Analysis Of The Film Beasts Of No Nation
Voices, especially those in first person perspective, reveal the connection a protagonist has to the text. However, the differences in voice are what determines a characters identity. These literary texts often explore the different voices of characters in order to gain insight into the effects the environment has on them. These texts, such as Chris Abani’s GraceLand and Beasts of No Nation, are about violent topics like rape or war. They also deal with child soldiers. weakness?) Children’s innocence when viewed in this context. Cary Fukunaga’s Netflix original Beasts of No Nation features Agu, an African boy who is forced to join a child soldier rebel group. Agu becomes increasingly conscious of his morality and survival as he faces more and more death threats. Abani’s GraceLand has the main character Elvis living in Lagos, Nigeria, a dilapidated city that is rapidly deteriorating physically and socially. Elvis is forced to grow up in a society that demands he keep pace and adapt to the new environment. Agu and Elvis’ characters show their naivety by expressing their concerns through their internal dialogues, while Agu expresses it in a more literal way. The different ways in which Fukunaga or Abani express their character’s hardships and matureness is how they achieve an emotional portrayal of that story. The comparisons of this text with the film lead to a discussion regarding two violent situations and their effect on the main characters. The comparison between Agu’s internal monologue and Elvis vocalizing his thoughts in response to Agu’s dialogue sparks a question about how, why and when the boys chose to voice their feelings.
Agu uses internal dialogues to express his feelings and thoughts on the world around him. This is a jarring combination of ambiguity with transparency. The ambiguity in this film is revealed in many of the silent scenes. For example, in a scene when Agu’s Commandant orders him to kill a student who claims to innocently be an engineering student. Agu never speaks to the audience when the Commandant explains how to kill a man or when Agu actually does the killing. White noise is buzzing in background while the Commandant’s commands are barely audible. Agu’s lack of control in his life causes him to suppress his thoughts during times when he feels brainwashed. He loses the ability to think for himself, and for others. Agu kills the man with a fervor that seems to come from his heart, but it is revealed by the Commandant to have been forced. Remember the suffering you have endured and turn that into hatred. A mentally traumatic situation like this would be beyond Agu’s ability to understand and comprehend. His silence during the serious/gruesome/horrifying events that he is involved in leaves the audience clueless as to what he could possibly be thinking or feeling in those moments.
Amy, a social worker, is the one who places Agu in a session of therapy. Amy encourages Agu, a former child soldier, to tell his story, but he refuses to do so. Amy then forces him to sit and remain silent, until he finally explains his silence.
“She thinks it’s because she can’t understand me because I speak like a toddler…but I do not talk like that, I explain like an older man. She is a girl who is small because she doesn’t know what war even is.
This quote was said using a voiceover that is only audible by the audience. Amy’s insistence that Agu tell her his true feelings mirrors the desire of the audience for Agu also to reveal this information. Agu fails to reveal his feelings verbally. However, his ability in expressing his thoughts to the viewer through an internal dialogue shows that Agu did not remain silent due to war alone. Agu doesn’t understand how to discuss the past because he cannot comprehend it well enough for him to talk about it.
Elvis seeks clarity from others and the truth in situations that he finds himself in. Elvis is pictured in one of novel’s opening scenes at the age five, taking part in a ritual that allows a boy or girl to become a grown-up. The ceremony also involves the boy killing an eagle baby with the approval of village elders. Elvis’ ceremony is dominated by a pre-killed chicken due to a lack of resources in his village and dwindling traditionalism. Elvis, ignorant of the significance behind the ceremony, asks his parents and uncles a number of questions. Elvis is also under pressure to carry out the ceremony, just like Agu was when he killed his first eagle. Both characters are forced to submit to this force because of their society’s structure. Elvis’ questioning society is due to the same feelings Agu feels, where people like his father, elders and others brainwash him to believe “tradition continues” and that it’s the purpose of the younger generation to keep this going, instead of forming their own ideas. Elvis’ continued questioning is a sign of failure in his society, which has become more open to new ideas.
A feeling of unease about the world you live in can be unsettling. For children, this is a crucial part of discovering their identity and what they want to be in society: what voice will they have? Elvis struggles throughout GraceLand. Agu’s life is defined by a “purpose”, and Agu chooses an internal voice that accompanies this new role. Elvis however, finds it more difficult to define his own voice, and mimics those of other characters. Elvis lives in a world where people are not allowed to choose their “destiny” like Agu, but they do feel pressured subliminally by the society. This is especially true for men. The King, a neighborhood beggar who is Elvis’ mentor, has a major role to play in the dilemma. Elvis hears the speech of the King, the neighborhood beggar about the importance of overthrowing the current government. Elvis is stunned by the King’s speech delivery, but is distracted from it by music being played nearby. Elvis is more interested in the performance of the speech than the political message. Elvis may want to emulate his friend Redemption’s approach, which is to be outspoken, confident, and assertive. Redemption’s attitude is put to the ultimate test when he meets Elvis. Redemption has the exact opposite approach to Elvis. Instead of revealing the truth, he prefers to keep a stony silence. Redemption asked Elvis to join a sketchy drug dealer “escort”. Elvis refused because the information was not given. Redemption says to Elvis: “Why shouldn’t I trust you?” when he wants him to take the risk of not knowing the full story. Elvis asks, “Why?”. Redemption replies “Only a foolish person would ask, because only the dead will tell everything.”
Agu is able to filter bad situations to himself through internal dialogue. Elvis on the other hand, only talks about or digests dangerous situations he has been involved with. Redemption, a character in the movie, reveals that Elvis is selfish. When it comes to his own concerns, he is not able to speak of them for years. Instead, he is reminded by a woman resembling her. Agu is the complete opposite, as he seems to have little or no thought about himself. Agu may not believe in his own purpose because of his deadly “job” in the NDF. The NDF firing at villagers in a hysterical state creates an eerie sense of unity, making Agu feel like he is one of them, not just a child soldier. Agu’s voice is merely a dictation of the scene, using his eyes to dictate it. The narration is in the present tense. Agu only uses the present tense in situations where he does not feel that his mind is connected to his actions, but that his spirit is. Agu removes himself from context in this way, filtering the severity and making him a mere part of a fixed picture.
Agu is the same age as Elvis and both are living violent lives. This reality, which they cannot control, has forced them to seek ways to cope. Agu, as a young soldier, has no freedom to question the world around him. Elvis is the exception. Agu rarely even asks these questions when he’s alone. Agu’s internal conversation adds intimacy and personal qualities to his context. However, it also prevents Agu taking in the stimuli he is surrounded by. Elvis is more likely to be seen venting or seeking advice when he internalizes thoughts. Agu’s habitual introspection negatively affects Agu in the same manner as Elvis’ inability to have an inner dialogue has on his state of mind. Both ways the boys are able to absorb their surroundings effectively shows how naive and innocent they are in comparison with those who control them. They also make sense when you consider the circumstances the boys were in. Agu was restricted from verbally expressing his feelings by the rebels because of the potential danger. Elvis lived in a city that is modernizing and he could physically express any concerns or questions he had. His society believes that “fate” is the reason for their existence. Elvis is struggling to find himself and his purpose. The comparison between Agu’s story and Elvis’s shows how children have different abilities and use contradictory methods to cope.
