Film: Tsotsi
Release date: 17th July 2006
Certificate: 15
Running time: 94 mins
Director: Gavin Hood
Starring: Presley Chweneyagae, Terry Pheto, Kenneth Nkosi, Mothusi Magano, Zenzo Ngqobe
Genre: Crime/Drama
Studio: Momentum
Format: DVD
Country: UK/South Africa
Gavin Hood’s 2005 Academy Award winning adaptation of Athol Fugard’s novel of the same name, will be reminiscent for many of Fernando Meirelles’ critically acclaimed City Of God. Set against the backdrop of a crime-ridden, South African slum, Hood’s third feature project sees his protagonist embark on a journey of atrocity, penitence and, ultimately, the opportunity for redemption.
On the outskirts of Johannesburg, within the poverty-stricken and isolated slum of Soweto, a 19-year-old hoodlum (Presley Chweneyagae) leads a small gang in a life of crime as a means of survival. Known to his peers, and the audience alike as ‘Tsotsi’ (translating loosely as ‘Thug’), the young man and his fellow hoodlums venture into the city, where they seek to deprive the more affluent of their wellbeing.
However, when Tsotsi and one of his fellow gang members, Butcher, have a disagreement, Tsotsi makes the decision to leave the group and to carry out crime without their assistance. When Tsotsi comes across a wealthy woman attempting to open the faulty electrical gates to her home, Tstosi wastes no time in carrying out his lone criminal acts. Seizing his opportunity, he takes the car, and shoots the woman in the process. It isn’t until Tsotsi hears the cries coming from the back seat of the car, however, that he realises the true extent of his crimes.
Wanted for attempted murder and kidnapping, Tsotsi seeks assistance in caring for the three-month-old baby from Miriam, a young mother living nearby. During the next six days, Tsotsi begins to reminisce about his own traumatic childhood, and to realise the importance of family. Gradually, the impact of caring for a vulnerable child leads Tsotsi to realise the person he has become, and to begin segregating himself from the people and the lifestyle that he has known for so long…
There is no doubting that Hood has taken the reigns on a project which has seen the benefit of an unquestionably strong core, provided to him by one of South Africa’s most important and acclaimed writers of the past century, Athol Fugard. That said, successfully conveying what one reads in a novel into an on-screen feature is not an easy accomplishment.
This fact remains true even for those directors who are able to distract their viewers from the real substance of the material, by creating wonderful worlds of fantasy, or by using an array of special effects and artistic license to compensate for sub-par performances by their cast. Hood, though, is not afforded such luxury, and is instead provided with a backdrop which is very much a reality, distressing though it may be, and a complex lead character that will require true skill to authentically replicate on screen.
Nevertheless, Hood handles the material brilliantly, and is able to not only draw some phenomenal performances from a relatively young and highly inexperienced cast, but also to create and manipulate a backdrop that allows the viewer to gain a better understanding of the characters themselves.
Casting for the film proved to be somewhat difficult for Hood and the film’s producer, Peter Fudakowski. In an attempt to avoid filtering out the essence of the production by using English speaking actors, the pair flew from Los Angeles to South Africa in search of Tsotsi-taal speaking talent (a mixture of languages spoken in the South African townships, such as Soweto). However, it wasn’t until casting director Moonyeen Lee stepped in that Chweneyagae was discovered. Lee suggested that the part of Tsotsi should be played by someone much younger than those that were currently being auditioned, who were in their late twenties and early thirties, as it would enable the audience to be more sympathetic towards the character. Lee recognised that, as a teenager, Tsotsi can still be influenced by his experiences, and thus, he is not so incapable of diverting away from his criminal lifestyle. Identifying this point proved pivotal for the production, and subsequently presented Chweneyagae with the opportunity to showcase his on-screen capabilities.
Tasked with the depicting the young man who struggles to abandon a personality influenced by his harrowing past, and nurtured by the environment in which he lives, Chweneyagae does not disappoint. With an outstanding debut performance, Chweneyagae’s raw energy and ability to portray such an intricate and emotional character enables him to captivate his audience. Viewers, remarkably, begin to empathise with Tsotsi, and are somehow impossibly tempted to forgive him for his past atrocities and urge him along the path of redemption.
The supporting cast must also be given substantial credit for their impact on the movie. As peripheral characters, they enhance the understanding of the audience as to the lifestyle that Tsotsi leads, and also the effect on an individual that living in a town such as Soweto can have on a person. Zenzo Ngqobe, as Butcher, assists in highlighting the malicious nature of Tsotsi early on in the film, and Terry Pheto, shines as Miriam, the young girl from whom Tsotsi must learn how to care for a child. Pheto brings to life her character, and charms the audience with her vibrant and caring nature, in an otherwise dismal town.
Shot in wide screen and with heavy sepia-toned effects, Hood is able to emphasise the grandeur of the dusty, derelict landscape which Tsotsi inhabits, while simultaneously and contrastingly capturing the intimacy upon which the film hinges by using close up shots of the central characters. This enables the audience to personalise with Tsotsi, looking almost directly into his eyes and developing that sense of empathy which Hood requires of them in order for the movie to be a success.
Tsotsi’s existence is further represented by the home in which he lives - a dreary and dull, lifeless and uninviting shack. This, along with the dark clothes that he wears, symbolises the internal nature of the lead character, or at least how he perceives himself. In stark contrast to Tsotsi is Miriam, who in spite of being a resident of the same impoverished town, embodies confidence and life, characteristics which are reflected in the bright clothes that she wears and the colourful interior of her shack.
Hood utilises this theme of contrast throughout the movie - in such patent comparisons as that of Tsotsi’s lifestyle compared with that of the rich, suburban couple he steals from, to the more subtle aspects such as characters’ clothing – perhaps as an indication of Tstosi himself, and the person he has become, compared with the person that he seems capable of being.
The soundtrack is no exception, switching from upbeat, high tempo Kwaito music, to lighter, more spiritual compositions. The audience is well driven by the fast beats, which keep up the energy and pace of the movie throughout, allowing the audience to pause only when Hood wishes for them to do so. When this does occur, the harmonies soften and encourage the audience to dwell upon the lead character, whether to allow them insight into Tsotsi’s traumatic past, or to convince them to hope for his future.
Hood has seamlessly compounded all of the elements of a successful character study into this absorbing and masterful piece of South African cinema. An enticing plot and some excellent supporting performances contribute to the success of the movie, but it is the direction of Hood and the lead performance of Chweneyagae that makes this film what it is; a truly outstanding production. TMO
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