Tsotsi

This powerful film was definitely my favorite so far. The story takes place in Johannesburg, South Africa and is about a boy and his struggles to overcome his horrifying childhood. The film unravels the development of this boy named Tsotsi and transforms him from a thug into a respectable young man who has repented for his wrong doings. It is amazing to see how such a destructive boy can transform from a dangerous fighter into a loving caretaker of a little infant.

This movie has many contrasts, especially between living conditions. The urban areas of South Africa looked very appealing. These urban areas had gated communities, a lot of beautiful houses and appeared to have strong security systems. These developed neighborhoods were full of high class people who could afford the latest security alarms to protect their neighborhoods and houses. I was amazed at how extravagant the houses were especially on the inside, I would have never expected a house in Africa to be so luxurious. The rural areas were my typical stereotype of Africa. These areas were run down shacks with metal roofs and underdeveloped neighborhoods with little technology. There were many homeless children who found homes in drain pipes and just a lot of dirty people who engaged in criminal activities. The rural area was basically a hang out for the criminals and homeless. There was a lot of dirt and dust and no trees or landscaping like the urban neighborhoods had.

Although many would think there would be a contrast between the black and white people in Africa, very few differences are shown in this film. The victims of this movie, the couple who had their baby kidnapped, are black. Eventhough this couple is black it appears as though they act more like the white class. They are very wealthy, successful and act very respectable. There are very few white people in the movie to even comment on. One of the very few characters that comes to mind who was white, is the police officer with the moustache. This officer did seem a lot more calm than the other black police officers in the film. I guess eventhough there was only a few white people in this film, these white people held possitions of authority. They were police officers who had a lot of power in South Africa.

There is no direct Apartheid shown in this film yet we know it is hidden behind the scenes. We can see the effect that it has on society, it has divided society and created a poverty infested population. Although we can't see the power behind this problem, we can see the segregation dividing throughout the areas of South Africa.

The baby is the central character in this movie, without the baby Tsotsi would be headed in the path of destruction. The baby symbolizes hope and redemption. This little baby boy has saved Tsotsi from his criminal ways and has made him into a decent human being that actually cares about right and wrong. Tsotsi now knows what it feels like to care for someone other than himself. The baby has also helped Tsotsi get over his painful childhood. The baby was someone he could care for and show the world that he is capable of loving something eventhough his father never loved him. The baby also revealed a selflessness in Tsotsi, he gave the baby back so it would have a chance at life and would have the opportunties that Tsotsi never had.

The movie is pretty vague about the future of Africa. We can conclude that there is hope for the future generations. We can be proud that at least one life has transformed and hopefully many others will follow into Tsotsi's path. We can hope for change in everyone's lives and hopefully create a better society. We can look foward to the future and try to forget the painful past that Africa has endured.