Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom (15.)
Directed by Justin Chadwick.
Starring Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Fana Mokoena and Jamie Bartlett. 146 mins
As sweeping biopics go, this adaptation of Mandela’s autobiography is both smarter and cheaper than you’d expect. Considering his standing as one of the major figures of the twentieth century you might have expected the film of his autobiography to be handled by some bigger names than these and with a little more financial clout.
In comparison Steve Biko got a lavish Richard Attenborough film, Cry Freedom. But then Biko got killed off an hour into his own film so that Attenborough could tell the story of white journalist who told his story. The Mandela film is a little more honest and rounded than these kind of cinematic state occasions usually are. More focussed too; there are no star cameos, no big names popping up as F.W. De Klerk, to distract from the story or Elba’s performance.
Elba makes for a very fine Mandela although he does get increasingly buried under make up as the film progresses. The accent defeated Morgan Freeman in Invictus but he gets it right. The film attempts to take on his whole life up to becoming President so there is a heap of stuff to get through. The hardships of the decades imprisoned on Robben Island get comparatively short shift which is a failing but an understandable one and it means the movie doesn’t lose momentum.
The challenge of any Mandela film is what to do with Winnie (played by the normally excellent Naomie Harris, who never quite convinces) but William Nicholson’s script solve this quite elegantly, effectively making her the personification of the human cost of Mandela’s struggle. While he uses his years in prison to develop his statesman gravitas and fortitude, she becomes embittered by the continual harassment at the hand South African police that becomes trapped in the circle of retribution.
You may feel this isn’t ultimately the film he deserves but it does have some genuine insights into the nature of political resistance and leadership and it always gives Mandela the man rather than Mandela the saint.
Directed by Justin Chadwick.
Starring Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Tony Kgoroge, Riaad Moosa, Fana Mokoena and Jamie Bartlett. 146 mins
As sweeping biopics go, this adaptation of Mandela’s autobiography is both smarter and cheaper than you’d expect. Considering his standing as one of the major figures of the twentieth century you might have expected the film of his autobiography to be handled by some bigger names than these and with a little more financial clout.
In comparison Steve Biko got a lavish Richard Attenborough film, Cry Freedom. But then Biko got killed off an hour into his own film so that Attenborough could tell the story of white journalist who told his story. The Mandela film is a little more honest and rounded than these kind of cinematic state occasions usually are. More focussed too; there are no star cameos, no big names popping up as F.W. De Klerk, to distract from the story or Elba’s performance.
Elba makes for a very fine Mandela although he does get increasingly buried under make up as the film progresses. The accent defeated Morgan Freeman in Invictus but he gets it right. The film attempts to take on his whole life up to becoming President so there is a heap of stuff to get through. The hardships of the decades imprisoned on Robben Island get comparatively short shift which is a failing but an understandable one and it means the movie doesn’t lose momentum.
The challenge of any Mandela film is what to do with Winnie (played by the normally excellent Naomie Harris, who never quite convinces) but William Nicholson’s script solve this quite elegantly, effectively making her the personification of the human cost of Mandela’s struggle. While he uses his years in prison to develop his statesman gravitas and fortitude, she becomes embittered by the continual harassment at the hand South African police that becomes trapped in the circle of retribution.
You may feel this isn’t ultimately the film he deserves but it does have some genuine insights into the nature of political resistance and leadership and it always gives Mandela the man rather than Mandela the saint.
