HOME |
DINING |
MOVIES |
LIVE SHOWS |
ARTS |
UPCOMING EVENTS
ARCHIVES |
ABOUT |
ADVERTISE |
CONTACT |
DISTRIBUTION
entertaining u newspaper: your weekly guide to entertainment
<< Infamous
|
Main
|
A Guide To Recognizing...
>>
|
by rick grant
rickgrant01@comcast.net
B+ PG-13 101 min
The setting of this movie takes the viewer back to South Africa during the tumultuous era of the anti-Apartheid movement during 1980-1993. Although the subject has been written about in books and films during the 1990s, there is a whole new generation of young people who no nothing of the terrible injustice of Apartheid. So, for the sake of today’s youth, it’s pertinent to revisit this cruel system of forced segregation, which adversely affected the majority of South Africa’s blacks, who lived in abject poverty in squalid townships.
|
|
It’s important to note that when Nelson Mandela was freed after 26 years in prison, in his first speech he said that in order for the country to heal and become strong again, his fellow blacks would have to forgive the white Afrikaans’ minority, and live together in peace. That speech set the tone for the new integrated and free South Africa.
The thrust of filmmaker Phillip Noyce’s premise focuses on both sides of the issue in this true story. On one side is a member of the African National Congress, Patrick Chamusso, (Derek Luke). He joined the main rebel army (the ANC freedom fighters) against the white minority government after he and his wife were falsely accused of bing terrorists, imprisoned, and tortured.
On the other side of the issue is a high raking anti-terrorist detective, Nic Vos (Tim Robbins) who views the ANC as terrorists. He is a reasonable man who realizes there are 6 million blacks governed by 3 million whites and he foresees that Apartheid is doomed. Nonetheless, Nic has a strong sense of duty, and he does his job to round up the ANC rebels who are blowing up oil refineries and wreaking havoc on the country’s infrastructure. He sees Apartheid differently. He is tasked with upholding the law.
Before his radical conversion to the ANC army, Patrick was a foreman at the oil refinery–an apolitical family man who was living in a modest middle class township. When ANC operatives planted mines at his oil refinery, he became a suspect. Nic tracks him down and takes him in for questioning. Nic checks out his story and finds some time missing when he could have met with the ANC. However, Nic finds out later that the rebels gained access to the plant through the fence. Since Patrick had a key, he could have let in the commandos. Still, Nic suspects Patrick of being a collaborator. So, he arrests Patrick’s wife,. Precious and she is tortured which yields nothing.
Patrick is outraged by the injustice and his bitterness causes him to see the ANC’s point of view. The only way to stop Apartheid is to over-throw the minority white rule. Leaving Precious and his daughter, Patrick travels to the ANC’s recruitment training camp in a neighboring African country. Nic receives intell on the camp and sees a familiar face–Patrick. So, his instincts were correct. The anti-terrorist group sends a strike team to the ANC camp and Patrick narrowly escapes with his life. Now he is tasked with blowing up the oil refinery since he knows its inner workings.
Ironically, the two men on opposite sides of the conflict are not so different from one another. Under different circumstances they could have been friends. But Patrick blames Nic for torturing his wife and later, finds it difficult to forgive him. Derek Luke’s portrayal of Patrick delves deeply into his psyche. Tim Robbins’ insightful portrayal of Nic embues him with humanity. In reality, Nic couldn’t stop the brutal methods of his men no more than he could control the abuses of the Afrikaans’ government. He knew Apartheid was wrong, but he had his family to worry about. During this time of strife and civil war, whites had been attacked in their homes and murdered. It was a dangerous time.
To older viewers, this film will seem like it was made 15 years ago, when Apartheid movies were rampant. Still, it’s a character driven study of two men with opposing sociopolitical opinions. Nic did make an effort to understand Patrick and his cause. The premise implies the two characters–Nic and Patrick–are caught up in circumstances beyond their control.
Director Noyce and screewriter Shawn Slovo gave the viewer both sides of the conflict in a way that doesn’t demonize Nic or glamorize Patrick. It’s a balanced historical drama that makes us think about our own Civil War and the motivations of oppressed people everywhere. History teaches us that when people are oppressed by brutal regimes, eventually they will rise up and rebel against its injustice and tyranny. That critical time of insurrection is the moment that the rebels are willing to die for the cause.
|
|
