Half of a Yellow Sun

2014
6.1| 1h46m| R| en
Details

An epic love story: Olanna and Kainene are glamorous twins, living a privileged city life in newly independent 1960s Nigeria. The two women make very different choices of lovers, but rivalry and betrayal must be set aside as their lives are swept up in the turbulence of war.

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Reviews

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.
Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
Janae Milner Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.
Logan Dodd There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.
Guichard Cadet I hesitated viewing the film before reading the novel. After seeing the film, I am more intrigued about the novel and the history behind it. This is a GREAT FILM, make no mistake about it.The staff and cast did a great job in tone, symbolism and portrayal. From reading the various reviews posted here, I get a sense that many feel either a film should stick directly to the way the novel unfolds; and that's certainly not the case.The other major point of contention seems to be that the film is meant to "entertain". Though a movie should hold one's attention, the main point of this film is to enlighten the viewer, while adding another layer of protection to the viewer's sensibilities.
Sheila Agnew McCoy Unlike some of my friends, I had not read the book prior to seeing the movie. In a Facebook discussion, Half of a Yellow Sun got excellent reviews on both the book and the movie, so I decided to check the movie out. I deeply appreciated seeing a movie with an emotional bond between two sisters who were connected in so many ways, but disconnected by romance and political views. Perhaps more intriguing were the circumstances that tore them apart, brought them together again. The movie actors were superb and each character was perfectly cast for their roles. I only wish movies like this would reach more people. It tells a story that is and was real about power, war and political unrest in Africa. I plan on reading the book as well.
rogerdarlington It is a shame that this film is not much better known: it is a rarity for a British movie to have an African theme, African location shooting, source material from a black novelist, a black writer and director, and an almost exclusively black cast. But it is a pity that the film is not as successful as it could have been: too much of the work is sluggish and the script is often too leaden.The title is a reference to the flag of Biafra, the breakaway Igbo-dominated province that provoked the Nigerian civil war of 1967-1970, and the action is set in the decade following Nigeria's independence in 1960 and is seen through the eyes of Biafran characters who are struggling with their own relationship difficulties. The film is based on the novel of the same name by the Igbo Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the writer and first-time director is the Nigerian-born, London-based Biyi Bandele who was born to Yoruba parents but grew up in the northern part of the country in the Hausa cultural tradition. Both novelist and director deserve recognition for focusing on a period of Nigerian history that still shapes the nation but is rarely in the public discourse and Bandele was right to insist on making the movie in Nigeria itself in spite of the difficulties.The two leading actors - both of whom give excellent performances in spite of a poor script - are Chiwetel Ejiofor ("12 Years A Slave", who was born in Britain to Nigerian parents, and Thandie Newton ("Mission: Impossible II"), who was born in Britain to a black Zimbabwean mother and a white British father. Both are real talents who alone would make this film worth watching.
Dany O I beg to disagree with many of the other (negative) reviews. I believe that the movie communicated the right intensity. It's not about the book, it's about a story needing to be told. I'm a Nigerian who is closely intimidated with the war and the true story, and this film did enough to express the reality of it on many levels. I especially appreciated the live footage. I've been reading memoirs from a variety of ethnicities who were involved in the war, and this movie shows a story that is consistent with all of their stories. It's only one perspective, and fictional at that. I would recommend this movie to anyone and everyone interested in Nigerian history and heritage.