Directed by:
Richard AttenboroughScreenplay:
John BrileyCinematography:
Ronnie TaylorCast:
Kevin Kline, Denzel Washington, Penelope Wilton, John Thaw, Ian McNeice, Julian Glover, Garrick Hagon, Ian Richardson, James Aubrey, Alec McCowen, Gwen Watford (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
The unforgettable friendship of two unforgettable men. The tension and terror that is apartheid-era South Africa is powerfully portrayed in director Richard Attenborough's sweeping story of black activist Stephen Biko (Denzel Washington), head of the "Black Consciousness" movement and a liberal white newspaper editor who risks his own life to bring Biko's message to the world. After learning of apartheid's true horrors through Biko's eyes, editor Donald Woods (Kevin Kline) discovers that his friend has been silenced by the police. Determined not to let Biko's message go unheard, Woods undertakes a perilous quest to escape South Africa and bring Biko's tale of courage to the world. The riveting, true story offers a stirring account of man at his most evil and most heroic. (Umbrella Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (1)
A slowly flowing, classically constructed drama about a crisis in one country and two strong characters who rebelled against the times, the conditions, and the prevailing power. Richard Attenborough represents undeniable quality, although somewhat conservative, and we don't get any dynamic or innovative filmmaking from him. But from his filmography, I prefer Cry Freedom the most, and I give it preference over the much more famous Gandhi, where too much respect for an international celebrity and the value hierarchy that he represented is shown. The courage of the heroes in Cry Freedom is unpretentious, civilian, and they are simply not textbook characters, but flesh and blood people. From today's viewer's perspective, the film can be criticized for possibly overly long duration and unhurried pace, but the story of the escape from South Africa still has plenty of strong moments. I can imagine several filmmakers who could have made the most of the story much more effectively and played with the emotions and tension of the audience much stronger, but I like that Attenborough didn't push too hard. I am adding half a star for the theme. Overall impression: 90%.
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