Retro Nolly: Diamond Ring is a Flawed Cautionary Tale

"Diamond Ring" speaks to its time, a period when filmmakers were intentional about moral tales and addressing societal ills through cinema.

Classic Nollywood films often carry didactic and social motives, which explains the fascination with them in a society like ours that loves to correct and teach. Tunde Kelani’s Ti Oluwa Nile and Saworoide preached against greed and overt ambition. Andy Amenechi's Igodo and Egg of Life set the tone for homage and patriotism towards one's parents and homeland. Occultic classics like Living in Bondage and Billionaire Club served as cautionary tales about greed and contentment. Therefore, if these filmmakers share a cultural identity, it's the urge to infuse their films with moral and societal messages.

Tunde Ogidan aligns with this cultural identity, particularly with the Diamond Ring. One could argue that all the characters in the film, which Ogidan wrote, directed, and produced, represent archetypes found in cautionary tales. The film follows Chidi (played with imposing delight by Gbadewonuola “Teju Babyface” Oyelaki), the only child of his parents, Dike (Richard Mofe–Damijo) and Ijeoma (Sola Sobowale). He is born into a relatively comfortable life — his father has a thriving political career, and his mother constantly embarks on international trips to buy goods for her business.

Chidi, an archetypal privileged Nigerian kid, later gains admission to the university to study an unspecified course. A sheltered boy with an impressionable and vulnerable mindset, he is gradually introduced to cultism by Lami, his roommate who belongs to Brotherhood XG, one of the school's most notorious cult groups. Initially unconvinced and uncomfortable about joining, his decision changes when he discovers his friend, Bimbo, is being sexually harassed. Propelled to solve this, he joins Brotherhood XG. As known in cult dramas, the promise of comfort and protection is a facade. Now entangled in a labyrinth, Chidi must reluctantly carry out his duties as a committed member or risk his life. To show his commitment, he is aided by group members to exhume the corpse of Mrs. Gladys (Liz Benson) and steal her diamond ring. This sacrilegious act sets off a chain of tragic events, which Aunty Elizabeth (Bukky Ajayi), supposedly clairvoyant, can assuage.

Ogidan's film strongly portrays how upper-middle-class parents struggle to fulfil one of the most salient parental responsibilities: being present in their children's lives. Often, being present means attentiveness not just to their financial or academic needs but to their emotional and psychological needs. In its cautious voice, the film, through the ghost of Mrs. Gladys, elaborates on the devastating effects of neglecting these needs. She delivers a monologue in the closing scene, criticizing the parents' absence while also advising viewers to learn from their mistakes. However, solely blaming Chidi's parents’ absence for his involvement in cultism is reductive because it doesn't consider the other social realities that shape a child's life. An individual is a culmination of their society, and each person absorbs details of their society with varying intensity. Chidi was disgruntled about the happenings around him, and joining a cult group seemed a viable solution to the prevailing rot — a means of seeking protection and ease.

Produced in the late 90s, when supernatural thrillers and their use of fear as a tool for discipline were thriving in Nigeria, Ogidan's film reminds viewers of the damaging consequences of their bad actions. Instilling fear — the underlying motive of these cautionary tales — is a somewhat vague but passive Nigerian way of addressing bad behaviour.

Diamond Ring speaks to its time, a period when filmmakers were intentional about moral tales and addressing societal ills through cinema. While they deserve praise for being attuned to the social realities of their era, it should be noted that solving societal ills isn't the job of metaphysical forces. This was an erroneous conclusion these filmmakers often made because spiritual and religious bodies or beings aren't immune from societal vices.

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