Seven Doors - Three Steps Forward, Two Back
Once the hype died down, I watched “Seven Doors”, a movie directed by Femi Adebayo, his first stint at this angle of the craft.
It was an awesome watch, at least, by Nollywood standards, which has experienced an up-and-up in recent years. Femi Adebayo outdid himself with this one. The epic drama was like a parting gift to 2024 when it came out on the 13th day of December 2014.
The series banged. Hard.
Seven Doors is not about actual doors. This story is an apologue that addresses the complexities of royal culture, tradition, and the burdens of leadership.
Plot Analysis
“Seven Doors” follows the journey of Adedunjoye—played by Adebayo—a reluctant king who is thrust into a leadership position amidst opposition and cultural tests.
The narrative weaves around the political intrigue of the kingdom of Ilara, with the central plot revolving around the curious requirement for Adedunjoye to marry seven wives—(“seven doors”, got it?). This king turns out to be the first king to dread the prospect of owning a harem of women for his royal enjoyment because, well, fore-daddy did the same thing but cursed all his seven wives to a horrible death to elongate his lifespan.
The first episode opens with an utterly raw scene showing these seven women falling off a waterfall to their death below where their blood turns the water into a crimson river, their bodies shattered on the rocks.
Grandpa Adedunjoye was a cold dude.
Junior Adedunjoye? Not that much. Our protagonist wanted to live with his wife, an Igbo woman, in peace and rule his people as best as possible. He must now bear the weight of his grandfather's sin; he must appease the indignant ancestral spirits of Ilara or suffer their wrath.
The plot sometimes suffers from issues with pacing. The very first time the king is told about the “Seven Doors” he needs to knock on is also supposed to be the beginning of the unraveling for audiences who are curious about the title. Nevertheless, this never happened. For about two episodes or so, the theme of the “Doors” never came up again and a viewer could as well be watching a low-budget horror film with an amenably great cast.
The attempt at exhibiting complexity occasionally overwhelmed the narrative coherence. This is particularly for those unacquainted with the beautiful nuances of Yoruba culture.
Conversely, this drag in the storytelling appeals to natives of the tradition. “Seven Doors” helps us reminisce on the early days of Nigerian cinema where films focused aplenty on the use of Òfó, the days of Ifadeyi, Orisabunmi, Aworo, and Abija Wara Bi Ekun.
“Seven Doors” brings back the poetic dirges, chants, brags, garbs, and dances. There is an overlap of periods that some have analyzed as inconsistencies—the presence of Victorian architecture, vintage cars, and the analog telephone. All in a movie set in a film supposedly set in 17 or 18th century southwestern Nigeria.
That aside, the storyline is rich with themes of sacrifice, duty, and the interplay between love and tradition.
Character Development
The performances in "Seven Doors" are a highlight, with actors like Muyiwa Ademola and Aliu Gafar delivering impressively nuanced portrayals. Aliu Gafar's portrayal of the antagonist Esusu is particularly chilling, adding some edginess to the narrative's tension. It is not clear if Aliu Gafar plays the strange entity that floats into the King’s home just before disaster hits too. At any rate, that thing is scary as hell when it comes in.
Chioma Akpotha's role as Queen Amaka brings a poignant balance of strength and vulnerability, displaying her versatility. However, some characters, particularly the younger ones, could have benefited from deeper development to enhance the generational dynamics.
Child acting in Nollywood surely needs some improvement. Perhaps a school for acting or even incorporating acting into school curriculums could be all the sector needs to bolster it.
Visual and Technical Critique
The film's production values are commendable; stunning visuals that capture the essence of the Ilara Kingdom, camera angles, and great sets.
The cinematography, although criticized for being uneven at times, generally succeeds in creating a hauntingly beautiful backdrop to the story.
The use of traditional elements in costume and set design is mostly accurate, fostering a sense of authenticity, though as mentioned earlier, some modern fashion anachronisms were noted, which slightly detracts from the historical immersion.
Thematic Analysis
"Seven Doors" ambitiously tackles themes of tradition versus modernity, the burden of legacy, corruption, and the personal sacrifices required by leadership. It is a celebration of Yoruba culture while also reviewing aspects of tribalism and youth exclusion within Nigerian society.
The film uses the metaphor of doors to explore moral and spiritual trials, providing a rich tapestry for cultural reflection. However, the handling of generational power dynamics could have been more nuanced to avoid clichés.
The depth of the storyline cannot be denied, however. I am personally reluctant to think of “Seven Doors” in terms of a socio-political treatise. But the bold insinuations are there in the dialogues. I think the inclusion of the Igbo culture and bride into a traditional Yoruba wedlock is a big stretch.
Or is it?
Again, this is a film. Storytelling allows creative stretching as long as it is well-made and fun to watch. If a Hollywood story, (Don't Look Up) can go all the way from discovering a comet headed for an earthly collision to a post-apocalyptic beginning on a different planet, so can Nollywood.
“Seven Doors” is well made. Can it be better made? Well, I will say director Adebayo should ask the writers to firm up on the dialogue, and make it more natural. In addition, here I am referring to every other part of the dialogue minus the local dialect proverbs and idioms—those are nonnegotiable.
Next season?
There is no news yet about what is cooking for the next season of the series. However, with the reception, the producers must be warming up to take us deeper into the life and times of the present king of Ilara, Adedunjoye.
I am looking forward to how he manages his freight of wives—a whopping seven of them. One wife is ‘work’, the dude has seven. When we first met the six new wives, they turned out to be fierce banshees. They left, and then came back remorseful for being such dragons earlier. I hope that they stay peachy for the sake of the first wife Amaka, and the beleaguered king.
"Seven Doors" is a commendable effort in Nigerian cinema, pushing the boundaries of storytelling with its cultural depth and historical setting. While it occasionally stumbles with narrative clarity and pacing, the series shines through its compelling performances and visual storytelling.
It is a cultural milestone for Nollywood, offering a blend of entertainment with an educational look at Nigerian heritage. For those interested in a deep dive into Nigerian folklore, tradition, and the moral complexities of leadership, "Seven Doors" is a must-watch, despite its minor flaws.