Goodbye Bafana, directed by Billie August, is the 2007 drama
based on the relationship between James Gregory, an South African prison warden
and Nelson Mandela, based on Gregory’s book of the same name. they develop a
close bond due to Gregory’s mastery of the Xhosa dialect and in the process
august tries to showcase Gregory’s change in mindset from a racist one to
ultimately realizing the evils of apartheid. Gregory has often been accused of
fabricating many of the facts of his time spent with the African leader though
this hasn’t been verified yet.
Though the premise of the film is promising, it ultimately
fails to engage the attention of the audience. The two leads, Daniel Haysbert
as Mandela and Joseph Fiennes as Gregory, do a fine job in bringing out the
nuances of their characters, but cannot carry the burden of the film on their
shoulders. The film also fails to address the complexities of any real
political issues in South Africa and gives the impression of being half baked. The
events taking place onscreen are treared I a dull and dry manner and leave the
audience feeling less than impressed. Ultimately, the film is not riveting
enough and does not offer much to think about.
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