Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
(B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' (directed by Justin Chadwick) reverently traces the recently deceased (just 2 weeks ago!) South African's life. For 140 minutes, we are provided a succession of steadily directed, well-acted cinematic bullet points which detail all that Mandela did for over 50(!) years. But like most historical biopics that cover decades ... there were too many years & milestones for a single movie to adequately cover. And the ones that are covered are hit with a sledgehammer. Still, the magnitude of Mandela is so large, that even this somewhat conventional biopic about him provides time well-spent.
Beginning with Mandela's Xhosa tribe childhood, the script races through Nelson's years spent as a lawyer representing blacks against apartheid culture whites. Mandela becomes infuriated & radicalized by the injustices he witnesses, joining the African National Congress to push for a fully democratic South Africa. This 1st part of the film is stellar, adding grit to Mandela that we later miss when he becomes more a passive diplomat. The 2nd part of the film becomes a bit draining. Nelson is jailed at Robben Island prison for 27 years. The 1st signs of becoming a "passive force" emerge. Over time, the rest of the world rallies around Nelson Mandela's civil rights activism, leading to his eventual release & the 3rd section of the story; where leading South Africa rises to new levels of tolerance.
Playing Nelson Mandela from his 20's to his 70's, Idris Elba offers a towering portrayal that has even earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Elba captures the passion of Mandela as a young activist, his resilience as a political prisoner, & his amazing capacity of forgiveness as a noble, older statesman. Elba has a commanding physical presence, yet grounds everything with quiet power. At first, I thought Elba was too BIG & perhaps too baritone to play Mandela. But after thinking about it, I can't think of any other 40-something male who could pull off what he does here. Equally impressive is Naomie Harris (Miss Moneypenny in 2012's Skyfall) as Winnie Mandela, Nelson's violent/radical 2nd wife. To say she's dynamic is an understatement.
You know, this isn't the only Mandela film released this year. Going largely unseen was Winnie Mandela starring Jennifer Hudson & Terrence Howard. It's funny, while THIS film is clearly superior to that film in almost every way ... I actually appreciated that the other film chose to focus mainly on their marriage; whereas this film stumbles by trying to jam it all in. The relationship btwn. Nelson & Winnie is fascinating - a loyalty & devotion carried through Mandela's imprisonment, yet ended soon after his release. But again, the truncation of that SUBplot is a shame; and Winnie Mandela covered it better.
'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' is what you call a prestige film. The cinematography, grassland locales, the period details. Idris Elba's aging make-up is great. And there's even a cool U2 song that plays over the end credits. But you know, I just don't feel like I got to know this man deep down inside. We're given a lot to chew on, and yet aspects of his life are oversimplified. This film is also well-meaning. But terms like "well-meaning" or "labor of love" does not always = excellence. By covering 50 years, director Chadwick leaves little breathing room to investigate the personal & political changes that evolved Mandela from semi-violent to an emblem of peace. I admire a lot in this movie, but it is an over-sprawled epic. It just needed a finer focus, more depth, & a little more flash.
Beginning with Mandela's Xhosa tribe childhood, the script races through Nelson's years spent as a lawyer representing blacks against apartheid culture whites. Mandela becomes infuriated & radicalized by the injustices he witnesses, joining the African National Congress to push for a fully democratic South Africa. This 1st part of the film is stellar, adding grit to Mandela that we later miss when he becomes more a passive diplomat. The 2nd part of the film becomes a bit draining. Nelson is jailed at Robben Island prison for 27 years. The 1st signs of becoming a "passive force" emerge. Over time, the rest of the world rallies around Nelson Mandela's civil rights activism, leading to his eventual release & the 3rd section of the story; where leading South Africa rises to new levels of tolerance.
Playing Nelson Mandela from his 20's to his 70's, Idris Elba offers a towering portrayal that has even earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Elba captures the passion of Mandela as a young activist, his resilience as a political prisoner, & his amazing capacity of forgiveness as a noble, older statesman. Elba has a commanding physical presence, yet grounds everything with quiet power. At first, I thought Elba was too BIG & perhaps too baritone to play Mandela. But after thinking about it, I can't think of any other 40-something male who could pull off what he does here. Equally impressive is Naomie Harris (Miss Moneypenny in 2012's Skyfall) as Winnie Mandela, Nelson's violent/radical 2nd wife. To say she's dynamic is an understatement.
You know, this isn't the only Mandela film released this year. Going largely unseen was Winnie Mandela starring Jennifer Hudson & Terrence Howard. It's funny, while THIS film is clearly superior to that film in almost every way ... I actually appreciated that the other film chose to focus mainly on their marriage; whereas this film stumbles by trying to jam it all in. The relationship btwn. Nelson & Winnie is fascinating - a loyalty & devotion carried through Mandela's imprisonment, yet ended soon after his release. But again, the truncation of that SUBplot is a shame; and Winnie Mandela covered it better.
'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' is what you call a prestige film. The cinematography, grassland locales, the period details. Idris Elba's aging make-up is great. And there's even a cool U2 song that plays over the end credits. But you know, I just don't feel like I got to know this man deep down inside. We're given a lot to chew on, and yet aspects of his life are oversimplified. This film is also well-meaning. But terms like "well-meaning" or "labor of love" does not always = excellence. By covering 50 years, director Chadwick leaves little breathing room to investigate the personal & political changes that evolved Mandela from semi-violent to an emblem of peace. I admire a lot in this movie, but it is an over-sprawled epic. It just needed a finer focus, more depth, & a little more flash.