Xala (1975)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Xala (1975) – O. Sembene

Director Ousmane Sembene’s satire on the state of African politics (circa 1975) starts off with a broad slap: African businessmen taking over the government of the country (presumably Senegal) from the French receive briefcases full of cash, presumably bribes. Then, the script hones in on one particular businessman (Thierno Leye) about to take a third wife who finds himself cursed on his wedding night with the Xala (impotence).  It doesn’t become clear until the end of the film who placed this curse on him (he suspects his other two wives as well as rival businessmen).  He visits an array of witch-doctors to try to find a cure and eventually does, but by then his finances are in disarray and his check bounces!  The rest of the Chamber of Commerce (all corrupt) vote to kick him out.  The final scene, where aggrieved beggars have their vengeance, is straight out of Bunuel (or John Waters).  Indeed, the low budget proceedings, sets and settings of African in the seventies, contrast with the tale of corruption (e.g., a line of Mercedes proceeds down a dusty street littered with garbage, watched by those seriously disabled beggars).  Music by Samba Diabare Samb (playing a primitive lilting stringed instrument) adds to the effect.  In retrospect, knowing the ending, everything falls into place and the film makes sense (and has bite) – but along the way it wasn’t entirely clear where it was going....