A brave film to make about an horrendous period of history - the end of apartheid in South Africa 1990-94. But it is obvious why the USA rejected it - it is about Africa and black Africans murdering each other rather violently, while white men in the leads take photos ( and Nelson Mandela does not appear as saint/messiah - in fact, his supporters kill as violently as the 'bad' Zulus and are referred to as 'comrades' a euphemism for communists!). It is a true story taken from a book written by two surviving photographers from a group of four who earned the soubriquet of 'The Bang Bang Club.' They went into the SA townships to chronicle the violence - some organised by the dying white government - and won two Pulitzer prizes in the course of the time covered. Yes, it is told by the white men and women, but it also tells in full frontal what the black population were doing to each other, and why and how it felt. There is even one black character who harangues the lead character, Greg Marinovitch, at every opportunity about white men taking photos for a white audience. But like Zimou's latest film about the Rape of Nanking, telling the story from a white westerner's perspective is apparently totally taboo to US film critics. They forget that South Africa is the so-called rainbow nation - black, white, Asian, and mixed race (Coloured as referred to in the film - oh, dear!).
The direction of the re-staged violence is dramatic and extremely potent - and not cinematic for some (got to have the goodies and the baddies not a melee!). The writing is jagged and in not too much depth of character (that would need many hours on a psychiatrist's couch!), but the acting is brave and bravura. Ryan Phillippe as Marinovitch carries on regardless but is caught short at the end - the deaths of friends finally bringing home what he has been hiding from - while Tyler Kitsch grabs hold of the flashy junkie role as Kevin, who cannot eventually face the world in the face of guilt over what he has witnessed. the rest of the acting, especially the black cameos of victims of the is wretchingly painful, and almost realist TV by actual victims. A film that should have a much wider audience - as much as Eastwood's feel-good movie of the 1995 Rugby World Cup!
The direction of the re-staged violence is dramatic and extremely potent - and not cinematic for some (got to have the goodies and the baddies not a melee!). The writing is jagged and in not too much depth of character (that would need many hours on a psychiatrist's couch!), but the acting is brave and bravura. Ryan Phillippe as Marinovitch carries on regardless but is caught short at the end - the deaths of friends finally bringing home what he has been hiding from - while Tyler Kitsch grabs hold of the flashy junkie role as Kevin, who cannot eventually face the world in the face of guilt over what he has witnessed. the rest of the acting, especially the black cameos of victims of the is wretchingly painful, and almost realist TV by actual victims. A film that should have a much wider audience - as much as Eastwood's feel-good movie of the 1995 Rugby World Cup!