Review of Samba Traoré

Burkinabe film "Samba Traoré" chronicles the changes which ill gotten money bring in a person as well as in his community of residence. Although the story takes place in a remote village in Burkina Faso, it is not difficult to recognize an indigenous African tale which reveal African people with their customs, dreams, frustrations and traditions. It catches viewers' attention as it has been shot as a fable with the victory of good over evil. Apart from excellent performances from leading characters Samba and Saratou, Idrissa Ouedraogo paints a somber portrait of Burkina Faso with problems related to a difficult child birth, incidents of gambling and a marriage of convenience. One key message which emanates from this film is that there is tremendous resentment of local people towards people who have acquired immense wealth in a short duration of time. This is one reason why owing to social pressure and stigma, a wrong doer can never sleep in peace as the past can always have unpleasant consequences. One caveat about "Samba Traoré" is that it could have been developed as a better thriller but ends like a drama. This is probably the reason why no viewer would claim to state that this film had any spectacular dramatic end as its end was something which one could have guessed easily.