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A Dry White Season Reviews
A movie of subtle rage and pointed observations about the ways minds are changed (and just as often not changed) as well as the near impossible yet necessary task of resisting totalitarianism in all of its forms.
Lack of urgency, when demanded in such a film makes it languid and desirous to get over with, although the topic was quite stirring.
A movie of subtle rage and pointed observations about the ways minds are changed (and just as often not changed) as well as the near impossible yet necessary task of resisting totalitarianism in all of its forms.
Powerful film extremely well acted.
The only saving grace of this hackneyed political cinema on apartheid is Marlon Brando's brief but towering Oscar-nominated performance as a lawyer defending a black South African wrongly tortured by Afrikaner policemen.
Saw this back in 1989 in my 20's and never forgot it, ahead of it's time in content. Saw Ladysmith Black Mambazo live in the early 90's because of this movie. Been a fan of both ever since. Great movie and music. Until 911 even some of the most worldly travelers of the U.S. were saying 'what war?' throughout the 80's and 90's. It's only in the last decade Americans really began to take an interest in international plights and politics.
Seeing this film after seeing Cry Freedom is perhaps the reason that this effort doesn't move me as deeply. Although very good, the impact of A Dry White Season is just not as powerful. It tell the same kind of story and has good actors, but Janet Suzman and Susan Sarandon are just given nothing to work with by the script and even the other character are a bit flat by comparison. Sorry, but I was not impressed by Brando's performance, either. A Dry White season might also come out lacking because, unlike Cry Freedom, it is not a true story and also lack the great direction and epic quality of Cry Freedom, but then, of course, it lacked the huge budget as well. Both films manage to convey the horror of Apartheid, but Cry Freedom does it somewhat better.
This is a hard-hitting and unsparing movie, effective at revealing how apartheid infected both whites and blacks in South Africa. There are a few artistic shortcomings and the movie is a bit too earnest, but there are some fine moments as well, and was gripping throughout.
good pic about apartheid
Not a particularly happy movie, but very well done. Well-written script with themes that still resonant today: "hope is a white word" "justice and law are distant cousins and here in South Africa they aren't on speaking terms"
***Due to the recent RT changes that have basically ruined my past reviews, I am mostly only giving a rating rather than a full review.***
Featuring the major problems of South Africa's apartheid, A Dry White Season has a great plot depicting such problems, but the most interesting fact about the film is that it was released way before Mandela, and South Africa still had issues (the movie was banned in South Africa upon release). Marlon Brando is great enough to make an impact with just a few minutes on screen. In spite of an overall dialogue/screenplay problem (which I found a bit embedded and forced), A Dry White Season is worth watching, since it has many hard-hitting scenes.
And the rating goes to : Mr Marlon McKenzie..
An infamous real-life episode of Apartheid screenplayed wittly,supported by outstanding Sutherland.Shall not miss it.
Very good! Important movie released before the apartheid was over in South Africa that shows us a little bit of the atrocities caused by such a cruel regime. Good movie that is unknown to most people.
A classic book by Andrà (C) Brink was delivered into the silver screen in 1989 with a stellar cast and a talented director. Euzhan Palcy keeps all the elements of the story tightly in her grasp as she brings Brinkâ(TM)s scenes alive. The dialog comes across as natural, the performances are spot on right. Itâ(TM)s interesting to see this movie now, after knowing that the end of apartheid was just around the corner when it was made. Because âA Dry White Seasonâ is first and foremost a passionate plea against racism and fear. This doesnâ(TM)t prevent it from being an ambitious piece of drama though; we get great cinematic art with scenes that are alive and characters who feel real. The movie is also beautifully balanced. Instead of preaching, Palcy exposes the desperate fear of the ruling class and their absolute trust in racial segregation as the only means of keeping society peaceful and stable. A film like this reminds us that more often than not that which we fear exists mostly between our ears.
A very important film. It took much courage to bring this film to the big screen on the part of all involved.