Cry Freedom

1987 "The true story of the friendship that shook South Africa and awakened the world."
7.4| 2h37m| PG| en
Details

A dramatic story, based on actual events, about the friendship between two men struggling against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s. Donald Woods is a white liberal journalist in South Africa who begins to follow the activities of Stephen Biko, a courageous and outspoken black anti-apartheid activist.

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Reviews

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.
Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
g-bodyl Cry Freedom is a powerful drama that focuses on the South African apartheid and the unlikely relationship that a black leader and a white liberal journalist formed. The movie itself is well-done, but my only complaint is that I wanted to see more Steve Biko who was the black leader. He had powerful, mesmerizing words and those words lifted this film to new heights.Richard Attenborough's film is not only about the special relationship Biko and Donald Woods formed, but how Woods escaped South Africa so he can publish a book that will tell the world about Biko.The acting is very good. Denzel Washington, in one of his early screen roles, took up the screen whenever he was on it. He was very captivating and memorable. I would have loved to seen more of him. Kevin Kline is really good as Woods, but sometimes I feel like this movie is about him rather than Biko.Overall, this is a powerful film that will deeply touch your heart. It's a moving film about one country's struggles against apartheid and how they cried to the world for help. The music in the film by George Fenton adds more to this movie and makes it even better. This is a drama that one should see. I rate this film 9/10.
runamokprods In some ways it's a weaker film than "Gandhi" – a lot of the tension feels manufactured, even though the story is true. But on the other hand, the sheer emotional power of the strongest scenes, like the massacre in Soweto surpass anything in "Gandhi".While many understandably had trouble with making this the story of a white man -- liberal editor Donald Woods and his family's escape from South Africa after he was banned -- instead of focusing the film on Woods friend Stephen Biko, I still felt the film worked, and was an effective plea to the world to do something about South Africa. Both Denzel Washington and Kevin Klein are very good, although I've found both even stronger in other films.
irealism The performance of every actor and actress (in the film) are excellently NATURAL which is what movie acting should be; and the directing skill is so brilliantly handled on every details that I am never tired of seeing it over and over again. However, I am rather surprised to see that this film is not included in some of the actors' and director, Attenborough's credits that puzzles me: aren't they proud of making a claim that they have made such excellent, long lasting film for the audience? I am hoping I would get some answers to my puzzles from some one (possibly one of the "knowledgeable" personnel (insider) of the film.
geoffdennis There was a great film to be made about Steve Biko. Sadly this wasn't it. Denzel Washington - never the most flexible of actors - is totally unable to convey the great charisma that Biko had. Attenborough's big crowd scenes are laughable. The Soweto massacre wasn't like this, three neat lines of children ( some doing cartwheels!) marching happily into the guns of the soldiers. With Biko dead the film rapidly descends into farce. If the struggle against Apartheid was anything it was a black people's struggle yet somehow we are all supposed to be gripped by the escape of a white man and his family. I'm sure Donald Woods was a decent man and he would be the first to say that Biko was important while he wasn't. Penelope Wilton's accent is pure Hampshire and she seems completely unaware that she is in South Africa at all. at all. The Wood's family dog gets more lines than the black maid. As the family make their escape one the women I saw the film with - incidentally one of only about a dozen black people in a large, full cinema - whispered "This is like the sound of music." She had a point.Overall this is a film by a well-intentioned if somewhat inept white liberal about a radical black people's struggle. And really South Africa needs well-intentioned white liberals like it needs a hole in the head.