A Dry White Season (1989)

Donald Sutherland: Ben

Photos 

Quotes 

• Ben du Toit : You must not give up hope, Emily.

  Stanley Makhaya : Hope's a white word, laanie. It's not hope we need.

• Ian McKenzie : Oh I'm terribly sorry, would you like a cup of tea?

  Ben du Toit : No, no thank you. No, I'm here on a matter of justice.

  Ian McKenzie : Oh, justice. Well I'm afraid that's a trifle more complex to serve you up than a cup of tea.

• Ben du Toit : If someone told you your child had died and wouldn't tell you how he died or where the body was buried, wouldn't you be upset?

• Gordon Ngubene : They've arrested Jonathan.

  Ben du Toit : Again? What for?

  Gordon Ngubene : There is big trouble in the townships. They're killing our children! I saw the bodies, Mr. Ben. Many have been detained. I went to the hospital. To the mortuary. Everywhere! The police deny they have Jonathan.

  Ben du Toit : Why didn't you tell me?

  Gordon Ngubene : I *am* telling you.

• Ben du Toit : Jesus, Susan, this is not just about Gordon! This is about all of us!

  Susan du Toit : No. It's about all of *them*. And I will be damned if I let them destroy my family. I don't want Gordon's ghost in my house! I don't want the one with the dark glasses, any of these kaffirs here ever again! I just want to go back to the way it was!

  Ben du Toit : If you had come with me... if you had seen what was happening in that court, you would know that we can never go back to the way it was.

  Susan du Toit : I *was* in the court.

  Ben du Toit : What?

  Susan du Toit : Listen to me, Ben. I heard what the police did, and I'm not saying it was right. But you think the blacks wouldn't do the same thing to us, and worse, if they had half the chance? Do you think they'll let us go on living our nice, quiet, peaceful lives if they win? They'll swallow us up! It's our country, Ben, we made every inch of it! Look at the rest of Africa, it's a mess... It's like in war. You have to choose sides. You are not one of them and they don't want you to be!

• Ben du Toit : Did you ever actually see Gordon Ngubene?

  Dr. Herzog : If I said I didn't, would it matter?

• Melanie Bruwer : You'd better put your rage into perspective, Benjamin Du Toit. This is a long distance race, you'll need to pace yourself.

  Ben du Toit : I suppose cynicism goes with the job!

  Melanie Bruwer : It's not cynicism, it's realism.

  Ben du Toit : It has nothing to do with *my* reality.

  Melanie Bruwer : It has *everything* to do with your reality. Just because you haven't seen it before doesn't mean hasn't always existed!

• Ben du Toit : Give it up? Because there is nothing to be done? That's what I said to his son when his son was caned. And now his son is dead.