Retro Nolly: Blood Sisters delves into Sibling Rivalry

Tchidi Chikere’s Blood Sisters gave us an insight to the ever inevitable sense of rivalry amongst siblings and how it can get toxic.

Two decades after its release, I finally got to watch and review Tchidi Chikere’s Blood Sisters. Watching the film, observing in close detail the script's relatable subject matter and lead actresses’ performances,  I question why I haven't seen it earlier.  

An aside: If you haven't seen the film,  today is the best day to do so. 

Written by Chikere from John Nkeruka Nwafu's story, Blood Sisters, centred around the story of  Gloria (Omotola Jalade–Ekeinde)  and Esther (Genevieve Nnaji), enacts the lived realities of numerous Nigerian siblings, tracking siblings' competition and the orchestrated effort to become the family's “precious child”. The sisters’ fragmented relationship, which slips into a toxic terrain, forms the baseline of the plot. The film is layered with scenes that point towards a direction: demonstrating Esther's wickedness, which is spurred by their mother (played by the great Patience Ozokwor), and Gloria's reluctant acceptance of her sister's excesses.  Even as age and maturity visit both sisters — graduating from universities, getting married, and securing jobs — Esther's jealousy and obscene acts do not dwindle, instead, they mature. 

From the first dialogue in the film, the film uncovers the traits of Esther: cunning, jealous, lacking in self–confidence and vindictive.  Gloria, as the older sister, is more restrained and mature. The contrasting characteristics of the sisters heighten the tension and realness in the film. Although the film barely pitches Esther's motivation,  you wouldn’t need to rely on Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis theories to understand and decipher them. There's an inevitable sense of rivalry amongst siblings as they grow from infancy to adulthood, and when not tamed, it can branch into a toxic enmity.

In one scene,  we get a sense of Esther’s motivations as she painfully talks about how Gloria was always treated with reverence when their late father was alive. Neighbours and friends often give adulation to Gloria because she is well-behaved.  So, one could interpret Esther's toxic attitude as a cry for the attention and admiration her sister gets from outsiders even though her own behaviour never warrants such.

Gloria, meanwhile, never reciprocates even though Esther's harsh words hurt her. In stifling her emotions and tolerating Esther's pettiness,  Gloria proves social expectations from older siblings. As the oldest,  society–approved attitude and demeanour is for them to be accepting and modest in the face of hostility from their younger siblings who supposedly don't know what they are doing. 

Nnaji and Ekeinde’s onscreen chemistry and performances have attracted a cult following over the years. There is a naturalness to their dialogue. Their distinct body languages: Esther's accusatory facial expressions and Gloria's calm disposition and restrained body movements heighten the tension between their characters.

Old Nollywood films and stories are mostly spoken about from the point of view of their nostalgic value. The filmmakers are often held in almost spiritual reverence for their historical and cultural value to the then–sprouting film industry. However, rarely does one speak about them regarding their technical qualities. Yes, there is an almost inexhaustible directory of Old Nollywood films with traumatising technical qualities. Yes, the sounds can be a menace to the ears. The visuals are often dull. But there are still films that boast of excellence in the technical areas, and Blood Sisters is one of such films.