Many times, those around me have heard me bitch and moan about the oscars getting it wrong. Set in johannesburg, south africa, tsotsi, which means thug or gangster in the south african ghettos, is essentially a comingofage journey that chronicles the life of tsotsi presley cheweneyagae, a 19yearold brute with an unquenchable thirst for violence. He then runs out into the night and hijacks the car of a middleclass african woman mothusi magano. Tsotsi is an angry young gang leader in the south african township of sophiatown.
And whatever good tsotsi does to redeem himself, its important to keep in mind the questionable, usually immoral, means taken to make amends. Presley chweneyagae, mothusi magano, israel makoe, percy matsemela, jerry mofokeng, gavin hood. With presley chweneyagae, mothusi magano, israel matsekezulu, terry pheto. Presley chweneyagae terry pheto kenneth nkosi mothusi magano zenzo ngqobe zola rapulana seiphemo nambitha mpumlwana israel makoe jerry mofokeng ian roberts percy matsemela owen sejake. It is an adaptation of the novel tsotsi, by athol fugard and a south africauk coproduction. The soundtrack features kwaito music performed by south african artist zola as well as a score by mark kilian and paul hepker featuring the voice of south african protest singer and poet vusi mahlasela. Tsotsi is soweto slang for thug and the name of the initially anonymous. Tsotsi movie poster 27 x 40 inches 69cm x 102cm 2005 spanish presley chweneyagae mothusi magano israel makoe percy matsemela. The movie tsotsi, directed by gavin hood and based on the novel by athol fugard, is about a criminals redemption. Kenneth nkosi gavin hood peter fudakowski paul hepker mark kilian director. At least they have each other, and even places to sleep that arent drainage pipes. Based on a novel by athol fugard that was set during the 1950s and published in 1980, tsotsi is set in an amorphous now, defined by the hopelessness of poverty. Presley chweneyagae terry pheto kenneth nkosi mothusi magano zenzo ngqobe zola rapulana seiphemo nambitha.
The box contains a baby, and his life is inexorably changed. Six days in the violent life of a young johannesburg. Boston mothusi magano is repulsed by the violence of the robbery and confronts tsotsi. But one night, in a moonlit grove of bluegum trees, a woman he attempts to rape forces a shoebox into his arms. Tsotsi roughly translates to thug and the movie has a lot of rap music, which many people including myself associate. As a result, it features image after image of coldblooded thuggery. A man without a past, he exists only to kill and steal. Tsotsi presley chweneyagae is a pettycrime gang leader. Boston, a failed teacher mothusi magano, butcher, a coldblooded assassin zenzo ngqobe and aap, a dimwitted heavy kenneth nkosi. Six days in the violent life of a young johannesburg gang leader.
In all too familiar grinding poverty and violence the very fragile line between life and death is crossed many times and an even more fragile and slow growth of a single youths selfrespect is encouraged by an accidental kidnapping. Presley chweneyagae, mothusi magano, israel makoe, percy matsemela, jerry mofokeng. Tsotsi isnt afraid to put the grimy lifestyle of shantytown gangsters on full display. A member of tsotsis gang and a heavy drinker, boston. Although tsotsi is a gang leader who steals for a living, he is not a simple cardboard cutout. He and his friends boston, aap and butcher mothusi magano, kenneth nkosi, zenzo ngqobe rob a older man on a crowded subway then butcher stabs him quietly and they flee once the subway is empty. But when his friend boston mothusi magano asks tsotsi how he really feels, whether decency comes into it, he fights with him and walks off into the night, and we sense how alone he is. Based on the book by acclaimed author, athol fugard, this deeply affecting film traces six days in the life of a young gang leader who steals a womans car, unaware that her baby is in the back seat. Kenneth nkosi, mothusi magano, presley chweneyagae, terry pheto. From south africa, a tough thug shows his big heart the. Theres the now outofcommission boston mothusi magano, who. Gripping, ruthless and absorbing oscar winner for best foreign language film.
Tsotsi is a moving and sensitively made film about youths in a johannesburg township and their relationships with each other. He was born in the small village of phokeng on the outskirts of rustenburg. Tsotsi, directed by gavin hood, is an earnest film about the south african shantytowns, and it is at some pains to show that its heart is in the right place that is, right up on its sleeve. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Its not until he is nearly back to the township that tsotsi hears the baby. And the 2006 academy award for best foreign language film goes to tsotsi. But this is merely the defensive posture of a little fish. Never before published in australia, athol fugards tsotsi is a psychological thriller of raw power and humanity, which has now been made. Zola, presley chweneyagae, mothusi magano, isreal makoe, terry pheto, kenneth nkosi, rapulana seiphemo, gavin hood. Tsotsi 2005 a sdg he is a young predator, a feral youth with a cold, blank stare prowling the johannesburg area streets with his pack. In his own soweto township neighborhood the titular protagonist of writerdirector gavin hoods tsotsi is all gangster attitude, flipping off the idle taunts of older men with studied indifference. It is about the transformation in a person and the faith that helped. Tsotsi and his crew butcher zenzo ngqobe, aap kenneth nkosi, and boston mothusi magano live in soweto, where they deal drugs, steal, and scavenge to get by.
Tsotsi decides they will head to the train station where their unsuspecting victim, gumboot ghalimini, begins to head home to his wife. Later, in a flashback, we will understand the cruelty of the home and father he fled from. The books antihero was the hellish byproduct of a hellish system. Portions of content provided by tivo corporation 2020 tivo corporation whats new. Mothusi magano is a south african actor best known for his starring role as charles mingus khathi in the sabc3 drama series the lab, from 20062009. But when his friend boston mothusi magano asks tsotsi how he really feels, whether decency comes into it, he fights with him and walks off. At the age of five, his family moved to mafikeng where, at the mmabana cultural centre, he got his first taste of. Tsotsi is a film that will make you angry at the world for turning a blind eye to africa. Movies based on books, african movies, crime movies, crime dramas, dramas, independent movies. Buy tsotsi dvd 2006 by presley chweneyagae from amazons movies store. Presley chweneyagae tsotsi, terry pheto miriam, kenneth nkosi aap, mothusi magano boston and zenzo ngqobe butcher. Tsotsi hits hard wit hits power to connect the boston globe.
1153 776 375 350 1133 1646 470 775 1185 864 223 766 1230 264 284 1458 18 1653 1084 181 1301 427 579 1658 749 714 273 233 1404 1220 12 1308 719