CRY FREEDOM
UK, 1987, 151 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Kline, Denzel Washington, Penelope Wilton, John Hargreaves, Alec Mc Cowen, Zakes Mokae, Ian Richardson, John Thaw.
Directed by Richard Attenborough.
Cry Freedom is, according to its producer-director, Richard Attenborough, a film about apartheid. A long-desired project, Attenborough was able to get a screenplay by John Briley (Oscar-winner for Gandhi) based on Donald Woods, the South African editor-journalist, his experiences and his books about Steve Biko and himself. The film is the work of a white English liberal, and makes no secret about taking this stance. It is a passionate film against apartheid. The film focuses on both Biko and Woods, having two parts - the presentation of the plight of the South African blacks, the response of white liberals and the consequences for their lives in South Africa.
The film runs for over two hours and is in the vein of Attenborough's Gandhi. Attenborough has generally thought big for his films: Oh What A Lovely War, Young Winston, A Bridge Too Far. (His smaller-scale films have been Magic and A Chorus Line.)
Denzel Washington (A Soldier's Story, St. Elsewhere) is excellent as Biko bringing warmth and humour and a persuasive humanity to his interpretation of black consciousness. Kevin Kline (Pirates of Penzance, Sophie's Choice, Silverado) is also persuasive as Donald Woods, our seeing his transition from antagonism towards Biko to understanding and having to go into exile for his convictions. There is a strong supporting cast of British character actors including Alec Mc Cowan, Ian Richardson, John Hargreaves as a larrikin Australian who helps the Woods escape to an African and American black cast.
Production values are important, Attenborough giving impressive re-creations of the arrests at Crossroads as well as the horror of the Soweto massacre.
The film was criticised by many for its attack on South Africa - criticising the liberal attitudes and the adaptation of facts. While the film is true and is based on reality, it may not be exactly accurate. However, its message is valid, passionately so.
1. The film as a movie about apartheid in South Africa? Its importance for a world-wide audience? An example of consciousness-raising for black Africans? The impact for South African audiences? The focus on Steve Biko and Donald Woods? The adaptation from Woods' books?
2. Richard Attenborough and his attitudes, passionate commitment to combat apartheid? His career, his concern about message? World reaction -and the hostility towards this passionate kind of liberal film?
3. The use of Zimbabwe locations for South Africa, the beauty of Southern Africa, cities, villages? The re-creation of South African poverty? The crowd sequences: Crossroads, Soweto, Steve Biko's funeral? The contribution of the score with its African motifs?
4. The structure of the film: its length, framed by the two massacres, the two parts focusing on Biko and then on Woods, their interaction? The flashbacks binding the two parts together? The message in the first half, the action escape in the second? A satisfying dramatic combination?
5. The title and its meaning for blacks and whites? The black Africans and their history, oppression, the Afrikaaners and their dominance, the apartheid experience, segregation and lack of rights, the need for black consciousness, for education, for equality? Biko's points about Africans being servants, second-rate citizens, having this consciousness continually reinforced by their day-by-day experience? The title and its reference to the English and liberals? Education from comfort? To walk in the shoes of the Africans? The film's dialogue taking care of these objections and actually dramatising it in the conversations between Biko and Woods? Cry Freedom for the Afrikaaners: their history, their pride in their trek, their prosperity in the land, the reformed religion backing them, righteousness, exercise of cruelty, power? Their not wanting to 'roll over'?
6. The focus on Steve Biko: Denzel Washington and his presence and performance, the charisma of Biko? The Crossroads attack, the raid, the search for Biko, his being a banned person, Woods and his antiBiko editorial, the doctor coming to make her plea, Woods meeting Biko and his emerging from behind the tree, to be seen more clearly? The church and the creative centre? His speeches: pride, black consciousness, liberals, the speech at the sports match, his arrest, the interrogation, his face being bashed and his hitting back? The importance of the speeches at the court case, the reaction of the prosecutor? The judge? His family and his relationship with his wife? His sharing this with Woods? The outings, the football game? Tricks for covering his absence? The destruction of the Centre, the danger? The search for documents in his home and their being wrapped in the baby's nappy? His decision to go to Cape Town? The arrest? The screenplay's reticence about his imprisonment, the beatings and the suffering, his death? Seeing him beaten and naked on the floor? The doctor and his examination? His being bashed during the trip to Cape Town? His death? Kruger's callous reaction at the public rally? Woods arranging to see the corpse, his wife? Her grief? The funeral and the huge rally? The inquest and the judgment? The flashbacks in the second part, Biko, though dead, sharing his perspective and experience? Soweto and Biko's heritage? The importance of Woods' book?
7. The focus on Donald Woods: Kevin Kline's presence and performance? His reputation in South Africa, liberal paper, his love for his wife, their five children? Home, wealth and comfort? His relationship with his staff? Crossroads and the decision to write the editorial against Biko? The doctor coming, his going to meet Biko, being impressed, sharing perspectives, arguing? The church? His decision to hire black staff (and their later arrest and callous deaths)? The photographer, taking him to the football match, listening to Biko's speech? Sharing this perspective with Wendy, their becoming friendly with Biko and his wife? The phone calls? The destruction of the Centre and his decision to visit Kruger? Kruger's smooth talk and his hopes? The police visit to his home? The harassment of their maid and his ordering the police off? The news of Biko's death, going to visit the corpse, getting the photographs (and their later being confiscated)? He and Wendy going to the funeral and their singing and translating the song? The inquest and his decision to write? The paper, the harassment? The house arrest? The fight on the beach with Wendy about leaving Africa? Her telling the truth and his reaction? The nature of house arrest and his memory of Biko's words? The T-shirts and their burning the children? Friendship with Bruce and the African priest? Getting out and discussing the plan for the escape? In the house, the build-up to the escape, New Year's Eve? The disguise as Father Curran2 Getting out of the house, the hitch-hiking, the range of people that he met, both black and white, the black man getting him through the town, the police ride in the van, the border, the African driving him to the river, getting across, Moses and the truck at the border, meeting Bruce, the timing, the speeding car, the Assistant Commissioner and his secretary, the Lesotho authorities looking at the manuscript, the flight decisions, their going and the escape?
8. The portrait of the family, Wendy and her love for her husband, friendship, learning, the children, their comforts, the changes in consciousness, the funeral, the episode with the T-shirts, the clash with Donald on the beach, the plan for the escape, getting the projector, tension, talking so that they would be heard by the authorities, the night, the pretence, driving away, her parents, the border and the rain, walking into exile and freedom?
9. The portrait of the South African blacks: the life at the Crossroads, the invasion of the African police, the firing? Biko and his friends? The doctor and her talk of achievement - and wide patronage? The talk, the mass meetings, the illegal meetings, the impact of the funeral, Soweto and the massacre, the number of school children dead? The servants.- and Woods still being referred to as Master? The villages, the shanty towns, the poverty? The friendly drivers and the border?
10. The newspaper people: at work, prejudice, liberal, the photographer, the ordinary people in South--Africa?, the police and their worry about their children and the future?
11. The Afrikaaners; the police, the officer and his interrogation of Biko, leading the raid and the destruction of the church, allegedly sending the T-shirts? Kruger and his wealth, the politicians, his walking Woods through the history of the Afrikaaner settlement and trek, the Boer War? Wealth, not wanting to roll over? The oration and his attitude towards Biko's death? His lies? The police harassing Woods?
12. Bruce as the larrikin Australian, the plan for the escape, the rehearsal, the reality, the quick driving, arranging the escape, his scoop and the irony of the surveillance police hearing the news of his escape as they watched the house? The Australian pilot and the escape?
13. The British officials, the welcome in Lesotho, diplomatic difficulties, flying over South African territory? Eluding the South African Air Force?
14. An emotional experience? Attenborough making a film for predominantly white audiences for them to appreciate the situation in South Africa? The truth of the film, its realism? Historical? Its validity? The critique and its contribution to social issues of the '80s and '90s?
