MAN IN BROWN SUIT
South Africa, 2004, 80 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Sarah Blechor.
A brief thriller, patterned after the American film and television police investigations and the solving of a mystery. It follows these patterns quite effectively, especially the time limits set by a serial killer and the attempts to prevent the next killing.
One of the standout features is that the officer placed in charge of the investigation by the Zero Tolerance unity is a black African woman. She pursues her goals efficiently and effectively. Her male team comprises both black and white detectives, especially an Afrikaner who has a personal concern in solving the case and who is imprudently involved with the television anchor covering the killings. An Afrikaner assistant is also significant in the solving of the case – and the film follows her back story which includes her going to her rich family in the country for a wedding and her own lesbian relationship.
The other very interesting feature is that the killings centre on the writings of a fanatic Boer who wrote books about the times when black power would come and how the whites would eradicate the blacks and a significant figure, a man in brown suit, would rid the country of blacks.
The film should travel beyond South Africa because of the familiarity of its cinema and television styles, but also because of the handling of the issues of fanatic whites at the beginning of the 21st century.
1. A South African police story, Johannesburg, issues?
2. American models, television series, transferred to Johannesburg, the FBI representative, methods of police work, issues?
3. The scenes of the city, Johannesburg as city, buildings, streets? The sniping incidents? The apartments, bars? TV stations? The countryside, the roads, the farms, the affluent houses? The musical score?
4. The film as fact-based, the focus on white extremists, the author and his visions, prophecies? The influence on susceptible individuals? Going into action?
5. The sniper situation, the random victims, the graffiti with “15”, forty-eight hours between killings, the killings in the morning, the squad, the briefings, the Zero Tolerance Squad? The political issues? The calling in of the FBI assistance?
6. The time structure, the suspense, the focus on the clock, the squad thinking they had solved the mystery and the further death?
7. The picture of the squad, the commander giving the authority to Denzella, her being in charge, style, communication, leadership? Sakki and his Afrikaaner background? Hilton and the PR work? Sasinio and his assistants? Hannelie and her work in the office? The briefings, collaboration?
8. Bob, his past history with the squad, coming from the US, the FBI expertise, his action, hypotheses, his finally being injured in the final attack?
9. The television presenter, her work on-camera, her following leads, lining up the cameraman, contacts with the producer and expectations, wanting briefings, having the drink with Sakki, going to his house, staying the night, listening to his confiding in her? The leads and her using them on television, Hilton’s exasperation? Hearing the story of Sakki’s not helping the group, his being blamed for their deaths? Her using it on television? Sakki and his reaction against her?
10. The methods of investigation, the phone calls, the interviews, Denzella and the wife of the assassin without realising it, her not believing the woman’s testimony? The computer work, the files, the information about extremists? The FBI and the new secretary (and her coming for the interview and her being hired)? Her solving the method for getting phone call information?
11. Johannesburg itself, the citizens, the fear, the sniper, the media?
12. Sakki, his age, work, his past history? His attraction towards the television presenter, having the drink, dropping her leads? The drink with her, spending the night, telling his story and the antagonism with the Afrikaaner, his being blamed for the death of the squad? The aftermath? The girl’s phone calls, keeping in touch – the aftermath of her revelation of the story and his going off? The tracking down of the suspect, the arrest, his escape, his mother phoning the police, the arrest, the interviews and his antagonism towards Sakki?
13. Hilton, the PR work, the difficulties with the suspense, the pressures of time? The response of the television?
14. The arrest, the information coming from the suspect’s mother, finding him, his watching television, his blaming his mother? The hostility of his interview? The irony of his not being guilty?
15. The wedding, Hannelie driving, the family background, the Boers and their traditions, the Afrikaaner language, the farmers? The preoccupation about clothes, attitudes towards the blacks? The tradition of apartheid? The farmer, his love for Hannelie, wanting to marry her, the discussion about the book, The Man in Brown Suit? Her breaking with him, his giving her the letter and her putting it in the back of the car?
16. Hannelie, her relationship with her girlfriend, the antagonism before her going to the wedding, her return, the girl’s jealousy, reading the letter?
17. The wife of the suspect, the information from the letter, the post office box, surveillance, calling in the wrong woman – and the irony of her having the affair and wanting to keep it quiet? The address, the suspect taking the name of the fanatical writer?
18. The build-up to the final attempt at killing, sighting the sniper, the pursuit on the rooftop, his shrewdness, his wounding Bob, his being shot dead?
19. The aftermath, Denzella and her family, Sakki and his future, the achievement of the squad?
20. Audiences enjoying this kind of police investigation thriller? The mystery? The particularly South African issues of black and white, the apartheid tradition, extremists, violence?
