Cry Freedom

Cry Freedom 1987

• Director: Richard Attenborough
• Based on book by Donald Woods
• Cast: Kevin Kline, Denzel Washington, Penelope Wilton, Josette Simon
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Kevin Kline – My Old Lady, Hamlet, As You Like It, A Prairie Home Companion, Wild Wild West, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Ice Storm, Dave, Chaplin, The January Man, A Fish Called Wanda, Silverado, Sophie’s Choice
• Denzel Washington – The Book of Eli, The Great Debaters, Antwone Fisher, Besieged, Devil in a Blue Dress, The Pelican Brief, Philadelphia, Much Ado About Nothing, Malcolm X, Mississippi Masala, Mo’ Better Blues
• Penelope Wilton – The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Downton Abbey, Hotel Marigold 1&2, South Riding, Doctor Who, Shaun of the Dead, The Calendar Girls, Clockwise, King Lear, Othello
• Josette Simon – Wonder Woman, Broadchurch, Merlin
• Why? History
• Seen: 27 December 2019

             History, yes. But remembered. Apartheid. Steve Biko. If you’re too young to remember, Google it.

       White liberal journalist Donald Woods (Kline) publicly and wrongly accuses Steve Biko (Washington) of black racism. When confronted by Doctor Ramphele (Simon), he consents to meet with Biko, banned and hunted by the apartheid system. Woods is rich and proud of being a white liberal. Biko takes it upon himself to open his eyes to the brutal reality of 90 % of the South African population.

       It’s dangerous for both of them. We know how it ends for Biko.

       Woods learns. Liberals everywhere, still today, should learn. There are different kinds of apartheids still today.

       The film loses focus in the second half with the troubles of the white liberal (but radicalised) Woods family. It becomes a kind of drawn out thriller with too little about Biko. But still it’s a very strong film with strong performances by Washington, Kline and Wilton – all very young – and the rest of the cast.

       The violence, the killing of Apartheid continued for more than ten years.

       Amandla.

      

4½ * of 5