to know who you sleep with before giving your all as the man could just be out to bash and dash you. It also teaches men some valuable lessons about the humiliations of rape.