Forgiveness

I watched this over the weekend. For a relatively low budget movie I was quite impressed. Kudos to Arnold Vosloo (The Mummy) for coming back to SA to support the local industry. It is also great to see the local guys putting in convincing performances.

The story moves at a reasonable pace for the most part, though it was a bit slow in places. The plot is one which South Africans will identify well with, though foreigners will be able to follow it with ease. The movie explores strong racial antagonism which mellows towards racial reconciliation. This theme has been overworked in the past, but this movie gives it fresh spin and there are some quirky, dramatic and tense scenes. Even with the slightly surprising ending, one does get a sense of closure.

While not brilliant, the camera and director work was more than adequate and did not detract from the movie.

It would be great to see more South African movies. It was a pity that the theater was mostly empty. Lack of support for something as solid as this is disheartening. Local industry needs more support from the viewer base. Even though the movie is 'arty' it should have perhaps been released on the main circuit to give it greater exposure.

Absolutely magnificent! Unlike many South African films, all the elements merge perfectly to create something hauntingly familiar and deeply emotional. The photography, script, acting, symbolism and historical detail are wonderfully accurate. An added bonus for South Africans is the colourful language and genuine portrayals of characters from the West Coast fishing community, black urban middle class and white thirty-something Capetonians. The mannerisms, slang and expletives are heard every day on the streets but very rarely make it to the big screen.

Overseas audiences might not be familiar with all the details but simple internet searches will reveal that the majority of the facts that the film is based on are indeed real. *SPOILERS* Although no-one says it directly it is obvious that Arnold Vosloo's character is based on Dirk Coetzee the leader of a government 'assassination squad'. The torture methods described in the movie (including the infamous 'wet bag' method) are all real and documented in evidence given to the TRC. Many suspects were interrogated on a farm known as 'Vlakplaas' which was also obliquely referred to in the film. The issue of torture and it's deployment in a 'war on terror' have never been more relevant.

This film is truly one of the best films to come out of post apartheid South Africa and I hope it reaches a wide international audience.

I had the pleasure of seeing Forgiveness last night. Everyone involved in this production, should be very proud of their achievements. The writing is solid and clever, it's beautifully filmed and for once the South African locations are captured and used to enhance the story. I loved the shots of the sea. The strong cast handles the challenging subject matter very well. Arnold Vosloo's and the rest of cast deserves a special mention. I suppose South Africa still has a lot of political/apartheid stories to tell and these stories should be told, but I can't wait for us to move on and start telling stories and making movies about the many other facets of this beautiful country!

Hopefully this is the start of many more to come.

Marvellous story built around the hugely relevant subject of state violence against an individual, and the human need to seek and give forgiveness through learning the truth about a tragedy. Starkly made with impressive locales that create the right atmosphere for a story about grief, guilt, revenge, and forgiveness, this movie touches anyone who has ever wanted to have an explanation for the disappearance of a loved one through state violence. The characters are played with understanding and sympathy, with hardly a false note. Great uplifting moments of how things can and do turn around. I would put it on the must watch list, and if you are a high-school teacher, show it to your class.

Let's face it: the film is plain boring. It's a shame really, because the idea, the message behind it is superb and so very important for South Africa. The country simply can't go on without reconciliation - and forgiveness. But what an utterly pretentious and vapid execution! What a missed opportunity!

The movie might look good at international film festivals, where prizes are given for good intentions and political correctness. And where they make allowances for South African cinema as if it weren't one of the oldest and most established in the world. But films like Tsotsi, Jerusalema or even White Wedding are much more deserving of accolades than this dragging exercise in well-intentioned film-making.