Goodbye Bafana [2007]

Customer Reviews:

A historical masterpiece of movie making.......2008-02-23

Goodbye Bafana unfolds an important, but unpleasant piece of South Africa history, the apartheid phase. The cinemagraphy and the calibre of acting are of the highest standard, which really enhances the realism of the movie. The historical accuracy is always questioned, but no doubts emerge about this, as it did happen as the movie unfolds. Otherwise, it is total forgery of history which is not case, as facts are presented about what happened to the characters featured. This enhances historical accuracy of the movie and eliminates casting doubts.

The movie recaptures a historical journey of South Africa in the late 60's to early 90's during the time Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years and the eventual release of him in society. During the imprisonment, he developed a special bonding with an Afrikaner who's went lot of trouble to assist him, but landed in trouble with authorities. This moment represents one of the most pivotal and emotional phase of the movie. His perspective and vision of life altered considerably. Following Nelson Mandela lengthy prison sentence, he became the president and promoted a new South Africa.

What we learn from the movie is about how cruel human beings can really be and for what motives? Why can we live in a civilised society, where everyone is equal? Unfortunately, this did not happen for a considerable time in South Africa and as a consequence sanctions were imposed. South Africa subsequently banned from international sports events, as result of their national policies. In Goodbye Bafana, the true spirit of humanity is deeply questioned here.

Goodbye Bafana is great historical movie, to learn something from. It is ideally suited for those, who express an interest in history and keen to learn further.

emotive.......2008-02-16

This movie brought back so many memories for me while at the same time opening my eyes to the horrors I was lucky enough not to be subjected to. My parents went to work in Transkei in the early 80's which is where I was born and raised. Seeing this movie reminded me just why he is such a great man.
I must confess that the bits in Xhosa didn't sound at all like it, but as I myself have forgotten 99% of what little I knew that's about as far as I can comment. Joseph Fiennes does a brilliant job with the Afrikaaner accent and also playing the role of a prison officer who's belief in Apartied is slowly but surely put to the test as he listens to the man called Madiba and watches his children growing. The jailer and prisoner soon form a bond that National Intelligence aims to capitalize on. This means that through the years the two men remain linked even when they are apart. The movie mainly follows the life of James Gregory (the prison officer) and his family and I believe is based on a book he wrote.

Interesting, horrific and at the same time uplifting movie. Definitely worth watching.

Interesting story from unusual point of view.......2008-01-03

Great movie that seems to have captured the times it portrays, from the brutality of the white minority regime and the utterly shocking racism inherent in that system, to the more hopeful era preceding Mandela's release and the end of apartheid. The human story of Gregory and his family is touching but I found it a struggle at times to maintain sympathy for Fiennes' character, who seems genuinely shocked that by giving the government information, the people concerned subsequently die. Perhaps I have the benefit of overly cynical 21st century hindsight. Also, some of the scenes seemed implausible - the prison stick-fighting scene in particular, and the controversy over the historical accuracy of the story wasn't a surprise. That said, it's still definitely worth seeing for a small glimpse into a period of history that is not that well documented by film.

A moving story.......2007-11-18

It is probably hard to entice an audience with subject matter that may now seem outdated to some. However this is a healthy reminder of the brutality of the Apartheid regime in South Africa and the courage of Mandela and his followers. The mellowing of his prison officer, Warrant Office Gregory, was sensitively portrayed.

Haysbert's attempt at replicating Mandela's accent was hugely impressive. Unfortunately, Feinnes' Sud Afrikan accent was so good I could hardly understand what he was saying.

Fabulous performances from the entire cast. The period pieces had an authentic feel. This well directed film deserves our attention.

An inspiring story.......2007-10-25

I saw this at the cinema last night and will buy the DVD to give to my in laws who were living in SA at the time. I found it a well acted, sensitive portrayal of a complex situation. I'm not clear how much artistic licence was taken with the story. I like the idea that Nelson Mandela fought his jailer with 'sticks' (and won). If you've not seen this already - go for it!

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