Louis Theroux: Law and Disorder in Johannesburg

In this documentary, Louis Theroux hangs out in Johannesburg-- probably the most dangerous city in the world. The rape and murder rates are the highest in the world and the police have pretty much abandoned policing many of the worst parts of the city. I have visited the town and much of it simply isn't safe enough to visit...even during the daylight hours. It seems that over the last couple decades, the white elite who once lived there moved out to the suburbs and have been replaced by gangs from around Africa that run the place. My explanation of the problem is one, oddly, that Theroux did NOT give in the show--the only serious weakness in the film.

What Theroux does do is give you a sense of what life is like here. Because the police are often out-gunned and reticent to act, peace is maintained by 'good' gangs (i.e., tough guys for hire) and the neighborhood, on occasion, dispensing justice themselves. It's violent, it's cruel and it's crazy and Theroux does his usual shocked everyman from Britain shtick when faced with the violence. In the process he and his film crew take a lot of crazy risks to get the story and it had me seriously questioning their sanity. But, it did make for interesting television.

Perhaps his father's fame opened up a door of opportunity for L.T. but oh how the son dropped the ball when he entered the real world of South Africa. His subdued, subtle "outrage", directed naively because of his wimpiness towards many of the people interviewed, made watching this a waste of time. (Actually I bailed out after a third of it because of it's falseness.) If they ever make another version of "Being There", L.T. would be a perfect Chauncey Gardner.) Bottom line for me? He was lucky he had some high echelon protection otherwise he would have been mugged and robbed early on. There is a powerful and tragic story to be told of a country that has, or had until recently, the 2nd highest murder rate per capita in the world...... and the number 1 per capita rape history but the victims seen in the video needed someone like Frederic Wiseman to record what's happening to them in Johannesburg, not a virginal poseur like Louis Theroux.