Ousmane Sembene's Faat Kine is a 2000 film set in the present-day Daka, Senegal. This film offers a critical aspect on contemporary, post-colonial Senegal and the status of woman in that society. The major aim of Sembene’s film is to reveal another side of African woman. The protagonist, Kine is a forty year old woman who refuses to live in Africa’s traditional ways. Against all odds she climbs the ladder of success in a male dominated field. She represents a modern, powerful, and threatening woman, to African men. One of the techniques that Sembene uses in this film is the use of repetitive theme.
While, this film expresses African woman in a positive and unfamiliar truth to the audience, it also has a major theme that represents the transition of old Africa to new Africa. Considering that this film was made in 2000, historically the theme of modernization is inevitable, especially with a country that has and is fighting for equality within African realms. This theme is repeated several times throughout the film. However, there were specific scenes that revealed the truths of the old Africa transitioning into the new.
In the beginning of the film there is a scene between Kine and a handicapped man, Pathe Sarr. He goes to speak to Kine and she notices that he is not in the wheel chair she had bought him. Pathe represents an old Africa and Kine represents the new Africa. With this particular scene Sembene reveals to the audience that men are now the fragile and dependant on woman financially. Whereas the old days, woman weren’t allowed to be successful, single or vulgar; Kine exposes Africa’s transition to modern-day realities. Furthermore, the theme of the disabilities is revealed as well. Pathe also symbolizes the old disabled African while the wheel chair represents modernization. There is another scene with Kine’s caretaker, Adele, where she is sits in front of the television eating ice cream. On the television one can view a robotic arm for an amputee. It is on the screen long enough for the audience to see how it works and how mechanical its appearance is. Again the robotic arm reveals innovation taking place in Africa. It is a very short scene and it makes known how inevitable it is for Africa to update and help build better lifestyles.
In addition to Sembre’s use of theme through items, he also reveals the dashiki versus the suit. Towards the middle of the film there is a scene between Diop aka Ndioye (the man who asks Kine for a loan of 30,000 Francs) and Thiom (the banker). Essentially this is one of the most powerful scenes which express modernization at its best. Diop is the old African wearing the traditional dashiki, whereas Thiom is the newer African, in a suit. Through dialogue the audience is also let into how different these men are. Diop has four children by four different women and is losing his business. His customs remain traditional and he lives the typical old fashion male lifestyle. After being rejected by Kine he looks to a male for sympathy; however gets a rude awakening. The men begin to argue when Thiom also rejects Diop for a loan. Diop states: “You know what it is like to have a big family. It bleeds you dry!"Thiom responds, “No, I don’t know about big families. That was my grandfather’s time." Diop looks him up and down, disgusted at his suit and remarks, “You are the embryo of free market neo-colonialism,” pointing his finger in Thiom’s face. However Thiom shuts Diop up by stating, “you are and African from colonial times!” He opens the door and turns his head away from Diop while he exits the door. Thiom walks away calmly and uncaring while Diop stands outside and expresses a shocked face.
The characters, wheel chair, robotic arm, attire, dialogue, and actions represents the clique stating of out with the old and in with the new. Sembene does an amazing job using the repetitive technique of theme.
4 comments:
Wow, Jackie!
I love your take on the pre and post colonial comparison in Faat Kine. I did not see Pathe as a symbol of the past, but it is an interesting notion, especially since he ends up in jail! Maybe Sembene is commenting on the necessity to abandon the past? I wouldn’t put it past him.
The idea of clothing is very intriguing, as well, because I think it is not just for men but also with women’s clothing. Kine dresses in brown, orange, and blues whereas Aby is usually in her bright red vest and yellow shirt. She outshines Kine (in terms of colors and education).
The ideas of the film you reviewed are on point. A lot of different men search for Kine, and all of them are seeking her for money or for some sort of business. She is always the one in control in those situations. With Pathe she tells him that she was the one that gathered the money for his wheelchair and that shows us that she is accepting the modern while Pathe by not having his wheelchair shows us that he does not want to live in the modern world. We also see this as you stated with the man taht was asking her for the loan, when Kine refuses he goes to ask the other man and he refuses him because he understands that he is not progreesing with the modern world, but instead stuck in pre-colonial times when having a lot of children was the norm.
Also I did not consider the clothing issue, but after I read you rreview it made a lot of sense. I think Sembene stratigically picked out the attire to make his point accross of the struggle between the pre-colonial and the post-colonial.
Very good observation of the changing from old traditional Africa to the modernization of Africa. Pathe, is a handicapped male as are all the other male characters, with the exeption of the uncle and Kine's son. The male patriarchal society of Africa, is disabled as the men have almost complely become reliant on Kine's fortune and her strong will. I too recognized the mecahnical hand on the television screen and completly agree with your ideal of africa's inevitable change toward the future. It is a testament to the modern world and woman all over the globe. Though this movie is set in another country, the message is universal. Through the idea of female equality, Faat Kine exhibits a social ideal that has become reality.
Technique of themes
I agree with your notion of modernization. The way I see it there seems to be a progression of time with gender and transportation. The different and interesting point you made was the old Africa new Africa issue. You picture it as whole whereas I pictured it in the times of the movie and place where Kine lived. It is an overall issue that entails a modern movement in time and in this case industry and women (kine).
The clothing bit was also intersting in terms of color and the significance each represents especially in a character like Kine. The distinctions are not just in personality, but also in clothing (color).
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