Emotional Crack seemd to me to have the dramatic, scripted quality of a soap opera mixed with the production style of a reality tv show. There seems to be no better description for this style other then the “video film” — a cross between television and cinema. Although there was a lot going on in the film that reminded me it is a Nigerian video film — especially in terms of clothing, style, location, etc. — I found most of the themes to be very relatable and universal. The classic love triangle formed between Trudy, Camilla, and Crystal; the concerned, hysterical mother; the violent, abusive husband and the trapped wife; the love affair with the vindictive “other woman”; etc. These common themes made the film relatively predictable in terms of plot and I found it easy to forget that it is specifically a Nigerian video film rather than any other random show I might come across on tv or the internet.
The strange love triangle between Trudy, Crystal, and Camilla is one of the main sources of drama in the movie. Camilla and Crystal meet each other because of Trudy’s violent treatment of Crystal, and yet the change in relationship dynamic that subsequently occurs switches the focus from domestic abuse to secret female love affair. It seems Camilla wants to hurt Trudy by stealing his wife away from him. Perhaps this is her revenge for his refusal to leave Crystal to be with her. However, it also seems that Camilla has real feelings for Crystal and is genuinely upset when Crystal begins ignoring her. It is as if Camilla loves and hates both Trudy and Crystal. Her reactions seem to be a mixture of jealous animosity and true love and passion. Perhaps she has projected her initial feelings of jealousy about Trudy and his wife onto the wife herself. Or, maybe she is just a crazy person. Regardless, it is easy to get sucked into the addicting drama of this video film and lose sight of the more important themes and messages that might be present, but this is also what kept me wanting to watch more.
Nigerian Literature 