In "The Night of Truth," there is a truce in the longstanding civil war between the ruling Nayaks led by the President(Adama Ouedraogo) and the rebel Bonandes led by Colonel Theo(Moussa Cisse). A celebratory feast has been scheduled between the two parties at the Colonel's compound but things get off to a shaky start
when weapons are brought in. Also, some people have a hard time accepting the peace. The President's wife Edna(Naky Sy Savane) feels the spirit of her son Michel is calling out for vengeance. And Tomoto(Rasmane Ouedraogo), one of the Colonel's soldiers, feels there is still work to be done...
"The Night of Truth" is an incisive, and occasionally graphic, allegory that wisely posits war as a force and madness that once unleashesd, cannot simply be put back in a bottle. This is true no matter how noble the goals of the conflict may have seemed at first, in this case the Colonel seeking rights for his own people. Racism, illogical as ever, plays its part in keeping the hatred going.
July 11, 2010
Top Critic
