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Film Review by Daphne Laura

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This true story is based on the book written by James Gregory, the white South African who served as prison guard to Nelson Mandela. It is a simple film which deals with sensitive subject matters such as discrimination, racism and the effect of the apartheid policy during those turbulent years in South Africa's history. But more than this, it is an interesting case study of one man's character development.

Joseph Fiennes portrays James Gregory from the time when, as a young officer, he is assigned to Robben Island, until 1994 when Nelson Mandela is released after serving a 27-year prison term. As a young officer, he is still quite idealistic although full of 'hatred' towards black South Africans. He is ably supported by his ambitious wife who is portrayed by German actress, Diane Kruger of "Troy" fame. Gregory's ability to speak the local dialect means he has to be in close proximity whenever Winnie Mandela visits her husband, basically in order to spy on their conversations for any traces of subversive activities. Eventually, his conscience prevails and we bear witness to the compassionate nature of Gregory as a special bond develops between the two main characters. The film allows us to see a different and largely unknown side to Mandela, that of a prisoner as opposed to the larger-than-life figure that most people know. But the view is rather limited because this film is mainly about James Gregory's stint as a prison guard on Robben Island.

A subtle yet effective portrayal by Joseph Fiennes gives his character as well as the film some heartfelt emotions. Everything from the way he dresses to his South African accent is cleverly executed by Fiennes (who in my opinion is the better actor of the two brilliant Fiennes brothers). His acting style doesn't involve over the top theatrics nor does he have a strikingly attractive demeanor, yet he always portrays each character effectively and with gusto. The only issue in this film is the way Gregory didn't seem to age much as the years rolled by.

Dennis Haysbert's version of Mandela is good but not as forceful as I wanted it to be. He somehow lacked a certain charisma which the real Mandela exudes. But as I said earlier, this isn't a film exclusively about Mandela so I guess Haysbert can be forgiven for it.

The setting is a bit constricting as it is limited to the prison island, the Gregory family's quarters and Nelson Mandela's cramped prison cell. Eventually, it evolves to include the other places where Mandela was incarcerated throughout the years. But it provides a good solid background as the real story isn't about the island but about the respectful bond which formed between a prisoner and his jailer. A grainy and 70s tone envelops the entire film which helps in making the events more authentic and realistic. The plot does move at a fairly slow pace but nevertheless it is cleverly edited so the audience doesn't really get too bored watching it.

One question that remained etched in my mind as the end credits rolled is - who exactly is Bafana and what happened to him? I think the film makers should have done some more research on the little boy, Bafana, whom Gregory befriended when they were both kids. It does make me wonder if he really existed or if the film makers just added him as some sort of symbolic character. An illusion to show that Gregory as a person wasn't entirely a bigot since he himself grew up playing with 'the enemy' so to speak. It would have been more significant if they just mentioned even in passing about Bafana but I guess with apartheid tearing the country apart during those tumultuous years, it would be impossible to track him down - if he really did exist in the first place.

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