The Power of One

Good film - but read the book, the ending is very different - better all round really! Go on read the Power of One now, then read Tandia. It reaches into your heart and you can feel for PK. If they had made the film as the book i think it would shake some of the greats like - Colour Purple!!

This is the best film I have ever seen. I read the book in 1989, which I enjoyed so much. It was emotional, real and I raved about the book to anyone near me. So much so, that my fiancé took me to our local cinema during a festival to see the film in 92. For those that have read the book, all I wanted to know was how were they going to do the chicken scene?

However for those of you that haven't read the book, the chicken scene did not matter. For once a film is so fantastic, that you cease to compare it to the book. I enjoyed this film, in a cinema with fewer than fifteen people in. I laughed and cried and it was so sad that no one had made the effort to come and see this masterpiece.

Years later, when I talk about the film, people say " Oh it's the one about the boxer" but it is so much more. If you think this is a boxing film, think again. It is a film about love, about being different , about perseverance and about not only wanting to make a difference, but doing so. It shows that you may be a small fish, but you can make a difference to the world if only you believe in yourself.

Morgan Freeman is just fantastic in this film. As is Stephen Dorrf. For Morgan, it is on par with Shawshank Redemption and beats performances in anything he had done written by James Patterson. I was so chuffed recently when seeing Enduring Love, with Daniel Craig, I realised he was PK's enemy Jaapie Botha in the film from 13 years ago. I am lucky to have The Power Of One on video and I wait for the day when it is released again on video or DVD and I can purchase it for friends to watch. You cannot watch this film without getting something positive out of it. I have since parted with the chap I first watched the film with, but have married a man born in South Africa who appreciated this film as much as me. I only hope and dream that one day, we together, we will make a difference. If we touch on PK's achievements I will feel I have succeeded.

wonderful job at making the book (I read that). And for the directing of the film, it was fantastic. Starting with Peekay as the young boy at just 6 or 7 years old, being treated so horribly gives one a different view of life in Africa in the WW2 years. Several differences between the book and the movies, but that is to be expected. If you haven't read the book already, but you've seen the movie, you'll still feel the power and climatic of this production. Well put by the actors Stephen Dorff, Simon Fenton, Guy Witcher, who all played Peekay; Armin Mueller-Stahl for his peaceful acting of Doc; Morgan Freeman for Geel Pete; Fay Masterson for Maria; and all the rest for making such a tremendous thought-provoking film. A masterpeice telling people what is going on in the world, to get them to act to it. May the world flow with peace and beauty.

I watched this film several years ago and it brought back many memories of my life in South Africa. While living there I saw many things that were portrayed in the film so can relate to it. I thought all the actors were very good and but Morgan Freeman's role was truly exceptional and should have won him an Oscar for his portrayal. The accents were very much true to life even though the main characters were not South African. I found the story line very thought provoking and the music was so good I went out and bought the CD. I think it's about time they showed this film on TV as many things can be learnt from this. I feel this film is on a Parr with another South African film called Serafina which dealt with the riots in Soweto.

The Power Of One is based on a novel by the very talented Bryce Courtenay. The sequel novel,Tandia, which picks up right where The Power of One left off is equally moving and compelling reading.I am promptly going to go out and read everything else he has written. Both The Power of One and Tandia have moved me beyond words. I am a white South African girl who spent 19 years of my life in SA. I led a very privileged, sheltered childhood growing up in South Africa. I was just 15 when apartheid fell apart. My parents were not racist and in fact my father dedicated his life to working as a doctor in a very poor area but I still , unbelievably, never really had a very clear picture of the horror of apartheid until Mr Courtenay outlined it so vividly in these books.(as I said I was sheltered as a white child)I feel extraordinarily blessed and lucky to have directly avoided the violence and sickness that invaded my country for so long just because I was lucky enough to be born with white skin. I now live in the States but South Africa will always be home. I wept most of the way through both books. I have never been so moved in my life.Mr Courtenay summed up perfectly the collective guilt that white South Africans must carry with them forever more for our people's legacy of hate and brutality and oppression Even if we ourselves are not guilty - our people are guilty.He also, of course, inspires us to believe that one person can make a difference and that sanity,justice and compassion can win in the end even if the fight is long and hard.For those of you who think the characters are too stereotyped- in some aspects you are right. Not all Afrikaaners are the evil, racist villains that are portrayed in the books . However, I certainly encountered people growing up with unbelievable racism, fear and hate who do match some of the characters in the book.So there is truth to his characters also. I have no doubt that the brutality was accurate. One only has to look at historical events in SA history to confirm that. Thank you Mr Courtenay for your wonderful gift and for sharing it with the world.

As for the movie: I must admit it has been years since I happened upon it on television late at night. I do remember being quite swept up in the film but then being disappointed with the direction they chose to take it in. A Hollywood ending on what could have been a remarkable African movie.I do understand that film is a completely different medium and changes were necessary to adapt the book to film. Still I cannot help being disappointed with some of the changes that I deemed uneccessary such as the changing of Peekay's name from the wonderful, mystical"The Tadpole Angel" or "onoshobishobi ingelosi" to "The rainmaker" Come on! That's lame! The rainmaker?!That has none of the same feeling the other names invoke.The addition of the girlfriend just to give Peekay a love interest is unnecessary fluff and her character not well developed enough to warrant such an addition.Nonetheless, the film is still worth seeing.

I must say that I truly do hope that someone else re-makes this and does a better job.Tandia would make a fantastic film also. I am going to buy a copy on DVD and re-watch it and the post my thoughts here after refreshing it in my mind. I highly recommend reading both The Power Of One and Tandia to all interested in the history of apartheid in South Africa or just those looking for a good drama and a fascinating stories with strong characters.Even if you hate to read and are intimidated by the thought of reading such large books- just start- I guarantee you, you won't be able to put both these books down!If you haven't seen the film or read the books, I guess you should watch the film first. Otherwise you will be sorely disappointed and outraged at all the negative changes and you won't be able to truly enjoy the film for what it is: a nice attempt at an adaptation of a marvellous book.