Tsotsi
Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) is a young thug (literally: tsotsi is a Sesotho word meaning “thug”) from the poorest of the poor Johannesburg townships. With his gang, he robs wealthy Johannesburg businessmen, kills indiscriminately, and never shows a hint of remorse.
After a brawl in a bar where he savagely beats a member of his gang, Tsotsi flees to the posh Johannesburg suburbs. There, he steals a new Mercedes from a wealthy woman as she attempts to get into her garage, shooting her in the process. Driving down the road back to the townships, Tsotsi makes a startling discovery—an infant strapped into a car seat in back seat of the vehicle. Shocked and confused, Tsotsi strips the car and runs off, with the baby in his arms, back into the townships.
Over the following days, Tsotsi is transformed by the baby’s dependence on him. He has not even the slightest idea of how to care for a child, and yet he is compelled to do everything he can to protect it. By the end of the film, tears stream down Tsotsi’s face as he is forced to give the child back to its parents.
Tsotsi won the 2005 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, which actually decreased my interest in the film—after all, that was the same year the Academy inexplicably picked Crash for Best Picture—but the honor was definitely justified. Nearly every aspect of this film is exceptional—it is brilliantly acted, with a thoughtful and believable script, exquisite photography, and a powerful soundtrack.
X = 9.2
Posted: December 15th, 2006 under Movies.
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