Between
115 and 130 million girls and women around the world have undergone the ritual
of purification, also known as female circumcision, but more accurately
described as genital mutilation. Still routinely practiced in Africa, the
reasoning behind excising all or part of a woman’s clitoris is to lessen a
woman’s enjoyment of sex, thereby deterring her from premarital or extramarital
relations. It’s said to aid in hygiene and make a woman’s face more beautiful.
Many also believe that a baby will die if it comes into contact with the
mother’s clitoris during birth, and if the clitoris touches a man’s penis, it
will make him impotent or end his life.
The
only proven facts, however, are that genital mutilation is a barbaric and
wildly unsafe practice that is incorrectly labeled a Muslim tradition and leads
to a number of complications, including death, in its victims. Senegalese
filmmaker Ousmane Sembene tackles this issue in the moving Moolaadรฉ, and though the
topic of genital mutilation fuels the film’s plot, around it Sembene has
crafted a lovely look at life in an African village as well as a tribute to the
ability of one person to make a difference.
Set
in Burkina Faso, Moolaadรฉ shows what
occurs after four young girls, ranging in age from around 5 to 9 years old,
flee from their mothers and appeal to a woman named Collรฉ (the fiery and funny
Fatoumata Coulibaly) for protection from the purification process.
Collรฉ is known to have refused to let her own daughter be subjected to the
horrific custom (after having lost two children during birth due to her own
cutting), so she shelters the girls and invokes a “moolaadรฉ,” which could best
be described as a spiritual safeguard.
The
moolaadรฉ is taken very seriously by the superstitious villagers and is embodied
by a colorful rope that stretches across the threshold leading to the little
asylum seekers. The Salindana (crimson-clad women who wield the instruments of
mutilation) do not dare step over the rope as they wind their way through the
village like a serpent and routinely petition the elders, who are absolutely
apoplectic over Collรฉ’s rebellion.
Collรฉ
does enjoy staunch support, however, from her husband’s other wives, especially
the alternately stern and warm Hadjatou, who at first seems wary about getting
involved but soon understands the import of the situation and grows to respect
the courage of Collรฉ’s convictions.
The
men of the village are irritated by Collรฉ’s rabble-rousing and demand that her
recently returned husband force her to utter the word that will end the
moolaadรฉ and allow the purification ceremony to take place. And the final
confrontation between those for and those against is a devastating yet
exhilarating scene that should leave anyone with a heart choked up and
cheering.
Ousmane
Sembene is considered the father of African film, specializing in movies that
address taboo subjects and giving voice to those who can’t always be heard in
such a hierarchal society. He’s not as famous as fellow octogenarian
Ingmar Bergman or 90-somethings like Portugal’s Manoel de Oliveira and Italy’s
Michelangelo Antonioni, but he
deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as those masters. All continue to
do vital work well into what should be their twilight years, giving hope to
those of us who won’t have to worry about those pesky Social Security checks.
Until 1999, British filmmaker Mike Leigh was best
known for his intimate portraits of dysfunctional family life in the UK. But
acclaimed films like Life Is Sweet and the Oscar-winning Secrets & Lies didn’t prepare anyone for Topsy-Turvy, a full-blown frock
flick and Leigh’s love letter to the artistic process.
Topsy-Turvy takes place in late 19th century England
as writer William Gilbert (the awesome Jim Broadbent) and composer Arthur
Sullivan (Allan Corduner) have reached an impasse. Princess Ida, their latest operetta, is a flop. Sullivan retreats
to Paris, unwilling to pander to the public in hopes of staging another hit.
Gilbert is rather uninspired himself until his wife drags him to an exhibition
on Japanese culture that plants the seeds for The Mikado. The remainder of the film is a meticulous re-creation
of the behind-the-scenes intrigue that goes into the conception of a piece of
theater.
Yeah,
you could go rent Topsy-Turvy, or
maybe catch it on Bravo sometime. Only the big screen, however, can present
this gorgeous, inspiring masterpiece in the way it deserves to be appreciated.
Like you, I’ve seen a lot of films, but Topsy-Turvy is one of my all-time favorites.
Moolaadรฉ
(NR) screens
Saturday, June 25, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 26, at 5 p.m. in the Dryden
Theatre. | Topsy-Turvy (R) screens Tuesday, June 28, at 8 p.m. in the
Dryden Theatre.
This article appears in Jun 22-28, 2005.
