Half of a Yellow Sun

This plush adaptation of the Nigerian Civil War spanning, Orange Prize-winning novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie blends drama with melodrama, but unlike its central twin characters there is a stronger sibling. Earlier scenes of upper-class domesticity invest us in the central characters but become a little soapy; it feels trivial next to the country’s violently explosive tragedy of tribal and political sectarianism, which becomes the focus rather than backdrop as the film grows in strength and purpose. 

The top down approach to Nigerian independence shows an elite history in place of the common experience, an interesting and often ignored segment of Nigerian, and more broadly African, society for Western audiences. While polymath director Biyi Bandele handles this huge production confidently, with well managed setpieces and storytelling on an epic scale, he fails to drill down into personal detail – perhaps hampered by a limiting budget, which the solid production design veils. Strongly played by all four leads, Half of a Yellow Sun is sumptuous and enjoyable, but there is just too much paint in this story for the canvas provided.