The Western genre is unique to a particular time period and place. Directed by Michael Matthews, Five Fingers for Marseilles, maintains its Western theme while adopting a unique angle by placing the story within a South African community that is still haunted by the legacy of colonialism.
The screening of Five Fingers for Marseilles at Pulp Cinema. PHOTO: Marecia Damons
The film starts off during the time of apartheid in South Africa, where the community of Railway in the town of Marseilles suffers from oppression and police brutality.
Tau (Vuyo Dabula), Luyanda (Mduduzi Mabaso), Bongani (Kenneth Nkosi), Unathi (Aubrey Poolo) and Zulu (Ntsika Tiyo) emerge as the young Five Fingers who are brave enough to stand up to the apartheid police and fight for the freedom of Marseilles.
After an altercation which results in the killing of two policemen, Tau decides to flee. Two decades later, he returns to a seemingly peaceful Marseilles where the battle for freedom is won and the remaining Five Fingers are prominent leaders of the town.
However, Tau soon realises he is not welcome and Marseilles is captured by a dangerous new threat: The Ghost, or “Sepoko”, as he is known in Sotho.
Five Fingers for Marseilles sees director Michael Matthews and screenwriter Sean Drummond create an expansion of the Western genre, particularly within the context of African cinema.
A Western film is typically set in the wilderness with specific settings like a small-town main street, cattle and a local saloon. The protagonist’s classic characteristic of wanting to maintain law and order is fulfilled by Tau, who aims to free the Railway residents from The Ghost.
The conflict between Tau and The Ghost demonstrates how the plot abides by its roots in the archetypical conflict of good versus bad, new arrivals versus locals, and heroes versus villains.
After fleeing Marseilles, Tau is forced to stand alone and face danger by himself whilst displaying his physical skills in the face of danger. In this way, the film maintains the theme of a lone Western hero who relies on his own strength to fight for what is right.
The final scene between Tau and his associates and The Ghost and Nightrunners includes common elements of a Western theme. The walk towards the battlefield happens in slow motion with the camera focusing on every fighter’s disgruntled expression.
With sweat slowly dripping down the side of their faces, every step towards the battleground magnifies the fear and bravery every fighter holds as they prepare to fight for what they believe in. Gunfights, violence and deaths are included to emphasise the element of hostility.
Although the film upholds its Western theme, it still maintains African roots throughout. Where a Western film would stick to a classic saloon setting, the town of Railway has a dimly-lit tavern.
Owned by a local of Railway, the tavern becomes a site for the physical altercations of Tau and The Ghost. With leading characters donning legendary cowboy hats and leather jackets, the film preserves its Western legacy.
Sotho is predominantly spoken throughout the film and along with the Basotho traditional blanket worn by some characters, the story maintains a South African feel.
Across Africa, there have been several examples of the Western genre over the years. The 1966 film Le Retour d’un Aventurier from Moustapha Alassane is regarded as the first African Western film.
Movies including Mahamat-Saleh Haroun’s Daratt and Djibril Diop Mambety’s Hyenas borrowed features from the Western genre in a manner that parallels a critique of neo-colonialism.
Finally, a South African Western film, Umbango, by Tonie van der Merwe was produced during the last days of apartheid.
Five Fingers for Marseilles is showing again at Pulp Cinema on 7 March at 20:30.