Os Iniciados

"The Wound" feels like a documentary. I looked it up on IMDB to be sure it wasn't. Tribal coming of age for males, gay love, elder denial, useless cruelty...it's all in this powerful story. As violent as it often is, it's a film worth watching for its honest treatment of ancient stories. A true remedy for vacuous films coming out of Hollywood.

A South African film was on show for the opening night of the Berlinale. Directed by John Trengove, it's the story of Xolani, set against the backdrop of a local circumcision initiation ritual. Barely had I settled into my seat, that penises were being sliced up at the edge of a forest, in ad-hoc conditions. So, yeah, it caught my attention.

The whole story though finds itself at an interesting intersection between tradition, homosexuality and validation. For Xolani, who otherwise works in the city, it's the yearly return 'in the mountains', to meet Vija, the man he loves. For Kwanda, Xolani's initiate, it's the pressure to conform with alpha male stereotypes. For most of the other participants, it's a last stand in the face of modern turpitude, both a rite of passage into manhood and a rite of separation from the others.

The first half or so of the movie, which sets the scene and introduces the characters, is almost fascinating. With strong acting all around, it's easy to get sucked into the experience and what's even more impressive, is the manner in which Trengove infuses such sensibility in something that otherwise could count as butch. The contrasting personalities are wrought with tension, culminating in some beautiful moments of just…being. It all comes to life thanks to commanding craftsmanship and an eye for strong visuals, which is one consistent feature throughout.

Unfortunately, the latter part of the film elects to go for a more traditional exposition and resolution, with uneven pacing. What's worse though is the characters losing some of their sharpness, especially in scenes where they are turned into mere rhetoric tools. By the time the finale came around, I felt waywardly uninvolved. It's like the need for relevance and clarity became overbearing.

All things considered, The Wound stands as a film that, at its best, conveys a unique poetic restraint. It might not shine all the way through, yet it provides insight into a corner of the world that's usually left in the dark, tackling some big themes on the way. I would never want to fault someone for being too ambitious, so The Wound gets my recommendation.

Tackling head-on the cultural taboos of sexuality during a very traditional coming of age ritual in South Africa and hopefully going some way to educate and inform those who still live in the past and have yet to evolve from those traditions and beliefs.

The question isn't whether "The Wound" is audacious-it's whether it even bothers to disguise its brutal intentions. Directed by John Trengove, this South African film dives headfirst into the complex and often uncomfortable world of masculinity, tradition, and desire. It's a film that dares to lay bare the raw nerve endings of cultural practices and sexual awakening, but the question remains: does it advance the conversation, or does it simply revel in its shock value?

"The Wound" centers around a rite of passage known as the ulwaluko, a traditional Xhosa circumcision ceremony that serves as a painful coming-of-age ritual for young men. Enter Xolani (Bongile Mantsai), a reluctant participant who returns to the mountains, hiding deep emotional scars beneath a stoic facade. When his childhood friend Vija (Niza Jay) arrives, the film ignites into an intense exploration of forbidden love and the chafing tension between societal expectations and personal identity.

Did I mention how utterly uncomfortable it can be? In the first act, Trengove's film is laden with magnetic visuals and ominous undertones, in stark contrast to the resonant silence of the characters grappling with their hidden truths. But does discomfort lead to insight, or does it simply serve as an excuse for an artistic endurance test? I found myself straddling both sides of this line, at times entranced by its boldness, and at other moments, repulsed by its seemingly gratuitous male nudity and torture-do we really need to endure this level of discomfort to understand its artistic merit?

The cinematography is, without a doubt, a stunning element of "The Wound." The South African landscape is both breathtaking and haunting, an apt backdrop for the turmoil brewing within the characters. But can beautiful visuals compensate for muddled thematic execution?

The cinematography is, without a doubt, a stunning element of "The Wound." The South African landscape is both breathtaking and haunting, an apt backdrop for the turmoil brewing within the characters. But can beautiful visuals compensate for muddled thematic execution? The film's pacing often feels disjointed-are we meant to be lulled by the rhythmic beauty of nature while internal conflicts bubble just beneath the surface? Or is it just an elaborate way to distract from its uneven narrative?

Now, onto the performances-if only I could say that every actor hit the mark. Mantsai delivers a rich, layered portrayal of Xolani, embodying suppressed longing with palpable depth. Niza Jay has moments that flicker with charisma but is overshadowed by the script's uneven treatment. Why is it that the secondary characters feel underdeveloped while the lead wrestles with the weight of an entire oppressive culture? Is it too much to expect more well-rounded portrayals in a film that aspires to tackle such grave themes?

This film has caused controversy in South Africa because of the secrecy surrounding initiation, and it will be viewed by Xhosa very much as a hostile white man's view of the practice. There is little about the cutting (nothing is shown) but much about homophobia and bullying. It is clear that the filmmakers think (as I do) the idea that initiation makes boys into men is hollow.

It's a slow-burning drama with three central characters, Xolani ("X") a caregiver to a single initiate, Kwanda, among a group of about 10, three of whom are cared for by Vija. X has sex annually at the initiations with Vija, who is married (shades of Brokeback Mountain), but their relationship is ambiguous. Kwanda's sexuality is unclear, but coming from Johannesburg, he is more urbane than the others, and suspect for that reason. He is called a "faggot" but more as a general-purpose insult.

The initiates are all cut early on in the film; there is mention of painful herbs being applied, and infections, but not the significant risk of death. Near the end, Kwanda, who has said very little, dismisses the importance of the genital cutting (without actually denouncing it). The irony is that he _has_ matured from his experience on the mountain, but not in the way the traditionalists imagine. Another irony is that X seems to have learnt from his pupil.

What the film very much brings out is the urban-rural, traditional-modern tension in South Africa, though the setting is entirely traditional. I recommend it to urban people for a glimpse into a very different culture - that yet throws light on our own.