Sarafina! (1992)

In 1992, South Africa's transition away from four decades of institutionalized racism was underway, so it made sense to release a movie about apartheid. There had been a couple of movies about the topic by this point (Cry Freedom, A World Apart, A Dry White Season), but to my knowledge no famous movie had featured black South Africans as the main characters until "Sarafina!". It makes clear that the apartheid government was a militaristic, near fascist regime - sending armed guards into the schools to make sure that the black students only learn the government-approved syllabus - but also that the black majority knew that they had power in their numbers. It's got some of the most impressive music.While Whoopi Goldberg's presence gets touted, another important cast member is singer Miriam Makeba. Makeba was one of the most famous activists in the country. Here she plays the mother of the title character, working as a domestic servant for a white family. When Sarafina goes to visit her mother, the employer casually greets her. Cordial though it may seem, it's clear that this white family will never accept Sarafina or Sarafina's mother as their equals.We could be cynical and say that even since the end of apartheid, conditions remain the same for blacks white many of the whites still cling to racist attitudes. Even so, it's important to understand the history, especially since the apartheid government did things like send troops to Angola to back an autocrat against the country's independence movement.And yes, the recently deceased Hugh Masekela did some of the music.

Sarafina! the film is based on Mbongeni Ngema's play of the same name and it draws inspiration from the student riots that took place in Soweto, Johannesburg in 1976. The film/play was never intended to be a historical documentary explaining Apartheid for an international audience but rather a story about young black South Africans living under Apartheid.The film is an excellent adaptation and the musical numbers are well integrated but also evoke the stage through their inclusion. Some may feel that it is inappropriate in a film about such serious issues, but songs and music formed an important element to anti-apartheid protests and they should be seen within this context. The film 'Mapantsula' made five years earlier, demonstrates this same tendency as prisoners sing as they are led into the cells.The film is beautifully shot - the red earth features very strongly - subtly reminding us of mother Africa. It's incredibly well written - I don't think there has been such a well-written film to come out of the country since. Ngema captures the struggle for freedom - the big picture - but does not lose sight of the fact that these were also just teenagers filled with the same angst as teenagers everywhere. Ultimately the film portrays a realistic view of oppression and freedom fighting. It was not easy to live under apartheid neither was it easy to fight against it and there are no heroes in the killing of people, no matter how good the cause.A fantastic film that needs to be better understood.

I am not a South African, but I know how bad life was for them back then. People world over should understand that music is a way in which Africans best express their emotions, so making Sarafina! a musical added to the flavor of the movie. Sarafina! reigns supreme to this day, thanks to Whoopi and Leleti. The scenes shown are not exaggerated. (People were really beaten and killed brutally back then). You'd need to watch more African movies(like Shaka Zulu, Ipintombi etc) to really appreciate the "music" part of it. Leleti Khumalo and Whoopi Goldberg hit home and act well together as a student and her dear teacher respectively. I wish we could have a sequel to it. All in all it is a GREAT movie and well acted.

This was an awful movie! Not for the subject matter, but for the delivery. I went with my girlfriend at the time (when the movie came out), expecting to see a movie about the triumph of the human spirit over oppression. What we saw was 2 hours of brutal police oppression, with no uplift at the end. The previews and ads made NO mention of this! Plus, for all that they played up whoopi goldberg, my recollection is that she is arrested and killed in the first 20 minutes! Again, the previews say nothing about this! (not that you would expect that, but it's just more of the problem). If I had known how depressing this movie would be, I would've never have seen it. Or at least, I would've been prepared for it. This was a bait and switch ad campaign, and I will NEVER see this movie again!