正在同步电影信息
FromtheNewYorkTimesreview:<br/> "In"Sankofa,"acontemporaryAfrican-Americanwomantravelsbackintimeandexperiencesslavery.HaileGerima'spoeticandpreciselydetailedfilmtakesitsaudienceintoitsheroine'slifeandmindashermoralsenseischallengedandchanged.Noviewercanavoidthediscomfortingquestionsthefilmsoeloquentlyraises.<br/> Theopeningsequences,setandfilmedinGhana,arealternatelyseductiveandoff-putting.Amongdrumsandchants,avoiceinvokesancestralghosts."Spiritofthedead,riseup,"thevoicesays,"andclaimyourstory."Thefilm'stitleisaWestAfricantermmeaningtoreclaimthepastinordertogoforward,and"Sankofa"stumblesonlyinitsdepictionofthepresent.<br/> Monaisayoungmodelfirstseenposingforacallouswhitephotographeronabeach.Sheisdressedinapseudo-TinaTurnergetupcompletewithblondewig.Thisisaheavy-handedwayofshowingthatshehaslostherconnectiontoherpast,thatslaverystillshapesherlifeassheisenslavedbycontemporaryimages.<br/> Butthefilmsoonmoveson,convincingly,toasurrealexperience.Monawandersintoadungeon,aholdingplacefromwhichslaveswereshippedtotheUnitedStates.Shehaswalkedintothepast,wheresheisstripped,chainedandbeaten.Suddenlysheisonaplantation,ahouseslavecalledShola,withnomemoryofMonaorthe20thcentury.<br/> Thelongestandfinestpartof"Sankofa"isitsdepictionofthedailylifeoftheslavesandthewaywitnessingitsbrutalitychangesShola.Shefallsinlovewitharebelliousfieldslave,whourgeshertopoisonherwhiteowners.Sholarefuses.Thoughthemasterrapesheratwill,shebelieveskillingiswrong,nomatterwhatinjusticehasbeendonetoher.<br/> ButSholasoonseesapregnantrunawayslavebeatentodeath,herlivingchildtakenfromherbody.AndsheidolizesNunu,astrongandmotherlyslavewhohasjoinedtherebels.<br/> Nunu'sson,Joe,istheheadslave,whohasaneasierlifeandseemstohaveturnedagainsthisownpeople.Heisblue-eyedandinthethrallofthewhitepriest,andhisstoryshouldhavebeenascompellingasShola's.Buthischaracterislessconvincing,partlybecausehistorturedsenseofidentityissooftendepictedbysuddenmoodswingsandglancesatpaintingsofwhiteMadonnasinchurch.<br/> Shola,however,(playedwithgreatstrengthbyOyafunmikeOgunlano)carriestheaudienceintotheheartofherexperience.Whensheliftsamacheteoverasleepingwhiteoverseer,thefilmhasleditsviewerstoaplacewhereeitherchoice--tokillornot--mightbejustified."Sankofa"asksitsaudiencetoenteradifferentmoraluniverse,onethatslaverycreated.<br/> Mr.GerimaisanEthiopian-bornfilmmakerwhohaslivedintheUnitedStatesfordecadesandteachesatHowardUniversity.Hisfilmisambitiousinitsdepictionofslaveryandaccomplishedinitsvisualcommand,fromthebrightredscarvesoftherebelliousslavestoafiretheysetinthefields.<br/> "Sankofa"openstodayattheHarlemVictoria5Theater.Engrossingandprovocative,itsendsSholabacktothepresentasMona,andsendsviewersalongwithher.Armedwithvisceralnewknowledge,shecanmakeofitwhatshewill.
