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From:Stephen Dorff , Armin Mueller-Stahl , Morgan Freeman , Nomadlozi Kubheka , Agatha Hurle , Warner Brothers , John G. Avildsen , Warner Home Video ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#4626 |
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 a beautiful african masterpiece, 2008-11-10
This movie is quite possibly one of the best representations of the struggles that existed in South Africa in the 1900s. It covers a variety of genres: action, drama, romance, ...the list continues. The character of P.K. is inspiring and as a child, evokes the perfect childlike innocence that we all know children possess. Although this movie is not completely "on-point" with the book, it still follows the main story line with a few extras thrown in here and there.
One of the greatest books ever!, 2008-10-24
This book is an education in growing up all by itself. It is beautifully written, easy to read and magnificent in it's philosophy on life. From the very beginning it is a tale of survival that makes turning every page exciting. A must read for everyone.
Great Film, 2008-08-09
I think this is one of the best films Ive ever seen. Based on the novel of the same name, the film documents the life of a young British lad coming of age in South Africa in the late early 1940's. PK is sent off to a Dutch Boarding school following the nervous breakdown of his mother. There he undergoes a solitary right of passage hated by the other boys for his ethnic background. PK undergoes egregious psychological and physical abuse at the hands of the oldest boy.
He returns home to confide in his Nanny following the death of his mother. She then calls on a Sangoma (Shaman) of her tribe who renders a healing ceremony to PK, noting prophetically that he "is a man for all of Africa."
This film dramatically follows archetypal themes of the heroes journey. PK is then off to live with his Grandfather who turns the boy over to a Jewish Mentor who also happens to be a world renowned pianist and professor. His mentor guides him into the mysteries of nature, music, and following his arrest and later imprisonment by the British Administrators, PK goes deeper into racial hatreds while visiting the professor in prison. But there he also meets a second mentor (Morgan Freeman) who teaches PK the art of Boxing. (Freeman by the way gives one of the best performances in his career.)
The story then shifts again into themes of racial injustice with PK working to overturn the oppression by teaching blacks to read English despite the fact that the white government bans the practice. This event leads to the tragic death of his girl friend, and the various ironies found between conflicting ideologies. His girl friend is the daughter of a high government official responsible for the crack down.
Overall, this film empowers human life on multiple and subtle levels, and demonstrates that one life can in fact make a difference. I loved this film, and consider it great!
 Screenplay very bad adaption of book., 2008-06-02
This has to be one of the worst adaptions of an excellent book ever made. The story has been turned into junk, i would have given it no stars at all if i could have, although i guess that the cast is worth the star.
1 of 1 customers found the following review helpful:
Hokum & Bunkum, 2008-02-14
A mish-mash of clashing concepts. The poor-but-from-a-good-family white english-speaking South African boy endures taunts and torture from Nazi Afrikaner schoolmates (wearing swastikas and saluting 'Heil Hitler'), encouraged from the pulpit and lectern by fascist Afikaner schoolmasters and preachers. He endures, befriends a (jewish?) music professor exile from Germany who is gaoled during the 2nd world war, learns to box from a black prisoner, is brilliant in music, boxing and apparently all else. Undermines the oppressive Afrikaner apartheid system from within, wins the respect of the black township dwellers by boxing their champion silly and by then organising classes to teach the masses English (apparently their greatest need) with the assistance of the beautiful daughter of one of the fascists - who was apparently previously insufficiently aware of her life of priveledge and the surrounding inequity. Naturally the great white hero wins the day and we can look forward to a good, liberal society where everyone speaks good English and the masses can walk the streets home to their township shacks free in the knowledge that their (white, english speaking) politicians truly care, and excel in pugilistic entertainment. Apartheid was bad, the nationalist government of the 1950s had a strong vein of fascism and some anti-anglicism. There is no need to dress this dire history with hokum. What would Steve Biko or other Black Empowerment spokespeople have to say about this one?
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