Tsotsi (2005)

Based on South African playwright Athol Fugard's only novel TSOTSI is a thrilling provocative look at life in the ghettos outside present-day Johannesburg. Presley Chweneyagae stars as the title character a teenager with a killer stare who lives alone in a ramshackle room in a poor shantytown where he pulls off petty crimes with the help of three compatriots--Boston (Mothusi Magano) Butcher (Zenzo Ngqobe) and Aap (Kenneth Nkosi). But after they stab a man to death on the subway and Tsotsi (which means "thug" or "gangster") beats up Boston for trying to find out about his past Tsotsi runs off to a wealthy section of the city shoots a woman and steals her car. Only later does he discover that there is a baby in the back seat--and decides to keep it for himself. As Tsotsi finally does look back at his own childhood he tries to take care of the infant carrying it around in a paper bag and forcing a young mother Miriam (Terry Pheto) to breastfeed it at gunpoint. At this point writer-director Gavin Hood could have opted for trite sentimentality but instead he delves deeper into Tsotsi's psyche as the young man might have already gone too far to turn back now. TSOTSI is a pulsating electrifying film propelled by Chweneyagae's powerful mesmerizing performance. The pounding soundtrack features popular local Kwaito music by Zola who also plays crimelord Fela in the film. Winner of the 2006 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film TSOTSI "will rank as one of the best films ever to come out of South Africa" as Fugard himself said.System Requirements:Running Time 94 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 786936705362 Manufacturer No: 05066700 Product Description

Hardcore Realism and Poetic Grace Make TSOTSI a Cinematic Masterpiece

It takes a masterful touch to achieve in a film gripping unsympathetic realism and inspiring poetic surrealism but that's exactly what director Gavin Hood does in TSOTSI. As we watch the title character (performed with amazing complexity by Presley Chweneyagae) and his friends head out for an evening of juvenile mayhem at this movie's beginning, we understand immediately the brutal hardcore conditions that rule their lives and possibly drive them to commit the horrors they do.

Despite that, it seems impossible to show them any compassion when we witness how brazenly they murder a man for his wallet on a crowded subway and how Tsotsi shoots a woman in front of her home then drives off in her car. The key word in that last sentence is "seems" because this intricately written and beautifully photographed movie is filled with more than a few twists in plot, fate, and emotion.

In the world of Tsotsi and his friends, the word "decency" is considered a fancy intellectual term that has neither meaning nor relevance. And the name "Tsotsi" is really not a name at all but a term describing a street thug or criminal. Nothing about the Tsotsi we first meet leads us to believe he would care about discovering an infant in the back seat of the car he has stolen. It would appear more in character if he simply left the child for the police to find. He instead does the unthinkable and takes it with him. The scenes that follow are often as laugh-out-loud comical as they are heartbreakingly tragic.

One can't help pitying him when Tsotsi uses an old newspaper in his attempt to change the baby's diaper and then detest him again when he forces a woman named Miriam (acted with convincing sensitivity by Terry Pheto) at gunpoint to breastfeed the child. It is, however, through the infant and Miriam that Tsotsi begins to reconnect with a healing sense of his own humanity and to reclaim the innocence lost to him as a child who ran away to escape his mother's illness and his father's cruelty. His extraordinary transformation from nightmare hellion to angelic thug unfolds through a series of strange encounters, shocking events, and surprising revelations. The question is whether or not the healing comes too late.

Tsotsi is based on the 1980 novel by Athol Fugard, the South African author most noted for such plays as "Blood Knot" and "Master Harold...and the Boys," which scrutinize the dehumanizing impact of apartheid segregation. Director Gavin Hood moves the book's storyline up to modern times and gives his audience a cinematic interpretation filled with the energetic hip hop music known as "kwaito" and the vibrant colors of South African urban life. The end result is a work of hardcore realism and poetic grace that serves as a compelling portrait not only of the extreme challenges facing many in South Africa's cities but of those facing people in many urban environments throughout the world in 2008.

by Author-Poet Aberjhani
author of The American Poet Who Went Home Again
and co-author of ELEMENTAL, The Power of Illuminated Love
May 24, 2008

Great vision by the Director and even better acting!

I loved the performances in this film...each character was believable and sensitively acted, yes, even the "lead" baby who added poignancy and warmth in the midst of the story's misery, fear, and violence.
The lack of lengthy dialogue and the wonderful soundtrack were just the correct touches in this creative and emotional movie. The new actress who played "Miriam" was lovely and exactly right for the part and so, of course, was "Tsotsi" (Presley C.)himself. The supporting cast were all strong.

May 13, 2008

Tsotsi Film Review

Tsotsi was the perfect example of how some of the misguided youth around the world can live a life of crime and no morality. Tsotsi was the leader of his small gang, which was made up of four including the main character Tsotsi. Die Aap was the quite one in the group that just agreed with whatever decision being made and went with the flow of the group. Butcher was the `hothead' the one who was quick to resort to violence. Boston is the drunken intellect that was in the slums due to his alcohol addiction. Tsotsi and his gang make a living stealing and on one night when they were ganging up on this man in a subway for his wallet `Butcher' went to far and murdered him with his ice pick. This mad everyone in the group a little uncomfortable, especially Boston that decided to go on a drunken tirade lecturing Tsotsi about the concept of decency. Unfortunately, Boston's lecturing led to him getting a beat down courtesy of Tsotsi. I loved how the gang had its balance of characters, the hot head, the silent leader, the talkative know-it-all and the follower.
After Tsotsi was banned from the bar, because of what he did to Boston, he ran to stake out a home in a near by high class neighborhood. After just waiting a few minutes a woman came to the gat of the home and stepped out of her vehicle and that's when Tsotsi decided to steal her car but not without shooting her in the stomach when she tried to stop him. Tsotsi shooting of the woman was a ridiculous decision to make, there was no need to shoot her, he could have just pushed her out of the car and driven away. He suddenly stopped the vehicle due to the cry of a baby in the backseat of the car, Tsotsi in shock from this discovery decided to place the baby in a paper bag and take him back to his house. Tsotsi did many strange things to this child, because of his lack of knowledge on how to take care a baby. He left it sleeping in the paper bag, he gave him homemade diapers from newspaper and he fed the baby condensed milk which made the baby perfect bait for eager ants. Tsotsi abduction of the child made him a wanted man, the babies parents were on a non stop search for their missing son. Fortunately, Tsotsi found help from a new mother in town that provided the baby with the proper nutrition from her breast milk.
Tsotsi reunite his gang and decided to go rob the house from which the baby was from in order to get supplies to care for the baby. In an unfortunate incident in the robbery Tsotsi was forced to shoot his hot headed partner Butcher, because he was about to kill their hostage after Tsotsi told him not to. After all this chaos Tsotsi made the decision to return the baby back to his family. However, in the transaction the police showed up and arrested Tsotsi in a very dramatic fashion. In my opinion, the ending of the film was terrible, I would have preferred Tsotsi getting away rather than getting arrested, because the only reason he was arrested was because he decided to stand outside the home with the baby forever. April 20, 2008

TSOTSI

I hate movies with subtitles, but this movie keep you watching...it's that good! Could have had a better ending, but overall, an excellent movie. April 17, 2008

Weapon in one hand...baby in another

Set in shantytown of South Africa, a 19-year old gang member examines another side of his life, the other side of humanity as he cares for an infant.

Tsotsi was a crude gang member are at the height of destruction, killing without a conscience. In a carjacking, Tsotsi shockingly discovers and is left with an infant separated from his mother, injured by Tsotsi. He innocently attempts to hold on to the baby, tenderly, sweet, caring and vulnerable in the midst of gang activity. It is this time that the ganster undergoes a remarkable awakening. The actor Presley Cheweneyagae was outstanding, revealing every emotion on his face.

The film directed by Gavin Hood is based on a novel by Athol Fugard. It has minimal dialogue, which means the viewer relies on descriptive settings, perfect transitions, emotional faces, close-ups, realistic actions and most of all touching the viewer. It's clear to see why this got the 2006 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film and numerous other awards.

Features!
The DVD subtitles are easily legible, and as I mentioned, there isn't a lot of dialogue, which means we can't lose too much in translation like other films.

The Making of Tsotis and Audio Commentary
Also included is an English speaking version of the making of Tsotsi. Excellent audio commentary is informative, insightful and educational. See the deleted scenes and, at your own discression, alternative endings.

Don't miss the extraordinary short film
What is included is a short film, also by Gavin Hood, that is so unique in that there are no speaking roles, we rely only on what we see, what we interpret with only a few noises. The film is the Shopkeeper, where an old man runs a small store that has repeatedly been broken into. He then rigs up a defense with devasting effect while he is away.

Soundtrack - the music toward the end!
It's not the rap music I noticed, but what was so soothing, spiritual, and haunting was the music at the end of the film, subtle but powerful. ....Excellent film. Rizzo
April 14, 2008

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