Journal Five Clay Gerfen

Beasts of No Nation review

Beasts of No Nation is an action packed learning experience for appropriate audiences. For people wanting to learn about child soldiers and civil war in a movie this is it. The storyline follows Agu who is first a child, then a captive, and then a child soldier.

Agu, The Child, The Captive, The Killer

 It starts off with a pack of kids running around with a frame of an old television trying to sell it. After carrying it around the village the boys take it to the Nigerians that are protecting and keeping peace at the village. The Nigerians are protecting the village from the civil war that is going on in other parts of the country. The Nigerians protection doesn't last long as the RCF ( moves into the area. Most people leave the village with only a few men and boys staying in the village. The RCF eventually attack the village killing everyone in their path. Agu narrowly escapes into the bush and is captured by the native rebels.

The Commandant of these rebels takes Agu under his wing and makes him into a child soldier, stone cold killer. Agu becomes a fearless fighter and eventually becomes part of the commandant squad. He goes on many raids before his group and the Commandant make it to the natives head quarters. There the Commandant is demoted, and his 2nd in charge becomes the new commandment. When they leave the Commandant defies the order to be demoted and leaves the native army taking Agu and the rest of the troops with him.

They spend several months in the bush hiding until they run out of food and amuntion. by this time the troops are beginning to go crazy so they give up the fight and turn themselves over to the UN. Most of the boys are put into a camp with other boys from the war and they begin school.

Beasts of No Nation in simple terms is a very emotion filled educational movie if you pay attention to the small specific details of the movie. If you don't pay attention to those details you probably won't be able to follow the plot very well.