The Most Dangerous Person In The World

 

Scene from the movie 'Project Power'

The first time I fell in love with Jamie Foxx's movies was in 2015. It was on the eve of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria and I had gone to spend the weekend at my cousin’s. While she went to bed, I stayed up to watch TV and from a DVD collection I selected ‘Django Unchained’ starring Jamie Foxx and Kerry Washington.

Django Unchained is the story of black slave, Django who risked his life to find his wife, Broomhilda who was also a slave and to buy her freedom. Django’s first task was to earn his freedom, this he did alongside the friendship of his ex-master, a white man unlike the rest in his day. They both set out to find Django’s Broomhilda not even knowing what city she was in or to whom she belonged.

It took a while, but Django eventually found his wife’s location. When he found her though, she wasn’t worth much as she had been abused, assaulted, raped and used. She was just an object to serve and pleasure whomever. She had so suffered that the thought of ever becoming free had become a dream too lofty to aspire to and the first time Django revealed himself to her, it was so surreal that she fainted. Anyway, Django negotiated, fought, lost, was beaten to pulp and sold again into slavery but he fought again, managed to escape and went back for his wife. By the time he was taking his Broomhilda home, he had burned down everything and everyone. The movie had me crying at intervals as I watched him train, prepare and dive head-on into danger. He could have had any other, could have started on a clean slate but he didn’t, his only motivation was love. *sniffs as she wipes tears again*

Fast forward to 5 years after (which was yesterday), I decided that I would see at least 2 movies this weekend and while searching for what to watch, I saw the movie title ‘Project Power’. I scanned past but my brain told my mind it cited Jamie Foxx on the poster, so I went back and there he was, flanked by others. I didn’t bother about the others on the poster, seeing Jamie was all the conviction I needed.

I got the movie, and just as I expected, it was totally worth it. Jamie came with his passion and this time he was driven by love for his daughter who had been kidnapped. I wouldn’t bore you with details of the movie but would gladly recommend it – it would be worth your time.

Jamie’s character had been dubbed the most dangerous man in the city and as I watched him go all out, against the system, I had to agree that he was a danger to himself and everyone else but his daughter.

This however is the case with anyone motivated by love as they lose sight of pride and even their safety because nothing else matters but the object of their affection. Whether it is the footballer who gives his all on the field, a businessman, inventor, chief executive, actor, parent, pastor, lover or student, love is the driving force of any success achieved. It is the reason you stay up when you should be in bed, stay in when you could be out, go out when you could have stayed in, give when you may not even have enough for yourself, try one more time when your body is tired, apologize when you are not even sure what you did wrong, and stay the course when you really want to give up. It is good old love making us surprise ourselves and everyone else till they have no choice but to applaud when our results speak.

Love, the force so powerful that it defies social, cultural, ethnic, religious, racial, psychological, philosophical, or biological barriers. It can turn a weakling to a warrior and have made warriors seem like weaklings. It protects, defends, and shields the object of its affection, sometimes blindly. In fact, anyone is normal until we fall in love with them, then they become perfect. If you doubt me ask a parent, or lover of an idea, movement, or person.

Love is so powerful that if not managed can become a danger, and this has been proven time and again by men who have sacrificed all and rejected even their families in pursuit of the thing or person they love. It is a heart thing and can never make sense from the point of logic, even science still cannot fully explain it.

Watching Jamie’s character in ‘Project Power’ not only made me cry but reinforced a belief I already had, which is that if you really want to see how dangerous a person can be, then go after the thing or person they love. Then you would realize that the most dangerous person in the world is not the one who is hungry or power drunk, but the one in love with a thing, ideology, system, or person – even if they are wrong.

I have wiped the tears from my eyes but as I end this, I hope that you do not settle for the thing or person you can live with, but find the courage to wait for and chase the thing or person you cannot live without.