‘Tsotsi’ Skillfully Portrays Thug’s Emotional Transformation
by Mia Faith Cohen and Ky N. Nguyen
South African writer-director Gavin Hood’s “Tsotsi,” adapted from Athol Fugard’s novel, was filmed on location in the squalid shantytowns of Soweto. As a result, it has frequently been compared to Fernando Meirelles’s masterful “City of God,” a film portraying the violence and desperation of slums in Rio de Janeiro. In contrast to the multi-layered narrative of Meirelles’s film, however, “Tsotsi” follows a more conventional storyline.
It focuses on several days in the life of a ruthless punk known only as “Tsotsi”—meaning “street thug” or “gangster” in the vernacular of the black townships. Making his screen debut, P
resley Chweneyagae is utterly convincing as Tsotsi. It is a testament to his skill as an actor that he manages to convince us of his transformation from heartless thug to vulnerable and compassionate human being—without appearing overly sentimental or melodramatic.
Tsotsi leads a life of remorseless violence, until his acts result in an unexpected opportunity for redemption. When he and his band of hoodlums engage in a subway robbery that swiftly results in the victim’s murder, a drunken and remorseful gang member attacks Tsotsi’s lack of decency and challenges him to reveal details of his past—or at the very least, his true name. The questions evoke long-forgotten memories of a painful childhood.
As he tries to escape the flood of repressed memories engulfing him, Tsotsi seizes on the chance to carjack a woman, firing a paralyzing shot and speeding off before realizing that her three-month old baby is in the backseat. Despite his initial impulse to abandon the child, Tsotsi is moved by its innocence, adopting the baby as his own. He responds to its helplessness with compassion and empathy, in the process rediscovering his own humanity and gradually unlocking the secrets of his past that led to a life of grinding poverty and squalor as a lonely runaway.
His transformative journey of self-discovery leads to a dramatic final scene, which is deftly handled by Hood as the director avoids the dangers of injecting too much sentiment while still managing to provide the audience with an emotional catharsis.
Tsotsi
(Afrikaans with subtiles; 94 min.)
Opens Friday, March 10
Landmark’s E Street Cinema
Frankenstein’s Monster Under Franco’s Rule
Although “The Spirit of the Beehive” (1973) failed to attract significant attention in the United States, it has long been regarded as one of the finest European films of the 1970s. The AFI Silver Theatre is treating D.C. audiences to a rare treasure: a new 35mm print of Spanish filmmaker Víctor Erice’s masterful debut effort. (He’s completed only two other features: 1983’s “The South” and 1992’s “Quince Tree of the Sun”).
Set in an isolated village in the rural Castile region following the end of the Spanish Civil War, the film is an allegorical treatment of this troubled period in the country’s history. Erice, who was born in 1940 shortly after right-wing Nationalist Gen. Francisco Franco ousted the Republican government and installed a repressive dictatorship, explores the childhood fears and anxieties of his 6-year old protagonist, Ana. After a traveling projectionist screens the original Boris Karloff version of the classic horror tale “Frankenstein,” Ana’s mischievous older sister Isabel persuades her that the spirit of the creature in the film is alive and can be summoned at will.
When Ana discovers a wounded Republican soldier, she believes she has conjured the monster. After the soldier disappears, however, captured by unseen Nationalist troops, Ana’s make-believe fantasies and the reality of war eventually collide as she comes to understand the meaning of death. The haunting poetry of Erice’s enigmatic childhood world is underscored by the achingly beautiful dreamlike images of cinematographer Luis Cuadrado, who was losing his vision during the shooting of the film.
The Spirit Of the Beehive
(El Espíritu de la Colmena)
(Spanish with subtitles; 95 min.)
March 3 to 9
AFI Silver Theatre
Mia Faith Cohen is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.
Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.
Repertory Notes
DC Environmental Film Festival
From March 16 to 26, the Environmental Film Festival partners with institutions, including many embassies, all across Washington, D.C. Many of the 100 films include discussions of the environmental themes led by the filmmakers or other notables. Jacques Perrin hosts the D.C. premiere of “The Monkey Folk,” a companion to “Winged Migration.” Swiss filmmaker Christian Frei will premiere his latest film, “The Giant Buddhas,” about the destruction of the Buddha statues by the Taliban in Afghanistan. British filmmaker Adrian Cowell will premiere his new film, “The Jungle Beat,” about intensified efforts to protect Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht will screen a new work in progress, “The Tea Film,” on China’s organic teas.
(202) 342-2564, www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org
DC Independent Film Festival (DCIFF)
From March 2 to 12, the DC Independent Film Festival screens shorts, features, animation and documentaries from local, national and international independent filmmakers—who will often be in attendance. Seminars take place from March 3 to 5. Venues include the Avalon, DCJCC, Goethe-Institut, Tivoli and Carnegie Institution.
(202) 537-9493, www.dciff.org
Japanese Master Mikio Naruse
Treasured in Japan amidst the likes of Kurosawa, Ozu and Mizoguchi, the films of Mikio Naruse run March 10 to April 29 at the AFI Silver Theatre, the Freer Gallery of Art and the National Gallery of Art. The last Mikio Naruse retrospective for Western audiences took place about 20 years ago, so don’t miss this chance.
(301) 495-6700, www.afi.com/Silver
(202) 842-6799, www.nga.gov/programs/film.htm
(202) 357-2700, www.asia.si.edu/events/films.asp
Oscars Parties
On Sunday evening, March 5, join fellow film lovers to watch the Academy Awards at several parties around town. The Washington DC Film Society’s 14th annual party, “And the Winner Is…”, returns to the Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse. Hosted by the Movie Guys, Joe Barber and Bill Henry ($20), it raises funds for Filmfest DC.
“Oscar Night Live” raises funds for DCIFF ($15/$10, location TBA). Finally, AFI Silver hosts the official Oscar Night America event, a fundraiser for First Star, hosted by NewsChannel 8’s Kyle Osborne with special guest comedic actor, Fred Willard ($65 advance, $75 door).
www.dcfilmsoc
iety.org; www.dciff.org
(202) 293-3703/101, www.firststar.org
Facets Multimedia
Facet’s latest release sheet includes a bevy of delightfully obscure foreign treats. Of particular interest is “Werckmeister Harmonies” (Hungary) by Bela Tarr, whose films have played at AFI and the National Gallery. Other current releases include Frantisek Vlacil’s “The Valley of the Bees” (Czechoslovakia), “Shapes of the Invisible” (UK), “Going By” (Iran), “Laughing in the Wind” (China), “Congo: White King, Red Rubber, Black Death” (Belgium) and “Saturday (Sabado)” (Argentina).
(773) 281-9075, www.facetsvideo.com
— Ky N. Nguyen
