'Master Harold'... and the Boys

The original film version of Athol Fugard's play is very powerful and moving. It deals with institutional racism in the early 1950's South Africa and how it affects two black men and one white teenager. Matthew Broderick and the late Zakes Mokae give great performances.

Athol Fugard wrote a brilliant play about the institutional and personal racism that was South African society. It made its debut at the Yale Repertory Theater back in 1950 and it took over 30 years to get to Broadway.

This is a public television broadcast of said play and it stars African players Zakes Mokae and John Kani as the help in a luncheon establishment in Port Elizabeth. South Africa. The teenage son of the owner is the third character in this 3 person drama and our title character Master Harold played here by Matthew Broderick.

Young Harold is home from school and he's got some father issues. The old man is a drunk and a bully and he's crippled besides. He's a burden on Harold and his mom and the business they have that supports them is her's.

The two servants have been with the family for years. But Mokae makes the mistake of getting too familiar with the kid and he pays.

You can only imagine the shame and humiliation Broderick feels from his peers. But South African society with racism codified into their law tells Broderick there's a whole group that he's superior too who have darker skins. And if that's not enough there's the personal racism in which he was probably built into his own upbringing.

This is an autobiographical work from Fugard and this televised play is perfectly cast and performed. The incessant rain in the background both explains why there are no customers and adds to a gloomy tension that the work has.

Don't miss this if broadcast.

In my high school college writing class we were "forced" to watch this movie...all we were told beforehand was there were three actors, one set and a black man's ass....that's it. Well upon watching the movie I felt bored for the first three or five minutes, but I soon realized this movie had so much philosophies and thoughts on social standards, etc, I couldn't help but love this movie. It's been well over a year since I've seen it, and don't remember much of the plot, except Matthew Broderick was the "master of the house" and there are two black servants, that he has always taken for granted. The whole movie is one big discussion on life, and there was one part that just made me (and several other classmates) cry. Truly a masterpiece! A must-see!

There are no special effects, elaborate sets, or huge casts of megastars. There are only three cast members, one set, and a script. The script is so well written, and the acting so good, that this movie is outstanding despite of, or perhaps, because of, the limited resources. It is good old-fashioned story-telling, with nothing to distract.

I've seen both the movie and a live production of "Master Harold" and it's an incredible, heart-wrenching script. I really enjoyed the movie production as well. If you get the chance to see it, do so, but bring tissues!