Idris Elba and the Reification of Things Fall Apart

Things Fall Apart

Photo illustration by Dami Mojid / THE REPUBLIC.

THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / BOOKS DEPT.

Idris Elba and the Reification of Things Fall Apart

News of Idris Elba starring in the screen adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart has generated mixed opinions. These opinions have raised questions about why works of fiction are often treated as real, rather than imitations of reality.
Things Fall Apart

Photo illustration by Dami Mojid / THE REPUBLIC.

THE MINISTRY OF ARTS / BOOKS DEPT.

Idris Elba and the Reification of Things Fall Apart

News of Idris Elba starring in the screen adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart has generated mixed opinions. These opinions have raised questions about why works of fiction are often treated as real, rather than imitations of reality.

News that iconic actor, Idris Elba, is set to star in the TV series adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s equally iconic novel, Things Fall Apart, caused quite a stir on Nigeria’s social media. Passionate voices on opposite sides of the divide have been clashing, with Facebook as the arena of choice. The controversy centres on why a ‘foreigner’ should be chosen to play Okonkwo, a deeply complex character that embodies the Igbo ethos in Achebe’s book. Undergirding this thinking is the widespread misconception whereby works of art are reified to become real and not just seen as imitations of reality. This has led to Things Fall Apart being regarded as an ethnographic work on the Igbo people, rather than the fictional work that it is.

THE PURISTS AND THE LIBERALS

The naysayers on social media reflect the larger groundswell of opposition to the idea of casting Elba. It would be safe to assume that subscribers to this camp would be mostly of Igbo origin whose pre-colonial society is depicted in the novel. James Eze, a poet and prominent voice in this camp, doubts whether the series’ producers ‘understand the cultural aesthetics … enough to interpret it.’ He further posits that:

It is depressing to read arguments that Things Fall Apart has outgrown its cultural moorings and now belongs to global literature. While no one is in doubt of the global standing of Things Fall Apart, it would amount to deliberate self-immolation to forget that what has kept the book standing in universal narrative are its cultural roots.

Another social media polemicist, Vivian Ogbonna, frames Elba’s potential casting more pungently, describing it as a threat ‘bastardizing’ the Igbo identity. In her post, she writes that:

Every work of art has identity at the heart of it and Things Fall Apart is about the Igbo people, about cultural identity, about heritage, and Igbos (and even non-Igbos) have a right to protest what could result in bastardizing that identity.

If one thought that every Igbo person was in cahoots with the naysayers on Elba, Uzor Maxim Uzoatu upends that assumption. In his Facebook intervention, he takes exception to ‘some critics arguing in a nativist manner that a native Igbo actor ought to play the role of Okonkwo! Well, William Shakespeare’s plays are acted all over the world by actors from every part of the universe.’ Uzoatu, an acclaimed independent writer and poet, further introduces a gendered twist to the tale by recalling how earlier stage adaptations of Things Fall Apart by Chuck Mike and the late Biyi Bandele had a female lead as Okonkwo. The idea of feminizing Okonkwo—an alpha male in the undiluted sense of the word—must be sacrilegious to those who would not brook a Black, non-Igbo man for the role. Among the supporters of Elba are those who are looking beyond the place of origin of the lead actor to the commercial viability of the project and the merits of casting a face who commands global recognition. Oris Aigbokaevbolo, who weighs in on this side, opines in his post that ‘clout [of Idris Elba] is more than authenticity.’

The two camps in the debate therefore could be reduced to purists and liberals. Purists believe that Things Fall Apart is not just any novel but a cultural artefact of the Igbo people. While many of the purists are Igbo, the camp also boasts non-Igbo members. This non-Igbo demographic nonetheless harbours Igbo-centric sympathies with many sold on Nollywood’s Igbo epics and a previous 1980s TV adaptation in which industry A-lister, Pete Edochie, portrayed Okonkwo.  

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THE REIFICATION OF ART

Many consumers of artistic productions, from movies to literary works, often fall into the trap of regarding what they consume as real, akin to watching a sunrise or sunset. This inability to regard art as mere construct lies at the root of many misguided critiques. This reification, or treating art as reality, finds expression especially among cultural purists who demand historical authenticity in depictions—whether of a people’s customs or their positive attributes. However, this mental bias seems selective; when art starkly portrays negative aspects, the same critics harp on the lack of embellishment. Reification therefore seems to enjoy a selective application by its advocates.

Gangs of Lagos, a 2023 Amazon Prime Video feature film produced by Jadesola Osiberu and Kemi Lala Akindoju, received a lot of flak for its portrayal of Lagos’ inner-city gang wars and the Eyo masqueradea cultural totem of Lagosians. Despite receiving critical acclaim and multiple awards, the Lagos State government and the royal families of Lagos condemned the film as derogatory of our culture’, further describing it as, an unjust profiling of a people and culture as being barbaric and nefarious.  

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This raises the question: Was Achebe, in Things Fall Apart, writing a historical or ethnographic account of pre-colonial Igbo society, or is it a later-day critical detour that has seen his magnum opus literary fiction being reified as an ethnographic canon? Beyond the obvious limitations of an English and literature major becoming an ethnographer, the fictional nature of the work itself would not lend itself to such a task. Things Fall Apart is written in episodic vignettes or frames showcasing family life, community feasts, social norms and customs. It is not built around a singular narrative arc that unfolds seamlessly from beginning to end. This technique allowed Achebe to jump to events he wished to narrate often with a tenuous link to the storyline. In doing this, Achebe not only showcased pristine Igbo ways of life but integrated them into organic literary fiction. However, it would be a stretch to reify this creative treatment as a historical or ethnographic canon. For one, Achebe in Things Fall Apart was still stuck in the colonial-era rendering of ‘Igbo’ as ‘Ibo’a misrepresentation he corrected in his subsequent works. An ethno-historical account of a people should, at the very least, address them accurately. Furthermore, there is no evidence that Achebe conducted extensive fieldwork or data gathering among the Igbo, as would be expected in ethnographic research. This wasn’t necessary because he was not writing a historical or an ethnographic account. Again, in true fictional fashion, many elements in the book are narrated tongue-in-cheek. Consider the depiction of the local albino, perceived as an extension of the white racewouldn’t such a portrayal be facetious in a serious non-fictional work?

As groundbreaking as Things Fall Apart has been in depicting pre-colonial Igbo life, its scope remains limited to Achebe’s neck of the woods around the River Niger basin, within present-day Anambra State, interspersed with fables from farther afield. This is evident in the spelling of ‘Amadioha’ as ‘Amadiora’, reflecting the Onitsha dialect—a rendition that would make many contemporary Igbo speakers in 2025 flinch. The tendency to consume fictional works as though they were documentary reports has been previously examined, particularly in the context of Nollywood’s penchant for social commentary. This tendency now finds its full expression in the Idris Elba debate.

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THE QUESTION OF IDENTITY

In numerous interviews, Achebe addressed his goal in writing Things Fall Apart. While the question of identity frequently arose, he framed it more as a response to Joseph Conrad’s erasure and downright demonization of Black African civilization. Staying true to his famous clapback that if one didn’t like what was written, one should write their own version, Achebe envisioned himself as a quixotic knight in shining armour, challenging Conrad’s slur. His motivation may have been broad, encompassing the African race as a whole, but later generations of his readers have not hesitated to narrow the scope of his work to the Igbo cultural microcosm.

The question of identity and its portrayal in biopics and movie adaptations has always been a contentious issue. When Zoe Saldana, an Afro-Latina, played Nina Simone in the 2016 biopic, Nina, the African American community raised hell as they considered the casting a slap on the face. The fact that Saldana wore dark makeup to embody Simone’s appearance did little to appease critics. The backlash was so intense that Saldana regretted playing Simone—but only after the damage had been done. The insistence on cultural compatibility between actors and the real-life figures they portray remains a recurring debate in biopics and movie adaptations.  

If Elba had been white, a more deadly accusation would have been hauled at him: cultural appropriation. While not explicitly stated, its suggestion seems to reinforce some objections, like the unseen reinforcement in a concrete pillar. However, such prospective accusers might hesitate to press the point that Elba’s lineage makes him an almost perfect racial fit for Things Fall Apart’s lead. Born to a Sierra Leonean father and a Ghanaian mother—both West African nations on the same slave coast as Eastern Nigeria, where the novel is set—Elba’s heritage aligns closely with the story’s roots. Though born in England, he is arguably as fitting as any Igbo actor, none of whom would have been a living witness to Achebe’s portrayal of pre-colonial Igbo life. Regarding fluency in Igbo Language, the series will be in English and the other actors—many likely non-Igbos—will make do with as much coaching in the indigenous language as Elba. Besides, who says the Igbo people share a unified, singular accent and dialect?

When the old Nollywood film industry began to birth New Nollywood of cinema productions in 2010, one of the pillars of that transformation was co-production with inputs from foreign film cultures. This brought international actors like Terri Oliver (Anchor Baby), Hakeem Kae Kazim and Caroline Chikezie (Inale), and Danny Glover (93 Days). That trans-Atlantic handshake worked to elevate standards and give New Nollywood international credibility. While a TV series may not strictly fall under Nollywood, it remains part of Nigeria’s audio-visual productions. If foreign collaborations enhanced New Nollywood, there’s no reason the same approach would not benefit the TV adaptation of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

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