Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Review
RYAN: Long walk to freedom, indeed! It’s unbelievable and overwhelming to think of all that both Nelson Madela and South Africa went through during this man’s lifetime, eventually becoming president. It’s craymazing!
CHUCK: It really is and the scope of the movie from the 1940s to the mid-90s, seeing the country evolve and devolve, while it’s future president was imprisoned for violent acts and then turning out to be one of the biggest proponents of peace and love is such an inspiring story. And at the same time, his wife, Winnie, was the more violent one. I never realized that before.
RYAN: I didn’t either and this is based on his autobiography so I imagine it’s pretty close to the truth. And this film has been in development for quite a while and considering how brutalized his wife was, it all makes sense. The movie does a great job as an entertaining narrative helping you understand who these people are and how each event led to the future.
CHUCK: I really wasn’t even aware that he was imprisoned with his whole team of comrades. Parts of history that weren’t as focused on here in the states were interesting to delve into in this film. I remember learning about apartheid in middle school and I recall the riots and him being freed – but not grasping it as well as this movie details it in two hours and twenty minutes.
RYAN: Right. He is one of the most significant leaders in history and they show what happened in South Africa which at the time was as heinous, in a way, as some aspects of the Holocaust.
CHUCK: There wasn’t the genocide but there was segregation, discrimination and racism; forcing people out of their homes, it does mirror the Holocaust. I agree with you.
RYAN: It’s a great screenplay and the performances are so good. It’s very watchable. I don’t like war movies but this isn’t a typical war movie. It’s a biopic that’s frustrating at times, because of the injustice but then things get better for everyone. Idris Elba is up for a Best Actor Golden Globe and you understand why.
CHUCK: He’s brilliant.
RYAN: I always like him and he’s a better looking man than Mandela was, but they do such a great job with his makeup throughout the film that by the end he really looks like Nelson Mandela. His accent is great and the speech pattern.
CHUCK: You’re right. It’s all a testament to his performance that he…
RYAN: …he melts into it.
CHUCK: Without a doubt. And Naomie Harris as Winnie is also just brilliant.
RYAN: So good. There’s almost something melodic about the way she speaks.
CHUCK: Yes!
RYAN: She’s great. She’s, a Bond girl.
CHUCK: Really? She’s wonderful.
RYAN: It all makes me wonder what the culture is like in South Africa today. As racism still exists in this country, I wonder how that nation’s history has affected its current culture.
CHUCK: With the sad, recent passing of Nelson Mandela, this is a very poignant time to honor him with a film. It’s an important movie to see. The costumes and production design was very good. I loved it.
RYAN: It’s definitely worth seeing for awards season. We’ll see if Idris gets nominated for an Oscar. The whole film is well done, inspiring, and pays great tribute to such an important historical figure.
