In His Shadow (Le Roi des Ombres) is the story of complicated family relations between two half-brothers. With a runtime of about 1 hour and 30 minutes, the film is written and directed by Marc Fouchard and the story is brought to the screen by cinematographers Pierre-Yves Bastard and Fabrice Sébille. It is produced by Brahim Chioua, Vincent Maraval, and Olivier Thery Lapiney under the banner of BlueLight, and Getaway Films.
The ensemble cast of the film includes Kaaris as Ibrahim, Alassane Diong as Adama, Carl Malapa as Malik, Assa Sylla as Aïssata, Issaka Sawadogo as Ousmane, Hassam Ghancy as Chérif, Mareme N’Diaye as Maimouna, Tatiana Rojo as Agna, Jonas Dinal as Oumar, Mylène Wagram as Songolo, Josée Schuller as Madame Diop, Aksel Ustun as Anthony, Fahmi Guerbaa as Kamel, Thibault Cathalifaud as Tomtom, Anas Mennou, Edéa Darcque, Hadidiatou Sakho, and Cheikh Oumar Sow among others.
Netflix’s description of the film reads:
After the death of their father, two half-brothers find themselves on opposite sides of an escalating conflict with tragic consequences
-In His Shadow Review Does Not Contain Any Spoilers-
The film starts off with some mystical incantations being said repeatedly and it gives off the hint that it will not be an ordinary story. We are then introduced to our main character Adama, who is blind but that has made his hearing power all the more strong, to get by day-to-day things. Other than that, the one person he despises the most is Ibrahim. He is his elder half-brother because Adama’s dad has two wives.
Ibrahim also has a little sister, Aissata who is equally adored by Adama as well. Despite being married to Agna and having Ibrahim, Ousmane married another woman, Maimouna and had Adama with her. This in many ways drove Ibrahim away & despised his father for it. Due to this he fell into the company of drug trafficking & starting working among them from a young age to become independent.
Yet they were still a family living together until Adama lost his eyesight in an accident. That’s when the cracks widened and separated the family. However, in the present day, with their Father’s passing away & Ibrahim becoming a crime lord, he has decided to gain control of everything that belonged to his dad. But due to his aggressive ways & violent lifestyle, it doesn’t sit right with Adama & he decides to save his mother and the life he has created.
But how does a blind person take on his violent brother without anybody’s help? That’s the main driving plot but there might also be some mystical things looming in the shadows, that could help Adama. The story is not just about the brothers on opposite ends trying to get rid of each other but also delves into the territory that transcends human understanding.
The quote ’embrace your strength and look to make it your strength’ which is said by the dad Ousmane, perfectly sums up Adama’s character as he uses his blindness to make his biggest strength. Although the film is quite predictable and you will find many answers within the first 10 minutes, it’s a gripping story that makes you stay till the end to see how everything plays out.
The character of a witch is a bit confusing and in some ways has a crucial role as well, but I wish the relevance was a bit sketched out so that it didn’t look like something out of nowhere. What is her relationship with Adama or what does she exactly want is never established. Although for people who aren’t familiar with African legends the story could be bit confusing and anti-climactic.
To give you the hint, it all lies in the family name Keita, as it is based on the Malian legend of King Sundiata Keita. In fact the popular Disney animation film The Lion King is inspired by the King’s story. So if we put the two together we will find many similarities, although the story is modified accordingly – since it’s based in the Paris suburbs.
Summing Up: In His Shadow
Overall it’s a quick yet intriguing watch. I only wish the characters motivation behind their actions or the relationship between them was a bit explored. Because for most part it just looks like the story of two strangers where one is a bully and the other is willing to do anything to save his own life. The story is right there and it’s great but lacks emotions that would help viewers connect.
In His Shadow is currently streaming on Netflix.