THROWBACK – MOVIE REVIEW: DIAMOND RING (PART 1)

OJ INTERNATIONAL
AND
OGD PICTURES PRODUCTION
A TADE OGIDAN FILM
MOVIE TITLE: DIAMOND RING
CAST
RICHARD MOFE DAMIJO- ACTED AS CHIKE
LIZ BENSON- ACTED AS FEMALE GHOST
ZAINAB BUKKY AJAYI- ACTED AS AUNTY
OLATEJU GBADE OYELAKIN- ACTED AS CHIDI
SHOLA SOBOWALE- ACTED AS IJEOMA
BIMBO AKINTOLA- ACTED AS BIMBO
LANRE BALOGUN
FUNSHO ADEOLU
COLLINS ONWOCHEI
ALBERT AKAEZE
LANRE BALOGUN
JUDE ORHORHA
MUSIC- TADE OGIDAN
STORY- TADE OGIDAN
SCREENPLAY- TADE OGIDAN, JOE DUNDUN, KEN OGHENEJAHOR
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER- ANDY AKIMITANG
PRODUCER- TADE OGIDAN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER- OJIOFOR EZEANYAECHE, TADE OGIDAN
DIRECTOR: TADE OGIDAN
RELEASE YEAR: 1998
BUDGET:
DURATION: 1HOUR 35 MINUTES (95MINUTES)
LOCATION:

SYNOPSIS
The movie ‘Diamond ring’ is about a certain wealthy man’s son Chidi (OLATEJU OYELAKIN) who is down with an unknown sickness. His parents spend millions of naira and take him to various best local and international hospitals for cure but the sickness doesn’t go. His sickness puts his family in sorrow and the family’s business into an automatic halt. But Chidi’s case is beyond ordinary, he is haunted by a ghost for robbing her and she is ready to kill him. The ghost kills all Chidi’s friends leaving only him to suffer for a while, will Chidi survive or will he join his other young friends that they committed the act together in the great beyond? Find out in the plot
PLOT
A female ghost (LIZ BENSON) voices her anger…
A certain young boy Chidi (OLATEJU OYELAKIN) is down with intense headache on campus and his friends are taking care of him. Chidi’s headache doesn’t s stop, so his friends take him back to his family so that they can take him to their family doctor.

Chidi’s parents take him to the family doctor. The doctor assures them that it is school pressure that is affecting their son, but Chidi’s mother- Ijeoma (SOLA SOBOWALE) doesn’t agree to it. Chidi’s father Dike (RICHARD MOFE DAMIJO) suggests that they fly him abroad but the doctor tells him that it would still be the same result since he doesn’t see any major problem in Chidi..
Chidi’s parents are unable to concentrate on their business again; they stay with their son who is at the point of death. Their aunty (BUKKY AJAYI) who has spiritual sight comes to visit them and immediately senses the abomination that child has committed. She tells Chidi’s parents that he has done the unimaginable. Dike pleads with their aunty to tell them what Chidi has done, but she replies that Chidi needs to confess himself else both she and Chidi will drop dead. Chidi’s parents are puzzled and wonder how grievous his offence is. They plead with Chidi to confess but he refuses and tells them he has no idea of what they are saying. Chidi tries to walk away but his dad orders him back. Chidi with remorse suddenly remember his university days…

FLASHBACK
Dike (RICHARD MOFE DAMIJO) is dining with his friends. They all discuss the new trend in the university. Dike expresses anger over universities that require a child’s parent to come in person to sign such child’s guarantor; including the University of Lagos where Chidi will be starting newly. His friends tell him there is nothing wrong with it as it is a way to guarantee the child’s behaviour. Dike vouches for his son- Chidi and tells his friends that though his son is young- about 15 years old, but he is well behaved and will not do anything wrong. Dike calls the office of the VC of the University of Lagos, but he is unavailable, so he leaves a message for him to call him back when he returns.

Dike finally gets across to the VC of University of Lagos and explains how busy he and his wife- Ijeoma are. He pleads with him to guarantee his son- Chidi and assures him that he will not misbehave; after much consideration, the VC agrees.
Chidi while in school parties with his friends who are either smoking or drinking. He is having so much fun even though he knows the time is 2:00 am and he should be back in the hostel. He therefore mimics his mum’s words ‘Chidi make sure you are back by 7pm’ and then laughs it off. He toasts to his freedom and his friends offer him cigarette but he turns it down. Chidi requests for a dance from a lady (BIMBO AKINTOLA) who initially turns him down because he is a new student, but then grants his request seeing his confidence.

One of Chidi’s new friend- Lami (……….) and roommate advises him to join their cult that they will protect him and no lecturer will be able to mess up with him without facing the consequences. Lami tells Chidi he can have whatever he wants at all time- girls, security but Chidi rejects his offer telling him that what he needs is just to face his studies and then graduate with a first class. Lami tells him that his cult group wants him and if he turns them down, they will make life miserable for him but Chidi warns that he will report them. Lami then tells Chidi his new girlfriend- Bimbo’s (BIMBO AKINTOLA) secret. The revelation startles Chidi, but he refuses to believe Lami. Lami tells Chidi that if he joins their cult, he will be able to protect Bimbo.
Chidi approaches Bimbo to confirm what Lami knows about her but Bimbo tells him that it a rumour. Chidi tries persuading her to tell him the truth so that they can report the case to the VC, but Bimbo insists that she has no problem with anyone.

While returning from the library, Chidi and friends catch Bimbo leaving a lecturer’s office with tears all over her face. Chidi follows Bimbo to her room, gets angry with her for telling him lies. Bimbo then opens up to Chidi that her parents are doing all they can to send her to school and she can’t possible let it go. She tells Chidi that she doesn’t know why the man chooses to hurt only her out of the numbers of females in the school. Chidi consoles her and tells her not to cry again.

Chidi joins his roommates and in anger tells them the VC’s reply to him after reporting Bimbo’s case. He afterwards laments on the insufficient facilities, poor system of administration in the University among other things. After listening to Chidi, they stylishly give him reasons he should join their cult.
Chidi joins the cult. He has to pass three tests to be fully initiated into the brotherhood XG cult. His first test is to deal with the lecturer- Dr. Bright. Chidi and friends break into his office and destroy all his valuables and then warn him to stay clear of Bimbo, other girls or his family members and friends will pay for it.

The whole school is talking about the sudden change of the lecturer- Dr. Bright. Chidi visits Bimbo in her hostel and she tells him that the powerful lecturer has suddenly become weak. She tells Chidi how Dr. Bright apologized to her. Chidi encourages Bimbo to strive to graduate with a second class upper but she finds that amusing as she thinks that with a third class, she would still be happy. Chidi is disappointed at Bimbo’s words, so he leaves the room.
The leader of Brotherhood XG cult- Don tells Chidi his next test. Chidi replies that he can’t do it, but Don threatens to expose him to the VC of the University and his parents. He threatens to harm his sister first, then his parents before harming him if he tries to expose the cult to anyone. Chidi finally succumbs to going for the second task. He and his other cult members rob a dead woman at the graveyard. Chidi unhappy with what they are doing waits for them outside. He sights some people coming towards them- another cult group, and he alerts his friends. Chidi and his other cult members immediately run off and jump through the fence while the other cult group steals the remaining items of the dead woman.

Chidi’s supervisor- Gus for his second task is upset with him on the way he carried out the task, so he reports him to Don. Don pleads on his behalf but Gus is still not happy with Chidi’s attitude in the last task. Chidi’s issue continues to generate controversy between the Don and the deputy of the cult- Gus. Don tells his cult that Chidi along with the other boys will be initiated the next night which they all agree to it. They initiate Chidi and some other boys

Bimbo keeps noticing some changes on the way her lecturer- Dr. Bright now attends to her, she suspects Chidi of having a hand in the matter. She asks Chidi what he knows about it, but he instead jokes around the question. Bimbo suspects that Chidi is now part of the cult but Chidi denies being a part of it. Bimbo not certain that Chidi is telling her the whole truth tells him she would be disappointed with him if he joins the cult. Chidi soon develops an intense headache and falls on the floor.

Gus- the deputy of the cult is upset with Don and challenges him for giving the diamond ring stolen from the dead woman to Chidi. He tells don that Chidi should not get the diamond ring since he didn’t participate in the robbery. Don tries to make Gus understand the reason for his actions and the need to keep pulling Chidi closer but he turns deaf hears and walks out of Don in anger.
Chidi tells Lami that he doesn’t want the ring that he is ashamed to have been part of the task; Lami advices Chidi to sell the ring and keep the money. Chidi again develops an intense headache and he falls on the floor.
After much deliberation, Chidi with the help of his friends sell the ring after which he settles them financially. On Bimbo’s birthday, Chidi surprises her with a car. Bimbo while appreciating the gift asks Chidi his source of money for the car but he lies to her.

The Brotherhood X-gee cults are in a meeting and Gus is angry with all of them. Don unable to take his behaviour banishes him from the cult and from the school. Gus tells Don that he can’t banish him from the school but he is done with their group. Gus takes off his cap and bead and throws them on the floor signaling war to Don. He walks away and some of the cultists follow him while a few stay back in Don’s cult.

The next morning, Don and some other cult members are dies. The remaining cultist point fingers at Gus but he claims to know nothing about it. Gus and his new group make up their mind to find out the person behind Don’s death.
More cultists die in the boot of a car and they accuse Gus again of killing them. Gus maintains that he knows nothing about the death. In the midst of their argument, a fight ensues and Gus’s accuser is tortured. The other guy with Gus pulls out his gun and shoots him. Gus in anger shoots him while he also shoots Gus.

Lami and Bimbo are together. Bimbo tells him that he is suspicious that Chidi is part of a cult group but Lami stylishly dodges the question.
FLASHBACK ENDS

Dike and his wife- Ijeoma plead with their aunty to reveal what is happening to them, but she insists that Chidi is the only person that can say it as that is what his offender wants. Chidi still refuses to tell the truth so he leaves the sitting room. Soon, one of his friends- Emeka calls him to tell him that Lami and Bimbo had an accident on their way to his house. His friend tells him that Lami is dead while Bimbo is still breathing but the doctors’ demand for money before they can attend to him. Chidi goes inside his daddy’s room to take some money to settle Bimbo’s bills at the hospital. He manages to get to the hospital and sees the condition of Bimbo, but she dies immediately. Chidi weeps profusely.

Chidi’s mother- Ijeoma is in tears, while their aunt tells both Dike and Ijeoma to persuade Chidi to confess. Oblivious that Chidi is no longer in his room but at the hospital, Dike in anger dashes to Chike’s room to call him and make him confess at all cost. He discovers that Chidi is not in the room.
Chidi returns to the house ready to confess. Chidi confesses that he and his friends stole from a dead woman in the grave. His dad- Dike is aghast while his mum- Ijeoma unable to take the shock faints. They sprinkle water on her and she wakes up. Chidi feels another intense headache and starts shouting. Dike calms Ijeoma while her aunty senses the spirit of the dead woman is around. The lights go off, everywhere suddenly goes dim, there are shattering and then she appears with so much anger in her voice. The ghost (LIZ BENSON) gives them 8 days to return her diamond ring and then she vanishes. The lights come on again. Dike orders Chidi to go and bring the diamond ring wherever it is. Chidi tells him that he sold it. They ask him to take them to the buyer but Chidi says he is a contractor with one of the construction company and he is no longer in the country. Chidi tells them that someone at the joint he met the contractor may be able to say how to locate him. Dike is uncomfortable that he and his family need to visit joints

THE END

ABOUT TADE OGIDAN
Tade Ogidan is an household name. He is the director of this hit movie ‘Diamond ring’
He is a successful writer, producer and director