Tsotsi

I had wanted to see Tsotsi for some time.  Jessica, our 15 year old, had a woman come from South Africa to their school, LREI, and discuss the Botha years.  This woman’s father was a professor at the University then and she wrote about book about her life growing up during this time.  As a family, we had been to South Africa 2 years ago, so Jessica was really taken with this woman who recommended she go see Tsotsi.

What a heavy powerful movie.  The movie is set in Johannesburg in a township following a young thug over a few days.  He steals a car which happens to have a baby in the back. 

As Tsotsi takes care of this baby, there are flashbacks to his life as a young boy that gives the audience insight into how Tsotsi’s life got to where it is. Living in the townships, stealing, killing and with no productive life on the horizon.  The introduction of a baby in his life in some ways, gives him hope for redemption.

The baby is from an affluent black African couple.  There is such a huge gap between the rich and poor in South Africa and the movie slaps you right in the face with it. 

The movie moves quickly with a variety of interesting characters.  It is intense.  It haunts you.  The movie has opened up the door for the rest of the world to see the social issues that haunt South Africa today.