Tsotsi

Released:  March 31^st, 2006

Rated:  R

Distributor:  Miramax

Starring:  Presley Chweneyagae, Terry Pheto, Kenneth Nkosi, Mothusi Magano, Zenzo Ngqobe

Directed by:  Gavin Hood

Written by:  Gavin Hood

Personal Bias Alert:  not familiar with South African cinema

7.5 of 10

            Tsotsi, which loosely translates to ‘thug’, is a tough but beautiful film that thrives on exploring the dichotomy of having these two things inside a single entity.  The contrast is played up from the beginning, with the opening scene ending on a close-up of our main tsotsi’s hardened face, then cutting abruptly to a wide shot of the glowing evening sky as he leads his friends outside.  The area he’s leading them through isn’t exactly pretty; it’s a shanty town on the outskirts of Johannesburg, but the glistening sky that he descends from is enough to make even this hardscrabble place feel like somewhere you need to be.  That’s the trick of the entire film, really:  to take an unattractive thing and make it jarringly, inescapably beautiful.

            In the nine years since Tsotsi’s release, this arc has come to dominate certain portions of American pop culture (see nearly every prestige television show), but it’s a trope that still remains largely reserved for the middle-aged white man.  To apply this arc to a teenage South African is still rare, making it surprising just how far Tsotsi makes you travel.  The teen, who literally goes by Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae), is a right nasty guy at the beginning, who we follow through a crazy night that ends with him in a stolen car that still has a baby in the backseat.  Taking pity on the child, Tsotsi bags him up with the rest of the loot, adopting him without much thought.  This moment of empathy becomes a turning point for the young thug, who for the first time starts to see a life outside the abusive one he’s been dealt.

            In starting off so strongly, the film has to take the audience through some pretty big steps, which at times become too leading and overwrought.  Tsotsi is far from an even film, but it’s got an outstanding guide in Presley Chweneyagae.  He’s an honest to god movie star, the kind of actor you can’t take your eyes off of even when you’re marveling over what he’s accomplished.  The role of Tsotsi, like the film as a whole, is not an easy thing to pull off, but you’d never guess it by how easy he makes it look.  Complimenting him is Terry Pheto as the young mother that Tsotsi forces to become the baby’s wet nurse.  Their scenes, taking place almost exclusively in a small home, are easily the most evocative that the film has to offer.  Watching two actors at their level playing off each other, navigating the give-and-take of such transformative moments for their characters, is a pleasure that never gets old.  I just hope I get to watch these two give such great performances over and over again as I get old.

            Writer/director Gavin Hood, who’s struggled with his subsequent American releases (X-Men Origins:  Wolverine and Ender’s Game), seems more comfortable telling stories set in his native country of South Africa.  He certainly has an excellent eye when it comes to capturing his hometown of Johannesburg, often using the sprawling, flat nature of the city to capture the wealth and poverty that is pressed so closely together.  Both he and cinematographer Lance Gewer must’ve worked hard to avoid making Tsotsi and his home seem drab, instead meticulously capturing everything in the best light possible.  And I mean that literally; the lighting in this film is extraordinary.  Even in the dimness of Tsotsi’s shack, the surroundings get enough soft lighting to be clear and homey, even if the place is a mess.  These beautifully captured settings help take the edge off of the film’s early gruffness, and by the end serves to emphasize how far Tsotsi’s come.

            Tsotsi was a strong presence throughout the world during the 2006 awards season, being nominating and taking home several major prizes.  This is the first and only South African movie to win Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars, and this widespread appeal is likely due not only to the strength of the film but the universality of its story.  Really, this tale of redemption could be set almost anywhere, but Hood chose to keep it at home, giving the rest of us a reminder that we all fight against and strive for such similar things.

Other Notes:

Ø  As a warning to those sensitive to animal abuse, there is one scene you’ll probably want to skip.

Ø  The film is based off a novel of the same name, the author of which was a Wells Scholar Professor at the college I went to.

Ø  There’s a lot of not-so-subtle AIDS banners throughout this film.