Touki Bouki Blu-ray Criterion Collection Review
Mathew Plale
June 15th, 2021
There is a sort of calm at the beginning of TOUKI BOUKI, in which a herd of cows marches sluggishly through the desert. They appear somber and downtrodden, although the music doesn’t quite match. The film then jumps to their destination, a slaughterhouse. Necks are hacked, arteries severed, bodies tied and exposed. The juxtaposition is not lost on the viewer, and that is something central to the film.
A cowherd, Mory (Magaye Niang), and university student Anta (Mareme Niang), do not find fulfillment or value in their lives. They live in and around Senegal’s capital, Dakar, in generally poor conditions, as highlighted so strongly in images of their lifestyles. They want to be in Paris, where they figure they can live in a lavish manner, and will do what they must to make it, morally or not.
The two live in a fantasy, and the film is effective in making the viewer buy into the twosome’s hopes. But we want Mory and Anta to make it–even if we know their vision is a bit warped–and for French-born songstress Josephine Baker’s “Paris, Paris”, which is repeated throughout the film–to be heard in person and not just on the soundtrack as Mory scoots past on his motorcycle. (The motorcycle, with horns attached to the front, is one of the most memorable and meaningful vehicles in cinema history.)
TOUKI BOUKI (also known as THE JOURNEY OF THE HYENA, taken from a nickname given to Mory) is Djibril Diop Mambéty’s debut (he only made one other feature, 1992’s HYENAS). Mambéty didn’t have many resources–he used a $30,000 budget and many pre-existing locations. Still, TOUKI BOUKI is a tremendous accomplishment, with creative filmmaking techniques (supposedly borrowing a number of French New Wave touches, which allowed for efficient ways to get around certain limitations) and a story that feels somehow both modern and like a piece of folklore. It, too, is brimming with metaphors, although some are quite blunt. For example, Anta’s aunt (Aminata Fall) declaring Mory dead (he isn’t, so no spoiler) is intercut with a scene of a goat being disemboweled. But such on-the-nose moments do not take away from the power. This is a passionate story, told about marginalized individuals in a region too often written off and unexplored.
There is a moment early on where a group of boys follow Mory, cheering him as he zooms through town on his motorcycle. One shot has them cheering directly at the camera, as if happy to be represented. After all, Senegalese cinema wasn’t even 20 years old. Nearly 50 years on, TOUKI BOUKI stands as one of the finest Senegalese films, but one of the greatest in African cinema.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: 1.37:1 in 1080p with MPEG-4 AVC codec. “This digital transfer was created in 2K resolution on an ARRISCAN film scanner from the original 35 mm camera negatives, which were provided by director Djibril Diop Mambéty’s son Teemour Diop Mambéty and preserved at the GTC in Paris. The digital restoration process brought the film’s original chromatic elements to light, and yielded a new 35 mm internegative for long-term preservation. Restoration was completed in May 2008 with funding provided by Armani, Cartier, Qatar Airways, and Qatar Museum. Special thanks to Teemour Diop Mambéty for facilitating the restoration process.”
Textures are nice and colors are quite healthy, with a remarkable level of detail throughout.
Audio: Wolof Mono with English subtitles.
The audio transfer is also commendable, with clean dialogue and music.
Martin Scorsese (2:16): An introduction by Scorsese, founder and chair of The Film Foundation.
Abderrahmane Sissako (11:56): Filmmaker Sissako discusses TOUKI BOUKI.
Wasis Diop and Mati Diop (26:02): Wasis Diop (Mambéty’s brother) and Mati Diop (Wasis’ daughter) discuss Mambéty and the film.
Contras’ City (23:08): Director Mambéty’s first short, released in 1968.
Also included with this Criterion Collection release: an essay by film programmer and critic Ashley Clark.
