1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.
In class we discussed life in South Africa, specifically Johannesburg and the great divide between the wealthy and the extreme poverty. Tsotsi takes place mainly in the main character's poverty-stricken and rough life. But we see the wealthier side of South Africa in the family he harasses. We talked also about the apartheid which still effects the country to this day.
2) Find a related article and summarize the content.
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tsotsi-2006
Roger Ebert's review of Tsotsi gave insight into the film. His article is concerned with the emotional journey Tsotsi goes on, how we see the man go from a lonely, violent person to someone who is forced to care for a life other than his own. He praises the performances of Presley Chweneyage (Tsotsi) and Terry Pheto (Miriam). Chweneyage for his subtle and emotionally restrained performance and Pheto for having the power to draw Tsotsi out of his shell. Ebert says that the movie could easily fall into a romanticization of poverty but here there is nothing but raw realness of this world.
3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.
What struck me most about Ebert's review was this quote: "Tsotsi doesn't become a nice man. He simply stops being active as an evil one[.]" (Ebert, 2006). I didn't think of Tsotsi in that way but having now seen him in that context it makes him a more fascinating character. We're always aware of the danger Tsotsi represents but we see over the course of the film that his hardened exterior begins to soften and he begins to try to do the right thing. He takes care of Boston, he gives money to the homeless man, and most importantly, he returns the baby to his parents. There's always a threat of violence in Tsotsi's presence but it softens as the film progresses.
4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article.
The movie did a great job at showing life in poverty in Johannesburg and the great divide between rich and poor. While he doesn't start out as a sympathetic character, Tsotsi slowly wins the audience over with his increasing acts of kindness and his nurturing of the baby. He is out of his element with handling the child so he resorts to violent means to help, but even then we know he's doing it out of desperation and for a good reason. The movie also brought up social issues in Johannesburg and South Africa at large. The discrepancy between rich and poor was one, but it also dealt with disease such as AIDS which is a major problem in the country. It also showed prevalent crime and showed the lengths people had to go to to deter crime (even the suburbs had to have gated driveways to protect themselves). It was a good movie that showed that goodness exists even within those who may have lost since lost their humanity.
Citation:
Tsotsi. Gavin Hood.Miramax, 2006. Film.
Ebert, Roger. (2006). http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tsotsi-2006. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM
1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.
2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.
3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.
4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.
5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.
6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.
7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.
8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.
Name: _Melissa Faitoute_ Date: 9 April 2017
1) ( x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.
2) ( x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.
3) ( x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.
4) ( x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.
5) ( x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.
6) ( x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.
7) ( x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.
8) ( x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.
Name: _Melissa Faitoute_ Date: 9 April 2017
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