The Worst Film Ever

Great Film overall

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

This film describes problems that the Republic of South Africa has from the view of the main character, Tsotsi. South Africa has many serious problems like high crime rate, HIV, and high unemployment rate. Tsotsi is one of the people who suffer from such problems, and he needs to commit crimes to live. He takes up arms, and attacks people by force.However, one day he finds something stronger than force. He cannot wound the baby and the woman who cares his baby. Tsotsi had not been loved, but he finds he wants to love somebody. He regrets what he did, and finally he tries to make up for his misdeed with his all possible efforts. His look changes dramatically after he found the baby. At the beginning of the story, Tsotsi was just a delinquent boy, but he changes a man who can love somebody. All of actors, especially Presley Chweneyagae who acts Tsotsi, put on splendid performance. They and awesome story make us be moved.

Last year, I went to South Africa and before my trip, I watched a bunch of films about the country. One that I did not see was "Tsotsi"--and I am very glad I hadn't seen it! This is NOT because I dislike the film, it's a fine film, but because I went to many of the same places that were in the movie and "Tsotsi" would have scared me out of visiting Johannesburg and nearby Soweto!! That's because the film shows the lower and crime-ridden parts of society--where life is cheap and violence is common. Now I knew this could be a rough place--but the film shows just how rough--as well as how folks in the suburbs live in walled enclaves due to the crime.This film begins with a gang of young adults out to do no good. When they kill a man on a train, one of the gang members has had enough and confronts the killer, Tsotsi. This degenerates quickly into a vicious attack on this guy--and it's VERY clear that Tsotsi is a bad person. Next, he goes out to the suburbs and shoots a woman and steals her car. But, when he looks in the back seat later, he finds a baby. This does not instantly turn the thug into a decent man, but it does, in an odd way push him in that direction. I don't want to say more--just see the film.I have not seen all the Academy Award winners from 2006, though I did think that another nominee, "Joyeux Noel" was a tad better than "Tsotsi"--just a tad. But I still admire both films. "Tsotsi" gives audiences a rare look into the poverty of life in a township in South Africa and it also shows that within even the seemingly worst of us, there can be a spark of goodness. Overall, a very good film--one worth your time.By the way, if you see this on DVD, check out the special features. It shows two alternate endings and explains why the chose (correctly) to use the one that's in the film. This is really fascinating and worth a look.

I obviously saw this listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and I was mistaken into thinking the image of the lead character was a female LOL, he is a handsome guy, and then I read what it involved and I had to see it, from director Gavin Hood (X-Men Origins: X-Men). Basically Tsotsi, real name David (Presley Chweneyagae) is the teenager, small time criminal, gang leader and sociopath who has no emotions and feelings as he has been so hardened by a troubled tough life living in Johannesburg, South Africa. One night he and his gang of friends, Butcher (Zenzo Ngqobe), Aap (Kenneth Nkosi) and Boston (Mothusi Magano), get onto a train and surrounded by the crowd manage to stab a man for his money, and Boston gets a bad injury from Tsotsi hitting him. Next we see Tsotsi trying to steal the car belonging to a rich resident, he shoots young woman Pumla Dube (Nambitha Mpumlwana), and he is shocked after getting away to discover a three-month baby in the back seat, so he quickly strips the car of valuables and goes back to his shack with the child. Pumla survived the gunshot, but has been made disabled, unable to walk ever again, and with the help of the police investigating a composite sketch is made of the thug which runs in the newspapers. It is obvious that Tsoti is unable to care properly for the child, with bad sleeping conditions, trying to hide the baby, and unable to provide the right food, so he forces his way into the home Miriam (Terry Pheto). He makes her feed the baby with her breast milk, and meanwhile his gang members are approached by rich gang leader Fela (Zola) to be recruited and work for him. Tsotsi visits Miriam a second time and again has her feed the baby, and she offers to take the child and raise him in the better conditions he needs, as she has a baby and knows how to care for one, he agrees. When he returns home he decides to take care of Boston, aka Teacher Boy, after the injuries he gave him, but he also wants to help him take the teachers' examination he wanted to, but this may mean another robbery. Tsotsi joins Butcher and Aap back to Pumla's house where her husband John Dube (Rapulana Seiphemo) returns from hospital where she is recovering, one keeps an eye on him tied up, one raids the house, and Tsotsi collects some things from the baby's room. John activates the alarm, and when Butcher was going to shoot him dead Tsotsi stop him with a gun shot, they escape and Aap was shocked to see him kill their friend. The traumatised Aap stays away from Tsotsi, who returns to Miriam, she knows he got the baby, who he nicknames "David" after himself, from the wealthy couple, and begs him to return the child to his parents. He goes to the house of John and Pumla saying on the intercom he will leave the baby outside the gate, Captain Smit (Ian Roberts) and other police officers show up quickly pointing their guns. In the end Tsotsi tearfully gives the baby back to John after eventually being convinced to hand it back, and it ends with him ordered to raise his hands for the police. Also starring Jerry Mofokeng as Morris, Percy Matsemela as Inspector Sergeant Zuma, Thembi Nyandeni as Soekie, Owen Sejake as Gumboot Dlamini, Israel Makoe as Tsotsi's Father, Sindi Khambule as Tsotsi's Mother and Benny Moshe as Young Tsotsi. In the role as the title character Chweneyagae gives a remarkable underplayed performance that sees almost no emotion and it all being in the eyes, he obviously starts as a threatening young man, but he grows as he finds his softer side, it is a compelling story with thought-provoking material, great urban Kwaito music soundtrack, and on location scenery, all adding up to a fantastic crime drama. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, it was nominated the BAFTAs for Best Film not in the English Language, and it Carl Foreman Award for the Most Promising Newcomer for producer Peter Fudakowski, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film. Very good!

'Tsotsi' is about a teenage gangster called Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) . He is the leader of a gang of three other criminals. After killing a man on a train he gets into a fight with Boston (Mothusi Magano), the most intelligent gang member. Tsotsi then runs off into the night. After seizing the opportunity to steal a car and shooting the female driver, he realizes her baby is in the back. He takes the baby back to his house in a township just outside Johannesburg. The baby changes his life and gives him the strength to do the 'right thing'. I found this entertaining because it's emotional journey keeps you stuck on the edge of your seat with murder, kidnap and assault. It is thrilling and you grow an attachment to Tsotsi and you gradually understand his emotions and you come to terms with the emotional trauma that has hardened Tsotsi to the world. For example, when Tsotsi is having flashbacks of his mother and father, you feel upset for Tsotsi because his mother is dying and his father has no regard for Tsotsi or his mother. The emotions that Chweneyagae shows, connects the reader with the audience's empathetic emotions, thus creating a stronger and more powerful bond with the audience.'Tsotsi' is powerful as Chweneyagae performs this with a very impassive face, however, all the emotion is seen in his eyes. This is seen prominently in the final sequence. A close-up of Tsotsi holding the baby is very emotional because of the tough outer which has earned him the title of Tsotsi - Thug. However, if you look closer you can see his insides which his past has pounded till it is soft. The desperation in Tsotsi's eyes can be seen in detail from the intensity of the close-up. Furthermore, Gavin Hood, the director, has not made this film into a proper tear jerker but he has kept it true to life and it's authenticity makes 'Tsotsi' powerful, realistic and iconic.The film's authenticity makes it powerful but also raises many questions about South Africa's society and it's population of poverty. The majority of which is black. This large social divide raises the question that do the shadows of Apartheid still govern society in South Africa today even after all it's recent improvements, still seems a hostile place for many. Another issue raised more subtly in the film is the massive problem of HIV and AIDs in South Africa at the moment. This issue is shown mainly by the 'We are all affected by HIV and AIDs' posters placed throughout the film. In addition, Tsotsi's mother is very ill, most likely from HIV or AIDs. Ramming home the fact that it does affect everyone even our hardened criminals. What I have learned about South Africa from 'Tsotsi' is that it is a country split in two. Not by color but by attitudes to life. Like Miriam's (Terry Pheto) and The beggar's positive attitudes to life. The beggar lives just to feel the sun on his skin even though he 'lives like a dog'. On the other hand, there are attitudes to life like Tsotsi's and Butcher's who do not have a positive view on life but live just because they do. This contrast can be seen when Tsotsi is at Miriam's house. He is in a dark costume made up of a dark leather jacket and black trousers contrasting with Miriam's bright, light costume of oranges and yellows. Each character's colors represent their outlook on view on life.I would recommend this film because it as a film that involves it's audiences and the emotion connects them even deeper with the characters. For these reasons I would recommend it to those who love a realistic story and a lot of emotion , however it is very different in some ways to mainstream Hollywood but also very similar in other ways. So I would also recommend this film to those who want a break from the typical formulaic Hollywood films.