Cry Freedom [HD]

A Study of Loss
The criticism I've heard when this movie is being discussed has always bothered me to some degree. The knock against it is that Denzel Washington is so strong in the role of Steve Biko, and he himself was such an important figure in South African history, that he deserves a movie of his own. Now, while I agree with this assessment, and hope that maybe a Djimon Hounsou or Chiwetel Ejiofor will revisit the role at some future date, I can't help but feel that these people are judging the movie for what they wanted it to be, and not what's actually up there on the screen.

Not only that, but I feel that the loss of Biko midway through the film actually serves a purpose. And that purpose is, by the final half-hour, when we're privileged enough to have a few flashbacks of him, we realize what a loss he has been to the movie, and to the world. So by having him cut out of a good portion of the film, we're made to grieve his death while the movie continues to soldier forward.

Oh, and...

Denzel IS Stephen Biko!
When I was a high school English teacher and read and discussed "Cry, the Beloved Country" with my seniors, I always showed "Cry Freedom" in conjunction. Students were mesmerized. While the novel was set in South Africa with apartheid partly responsible for the crime that takes place, apartheid is as much a major character as Stephen Biko or Donald Woods in the movie.

In case you are confused, "Cry, the Beloved Country" is the lyrical novel by Alan Paton, published in 1948 and set in South Africa, Paton's homeland. Three racial groups, lived together, not in harmony, there: the Dutch, who later called themselves Afrikaaners, who settled there three hundred years earlier and believed they sere sent by God to take control; the English who settled everywhere; and the native groups, of which Bantu was one. This novel is a moving testament to the forgiving nature of men and how two men from totally different worlds can come together in grace and acceptance.

In "Cry...

Old Favorite on Dvd
What a treat to see this beautiful film on dvd. I had seen it on vhs years ago, and recently found and read BIKO by Donald Woods, on which the film was based. The movie stays very close to the book.

For those interested, the book delves much deeper into Biko's life and character, and gives a good summarized history of South Africa. The book also gives more information about the transformation of Woods from a liberal to an activist and the development of their friendship.

Denzel's performance is top notch, and the music moving. You will have a lump in your throat at the end. I found the movie even more enjoyable after reading the book and seeing it on dvd.

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