ESCAPE FROM PRETORIA

Australia, 2020, 106 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart, Mark Leonard Winter, Nathan Page, Grant Piro.
Directed by Francis Annan.

With escape in the title, there is always a promise of action adventure. The main South African escape story was the popular Cry Freedom, the story of Steve Biko and journalist Donald Would and his escape from South Africa.

This is a smaller scale film, written and directed by Francis Annan, London based, black background.

The particular escape focuses on two young white men, anti-apartheid protesters, planting bombs in popular places, streets, and their exploding sending anti-apartheid leaflets into the air. It is 1978 – and little political prospect for the end of apartheid.

They are Tim Jenkins and Stephen Lee, played by Daniel Radcliffe, not looking at all like Harry Potter, and Australian actor, Daniel Webber. They are arrested, tried, sentenced to prison in Pretoria, a prison for white criminals.

The film shows their incarceration for over a year, indicating time passing by captions with particular indications of days in prison. Tim is the leader, determined to escape. Stephen is loyal support. They encounter a strange prisoner, French background, Antoine (played by Australian actor Mark Leonard Winter, quite different from his other performances, Measurable Measure, Disclosure). They also find a veteran prisoner, Dennis Goldberg (played by Ian Hart) who is serving a long sentence for anti-apartheid behaviour. The guards in the jail a brutal and racist.

The film, based on a book by Tim Jenkin, shows the men sharpening their ideas, especially for the making of substitute keys, ways of getting impressions, woodwork, as well as other means for the escape. With the keys, they are able to explore at night the opening of various doors.

There is some tension in the time passing, the development of the plan, some pathos in Antoine’s son visiting him, allowed thirty minutes a year, and the guards interrupting the visit. Dennis Goldberg and other veterans decide not to participate in the escape – questioning where they would go.

There is also quite some tension in the actual escape – and some time spent on the exhilaration of what it was to be free, a taxi ride, crossing into Mozambique, Tanzania, and, eventually, to London to continue with anti-apartheid activities.

Some bloggers complained about the bad South African accents and the film not being made in South Africa. Some of the bloggers seem to misread the film about its political stances. In fact, the film was made in South Australia with Screen Australia finance as well as finance from South African producers.

1. A true story? From apartheid times? 1978?

2. Audience knowledge of the background of apartheid, apartheid in the 20th century? Racist attitudes, the contrast between segregated blacks and affluent whites, illustrated with the whites on the beaches…? The police, brutality against the Blacks? Prisons, the choice of guards, brutal? Racist insults? The background of Mandela and his imprisonment on Robbin island?

3. The opening, Tim and Leo, acting like bombers, the bags, the streets, busy, depositing the bags, the explosions – and the irony that it was the scattering of anti-apartheid leaflets? Their arrest?

4. In court, Tim and his girlfriend and her help? The judge and his severe comments? The jail sentences? Their parents present? Their being taken, to the prison, the searching, Tim concealing the container – and later recovering it? The contents? The cells?

5. Pretoria prison, for white criminals, the protesters against apartheid? The attitude of the guards? The prisoners in blue, violent crimes? The other prisoners? In the dining room, tables, in the yard?

6. Cells, the locked doors? Getting out, meals, exercise, work in the laundry, carpentry, in the garden?

7. The indications of days passing, the numbers on screen? For over a year?

8. Tim and his presence, looking timid, strong-minded, glasses? Small? The contrast with Stephen, his collaboration with Tim? The aim to escape?

9. Dennis, with Mandela, the imprisonment, lifetime sentences, separation from wife and children? His age, encouraging Tim, talking, the advice, with the other prisoners, their decision not to escape, no destination? His encouragement, the lightbulb at the end, getting the cards, creating a diversion? His final laughing at the guard and his dismay at the escape?

10. The details of the planning for escape, Tim and his thinking, confining his plans and his focus, the keys, his skill in testing the locks, carving the keys after his designs? The range of keys? The testing of the keys, the tension and the dangers, going out of his cell? The black man working in the prison, cleaning in the dining hall, his helping getting clothes?
Hiding the contents in the thermos flask and the base, burying them in the garden, minimal material in his cell, the carving folding photos?

11. Antoine, the French background, firebrand, the visit of his son and the disturbance, the son taken away? His friendship with Tim and Leo, the discussions, willing to escape? Collaboration in the preparations?

12. The picture of the guards, the taunts of the regular guard, the supervisor and Tim sleeping in, his tantrum? The searching of the cells? The old guard, his stomach troubles and the toilet? The escapees getting past him?


13. The details of the actual escape, the keys, the doors, the change of clothes, hiding, difficulties, hacking the wood for the final door? The danger of the sniper? Their getting out?

14. Walking out the gate, walking down the street, mingling, the exhilaration, the taxi and the money, the drive to freedom? The contrast with the guard upset in the prison, the other prisoners exulting?

15. The final information, crossing the border to Mozambique, to Tanzania, to London, the continued fight for black freedom in South Africa? Dennis and his being released? The fall of apartheid, the election of Mandela? Tim Jenkin writing his story – leading to this film.