If you are anything like me, Nelson Mandela is sort of a blond spot in your historical knowledge. Well the entirety of Mandela's career is a blind spot. Sure...it is easy to see him as the white haired, leader of South Africa that most of us do, but how many of us know all that much about his early career?Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom takes you back to the early days of his career right through his election in 1994 as President of South Africa. This picture was well cast, directed, and produced.There seems to have been nothing spared in the way of authenticity to the time periods and places. More than anything though this movie is one of the first on Mandela that gives you a decent idea of the man; warts, and all. I think it is well suited for the classroom, or for simple enjoyment of a good story
Personally, biopics aren't as bad as many historians think. Memories of graduate school where professors harped constantly that you should not be watching movies based on history still haunt me at night. As far a Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom goes, they are wrong. I'll keep watching. Are their inaccuracies? I'm sure. I'm not a Mandela scholar, and my working knowledge of career is limited. To me the real question is does it get you to thinking about Mandela, and I say yes. Why bother watching a historical movie if you are not at least passingly interested in learning more about the subject? I would go a step further and say why watch one and not want to pick up a book about the subject afterward.This flick certainly should get you interested in Mandela's earlier career with the African National Congress, and should give you pause as to whether he was rightfully jailed or not. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter will be all I have to say to get you thinking.
For a movie that did not make the big screen (at least that I saw) this one is particular well made from a film standpoint. Idris Elba (Nelson Mandela) and Naomie Harris (Winnie Madikizela-Mandela) both cash in extremely well-played roles. Where other histo-pics of Mandela give lack-luster performances (think Morgan Freeman in Invictus without even a hint of a South African accent) here we get Mandela as vibrant young man, a struggling prisoner, and older wiser politician. Elba particular plays the role to the last degree. You get the mannerism, the accent, and the personality coming right at you throughout the movie. Harris' Winnie Mandela is just as powerful. Here is a women who literally took many beatings for supporting her husband and his ideals. Though out the movie, you get the idea that Harris herself would gladly have stepped in front of a moving train for Mandela which is the mark of a well acted role.
Besides the great acting, this movie was well produced for what is at best a middle level budget. As you well know, low budget movies often skimp on one element or another, but that does not seem to be the case here. The costuming was historically accurate from the pictures I have seen.You get the idea that some time was spent looking at what the characters were actually wearing at the time, and in some cases you see exact replicas of outfits worn in real life. The setting is realistic as well. You get the gritty, brightness of South Africa and the hard reality of Robins Island prison. Alex Heffes who scored the film did an excellent job in setting the tone for the film with its ups and down. Newspapers or TV footage from the time look real too. Nothing gets more under my skin than newspapers or film footage in histo-pics that just looks fake.
Overall I would have to rate Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom at an 7.5 out of 10. The film itself is well made for a low budget film that never hit the big screen. It leaves you thinking about Mandela and his place in history.Certainly you be inspired to read up more on one of the most influential characters of the 20th and 21st Century. As an added bonus, you wouldn't have a hard sale to make if you wanted to show this in you classroom
Personally, biopics aren't as bad as many historians think. Memories of graduate school where professors harped constantly that you should not be watching movies based on history still haunt me at night. As far a Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom goes, they are wrong. I'll keep watching. Are their inaccuracies? I'm sure. I'm not a Mandela scholar, and my working knowledge of career is limited. To me the real question is does it get you to thinking about Mandela, and I say yes. Why bother watching a historical movie if you are not at least passingly interested in learning more about the subject? I would go a step further and say why watch one and not want to pick up a book about the subject afterward.This flick certainly should get you interested in Mandela's earlier career with the African National Congress, and should give you pause as to whether he was rightfully jailed or not. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter will be all I have to say to get you thinking.
For a movie that did not make the big screen (at least that I saw) this one is particular well made from a film standpoint. Idris Elba (Nelson Mandela) and Naomie Harris (Winnie Madikizela-Mandela) both cash in extremely well-played roles. Where other histo-pics of Mandela give lack-luster performances (think Morgan Freeman in Invictus without even a hint of a South African accent) here we get Mandela as vibrant young man, a struggling prisoner, and older wiser politician. Elba particular plays the role to the last degree. You get the mannerism, the accent, and the personality coming right at you throughout the movie. Harris' Winnie Mandela is just as powerful. Here is a women who literally took many beatings for supporting her husband and his ideals. Though out the movie, you get the idea that Harris herself would gladly have stepped in front of a moving train for Mandela which is the mark of a well acted role.
Besides the great acting, this movie was well produced for what is at best a middle level budget. As you well know, low budget movies often skimp on one element or another, but that does not seem to be the case here. The costuming was historically accurate from the pictures I have seen.You get the idea that some time was spent looking at what the characters were actually wearing at the time, and in some cases you see exact replicas of outfits worn in real life. The setting is realistic as well. You get the gritty, brightness of South Africa and the hard reality of Robins Island prison. Alex Heffes who scored the film did an excellent job in setting the tone for the film with its ups and down. Newspapers or TV footage from the time look real too. Nothing gets more under my skin than newspapers or film footage in histo-pics that just looks fake.
Overall I would have to rate Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom at an 7.5 out of 10. The film itself is well made for a low budget film that never hit the big screen. It leaves you thinking about Mandela and his place in history.Certainly you be inspired to read up more on one of the most influential characters of the 20th and 21st Century. As an added bonus, you wouldn't have a hard sale to make if you wanted to show this in you classroom
No comments:
Post a Comment