Cinema Tuesdays Review

Thug Life in South Africa
By Nathan Cone

A young thug finds redemption in director Gavin Hood's "Tsotsi." The movie that won this year's Best Foreign Language Film Oscar is an emotional story set in the slums of Johannesburg, South Africa. The locals talk tough, and speak in a fascinating street language known as "Tsotsi-Taal," a hybrid of some five different dialects, including English. The title of the film itself is slang for "thug," and is how the main character (played by Presley Chweneyagae) is addressed; he doesn't have a family to call his own, nor to call him by his given name.

The first fifteen minutes of the movie are so shocking that you may think I'm giving away the plot by telling you that one night, Tsotsi follows a woman home with the intent to steal her car. That he does, but not before leaving her for dead with a gunshot to the stomach. Tsotsi speeds off in the car, only later hearing the cries of an infant boy in the back seat.

Tsotsi decides to take care of the child, and struggles with the newfound responsibility of parenthood. His hardened exterior, formed from years alone on the streets, begins to slowly recede. A meeting with a young mother that also lives in the slums opens his eyes to what could be -- if not a better life, then a more fulfilling one.

Presley Chweneyagae was barely out of his teens when the film was shot, and his short stature and boyish look is a good fit for the role of Tsotsi, who is really still a kid himself. Tsotsi lacks the emotional maturity that comes with parenthood, though he makes a few steps toward adulthood by the open-ended final scene.

"Tsotsi's" soundtrack is excellent, featuring both a score by composers Paul Hepker and Mark Kilian with vocals by Vusi Mahlasela, and Kwaito (hip-hop) music from South African star Zola. The hip-hop music captures the chaotic life of the slums while Hepker and Kilian's score provides a much-needed breath of air amidst the crowded dwellings. A Zola music video is included on the DVD.

The DVD of "Tsotsi" includes special features like an audio commentary from the director, a standard "making of" featurette, and a couple of other features worth noting. You'll discover just how important editing is to the filmmaking process by watching the two alternate endings to the film that are included on the disc, both of which drastically alter the mood of the final scenes. The other important feature is director Gavin Hood's short film "The Storekeeper," about a man whose violent reaction to a robbery at his store has tragic consequences. It's a major downer of a story, but well-crafted, using no dialogue.

In a strong Foreign Language category at the Oscars this past year, "Tsotsi" stands out with its unflinching look at violent thugs in Johannesburg, and its story of one young man's redemption. With a second film thrown in on the disc, as well as numerous special features, the DVD is worth exploring.

8/9/06

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