Rethinking Ousmane Sembene’s Film La Noire De…: A Marxist Perspective

Abstract

La Noire de… is the first full-length film to be directed by an African, Ousmane Sembene. Indeed, the numerous analytical studies the film has been subjected to give a clear indication of how thought provocative it is. These previous studies have focused on themes such as migration, neo-colonialism, identity, etc. However, Ousmane Sembene’s association with Marxist philosophy bears out a curiosity about whether an alternative reading of his film can be done to reflect that Marxist orientation. An opportunity to extend the interpretations towards this direction seem yet to surface. Therefore, through the use of a Marxist conceptual framework, I seek to expand the alternative approaches to understanding the film. This alternative provision is aimed at sensitizing readers on the changing trends of exploitation in our societies and possible mitigating steps. The method of study is qualitative, the design is descriptive and data is analysed through the logical analysis of related concepts in the world of the film. The finding is such that the narrative of La Noire de… resonates with a typical Marxist understanding of how the dynamics of social work drives the evolution of human society.