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6.8/10
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Xolani, a lonely factory worker, travels to the rural mountains with the men of his community to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood.Xolani, a lonely factory worker, travels to the rural mountains with the men of his community to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood.Xolani, a lonely factory worker, travels to the rural mountains with the men of his community to initiate a group of teenage boys into manhood.
- Awards
- 27 wins & 15 nominations total
Gamelihle Bovana
- Sicelo
- (as Gamelihle 'Game' Bovana)
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Saw this movie at the Berlinale film festival 2017, where it was part of the Panorama section and programmed at the opening night. It has two main story lines. The first one shows the initiation rites itself. What these rituals entail is actually a taboo and details are not assumed to come out in the open, but nowadays it is less a taboo than it ever has been. Descriptions can be found in several recent books, for example one by Nelson Mandela. I consider this the documentary half of the movie. The second story line is the dramatic developments around the still dormant relationship of two men, Xolani and Vija. Their relationship existed for a long time but they lost track of each other, yet we see that it may be dormant but still partly active at the time of the initiation rites at hand. Like everywhere else in the world same-sex love is also a taboo in South Africa, but again less a taboo that is ever has been. Both plot lines come together at the remote terrain where the initiation rites will take its traditional course.
Kwanda is one of the young men to be initiated in the customs and traditions of the ancient tribes. Circumcision is part of the ritual plus a subsequent healing process under supervision of their respective caregivers. Kwanda's father asked Xolani as caregiver for Kwanda, and told him to be very strict with Kwanda as his mother had spoiled him too much. Vija is a caregiver of even three young men, who however do not play a role important enough to be mentioned by name. A particular detail about Xolani is, when passing through these rites as a young man, his experience was extra traumatic as he had no caregiver to support him, and had to cope on his own and to find out everything by himself.
In a side story line we see that Kwanda does not really blend in with the rest of the initiates. Some people explain it as simple jealousy (Kwanda wore much better shoes than the rest, his family had more money, and that he grew up in the city counts too). Others say that it is because he deviates from the rituals, for example by refusing to give a speech as we see all others do. In a later scene we see his shoes taken from him, but as he clearly takes a stand that he does not like it, he gets them back, contrary to what we see in movies with high school bullying as main topic. Later on, probably by making clear that he is able to speak out and stand up when needed, we see that he is not permanently kept away from the other initiates, but still remains not fully accepted as one of them though.
There comes a moment, about at two thirds of the running time, that the story blurs. It starts with changing focus away from the initiation rituals. We following our three main characters who see a daunting task before them to find their own way out of the situation that has grown between Xolani, Vija, and Kwanda. The latter has seen the other two in flagrant circumstances, but explicitly states that their secret is safe with him. Vija apparently does not trust him with their secret and chases Kwanda in the woods. From this moment on, each of the threesome faces his own problems how to deal with the outside world when returning from the initiation camp. And each has to find his own way out, which is the central theme of the last one third of the movie.
From the final Q&A I noted some pieces of information about South Africa without verification, yet relevant for the above. Their national constitution is very liberal and has no problems with same-sex relationships, even to the extent that South Africa was the third country in the world to allow same-sex marriages, long before it became mainstream in the Western countries. Roughly speaking, in some parts of the larger cities, same-sex relationships are more or less "normal", as far as normal goes when ample people have problems with its existence in the first place. On the other hand, in other parts of the same cities, it is not accepted at all, nor is it tolerated outside the big cities.
All in all, the above is presented in an informative as well as compelling way. The movie is partly a documentary and partly taking a stand on same-sex relationships packaged in a coherent story. As far as the documentary is concerned, rest assured that the fine details of the circumcision are suggested rather than shown, so there is virtually no blood in the movie other than with some inevitable fights with so many men together. The dramatic developments around the same-sex relationship between Xolani and Vija are shown in more detail on two occasions, but it does not dominate the screenplay at all. The predetermined setup of having two story lines, documentary next to a same-sex relationship drama, was confirmed in the final Q&A by the film makers. As said before, informative as well as compelling, thus a perfect way to open the Panaroma section of the Berlinale 2017.
Kwanda is one of the young men to be initiated in the customs and traditions of the ancient tribes. Circumcision is part of the ritual plus a subsequent healing process under supervision of their respective caregivers. Kwanda's father asked Xolani as caregiver for Kwanda, and told him to be very strict with Kwanda as his mother had spoiled him too much. Vija is a caregiver of even three young men, who however do not play a role important enough to be mentioned by name. A particular detail about Xolani is, when passing through these rites as a young man, his experience was extra traumatic as he had no caregiver to support him, and had to cope on his own and to find out everything by himself.
In a side story line we see that Kwanda does not really blend in with the rest of the initiates. Some people explain it as simple jealousy (Kwanda wore much better shoes than the rest, his family had more money, and that he grew up in the city counts too). Others say that it is because he deviates from the rituals, for example by refusing to give a speech as we see all others do. In a later scene we see his shoes taken from him, but as he clearly takes a stand that he does not like it, he gets them back, contrary to what we see in movies with high school bullying as main topic. Later on, probably by making clear that he is able to speak out and stand up when needed, we see that he is not permanently kept away from the other initiates, but still remains not fully accepted as one of them though.
There comes a moment, about at two thirds of the running time, that the story blurs. It starts with changing focus away from the initiation rituals. We following our three main characters who see a daunting task before them to find their own way out of the situation that has grown between Xolani, Vija, and Kwanda. The latter has seen the other two in flagrant circumstances, but explicitly states that their secret is safe with him. Vija apparently does not trust him with their secret and chases Kwanda in the woods. From this moment on, each of the threesome faces his own problems how to deal with the outside world when returning from the initiation camp. And each has to find his own way out, which is the central theme of the last one third of the movie.
From the final Q&A I noted some pieces of information about South Africa without verification, yet relevant for the above. Their national constitution is very liberal and has no problems with same-sex relationships, even to the extent that South Africa was the third country in the world to allow same-sex marriages, long before it became mainstream in the Western countries. Roughly speaking, in some parts of the larger cities, same-sex relationships are more or less "normal", as far as normal goes when ample people have problems with its existence in the first place. On the other hand, in other parts of the same cities, it is not accepted at all, nor is it tolerated outside the big cities.
All in all, the above is presented in an informative as well as compelling way. The movie is partly a documentary and partly taking a stand on same-sex relationships packaged in a coherent story. As far as the documentary is concerned, rest assured that the fine details of the circumcision are suggested rather than shown, so there is virtually no blood in the movie other than with some inevitable fights with so many men together. The dramatic developments around the same-sex relationship between Xolani and Vija are shown in more detail on two occasions, but it does not dominate the screenplay at all. The predetermined setup of having two story lines, documentary next to a same-sex relationship drama, was confirmed in the final Q&A by the film makers. As said before, informative as well as compelling, thus a perfect way to open the Panaroma section of the Berlinale 2017.
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?
"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?
At the first glance The Wound looks like a movie about the Xhosa tradition concerning initiating boys into manhood: they go into the mountains to experience genital cutting. And while it is and interesting look into this custom which I knew very little about and which I found both fascinating and deeply disturbing. it is also much more.
The movie touches on a number of important issues. We see a taboo homosexual relationship in a deeply homophobic environment and the way that gay people deal with living in such a culture. We see the conflict between the old ways represented by people insisting on carrying on the traditional initiation and the new ways of city life and assimilation into white culture. We see a story about growing up and becoming a man, even if the notion of manhood isn't understood in a traditional way.
The story is carried mostly visually as there isn't a lot of dialogue in the movie. In my opinion, this fits the story perfectly, as men traditionally aren't meant to talk about their feelings. It also means that the actors must convey the character's emotions through facial expressions and gestures, and they do a really good job, creating completely believable character.
All in all, I would say that The Wound is a solid piece of filmmaking, touching important contemporary problems. It may be too slow for some, but for me the pacing and the limited amount of dialogue are perfect of such a story.
The movie touches on a number of important issues. We see a taboo homosexual relationship in a deeply homophobic environment and the way that gay people deal with living in such a culture. We see the conflict between the old ways represented by people insisting on carrying on the traditional initiation and the new ways of city life and assimilation into white culture. We see a story about growing up and becoming a man, even if the notion of manhood isn't understood in a traditional way.
The story is carried mostly visually as there isn't a lot of dialogue in the movie. In my opinion, this fits the story perfectly, as men traditionally aren't meant to talk about their feelings. It also means that the actors must convey the character's emotions through facial expressions and gestures, and they do a really good job, creating completely believable character.
All in all, I would say that The Wound is a solid piece of filmmaking, touching important contemporary problems. It may be too slow for some, but for me the pacing and the limited amount of dialogue are perfect of such a story.
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.
I did not know what to expect from this, but what I got really impressed me. THE cultural context in which the film is told is definitely a unique one, and the questions it poses and addresses regarding manhood, sexuality, and the process of maturity all bring to life vivid details and portrayals of the lives of these individuals. The performances are in particular strong, and the cinematography simply stunning. This is a highly recommended film that has significance in the way many films of this genre have, like last year's Moonlight.
Did you know
- TriviaSouth Africa's submission to the Foreign Language Film Award of the 90th Annual Academy Awards. Out of the 92 films, it was shortlisted as one of the 9 finalists.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Front Row: Episode #2.2 (2018)
- How long is The Wound?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
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- Also known as
- The Wound
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $30,678
- Gross worldwide
- $213,043
- Runtime
- 1h 28m(88 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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