Cry, the Beloved Country (1995)

Director:

Darrell Roodt

Writers:

Ronald Harwood
Alan Paton (novel)

Release Date:

15 December 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

Divided by injustice. Two men unite.

Plot:

A South-African preacher goes to search for his wayward son who has committed a crime in the big city.

Plot Keywords:

Apartheid | South Africa | Racism | 1940s | Death Penalty

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

James Earl Jones	...	Rev. Stephen Kumalo
Tsholofelo Wechoemang	...	Child
Richard Harris	...	James Jarvis
Charles S. Dutton	...	John Kumalo
Dolly Rathebe	...	Mrs. Kumalo
Ramalao Makhene		(as Ramolao Makhene)
Jack Robinson	...	Ian Jarvis
Jennifer Steyn	...	Mary Jarvis
Patrick Ndlovu	...	Man 1
Darlington Michaels	...	Man 2
King Twala	...	Man 3
Somizi Mhlongo	...	Young Thief
Sam Ngakane	...	Mafolo
Vusi Kunene	...	Theophilus Msimangu
John Whiteley	...	Father Vincent
Lillian Dube	...	Mrs. Lithebe
Tembsie Times	...	Shebeen Queen
Tiny Masilio	...	Brothel Singer
Babes Jazz Band	...	Jazz Band
Dambisa Kente	...	Gertrude Kumalo
Fats Bookholane	...	Brothel Man
George Phologane	...	Brothel Man
Morena Sefatsa
Sydney Chama	...	Dubula
Moses Rakharebe	...	Tomlinson
Ron Smerczak	...	Captain van Jaarsveld
Tobias Sikwayo	...	Thomas
Anne Curteis	...	Mrs. Jarvis
Abigail Kubeka	...	Mrs. Mkize
Jerry Mofokeng	...	Hlabeni
Grace Mahlaba	...	Nurse
Ian Roberts	...	Evans
Leleti Khumalo	...	Katie (as Leleti Kumalo)
Jonathan Rands	...	Glyn Henderson
Shirley Johnston	...	Barbara Henderson
Ben Kruger	...	Police Officer 1
Dan Robbertse	...	Police Officer 2
Eric Miyeni	...	Absolom Kumalo
Patrick Shai	...	Robert Ndela
Robert Whitehead	...	Carmichael
David Clatworthy	...	Clerk of the Court
Themba Ndaba	...	Matthew Kumalo
Louis Seboko	...	Johannes Pafuri
Graham Armitage	...	Judge
Greg Latter	...	Prosecutor
Thomas Hall	...	Court Usher
Chris Steyn	...	Warder 1
Antonio Rodrigues	...	Warder 2
Stuart Monthieth	...	Warder 3
Alfred D. Nokwe	...	Old Man
Lorraine Nyathikazi	...	Apron Women
David Phetoe	...	Black Priest

Directed by
Darrell Roodt

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ronald Harwood
Alan Paton		novel

Produced by
Anant Singh	....	producer
Helena Spring	....	associate producer
Harry Alan Towers	....	producer

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Paul Gilpin

Film Editing by
David Heitner

Production Design by
David Barkham

Art Direction by
Roland Hunter

Set Decoration by
Emilia Roux

Costume Design by
Ruy Filipe

Makeup Department
Megan Tanner	....	hair stylist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eugene Bezuidenhoudt	....	second assistant director
Graham Hickson	....	first assistant director
Greg Rethman	....	assistant director: third unit
Michael Swan	....	second unit director
Andre Weavind	....	co-second assistant director

Sound Department
Don Brown	....	sound recordist: UK insert
Charlotte Buys	....	foley editor
Nicky De Beer	....	sound designer
Elinor Hardy	....	adr editor
Sharron Hawkes	....	adr editor
Hal Levinsohn	....	adr supervisor: American unit
Ivan Milborrow	....	boom operator
David O'Reilly	....	assistant adr editor
Mark Phillips	....	adr and foley recordist
Mark Phillips	....	sound re-recording mixer
Colette Russouw	....	dialogue editor
Dan Edelstein	....	sound editor: US release (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Hans Van der Zanden	....	rain effects
Luke van der Zanden	....	rain effects
Janek Zabielski	....	smoke effects
Stefan Zabielski	....	smoke effects

Visual Effects by
Mark Dornfeld	....	visual effects supervisor
Donnine Livingston	....	visual effects coordinator

Stunts
Gavin Mey	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Harmon Cusack	....	director of photography: second unit

Casting Department
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Megan Gill	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Cliff Kohlweck	....	music editor (as Clif Kohlweck)
Shawn Murphy	....	score mixer
Nic Raine	....	orchestrator
Christian Rutherford	....	orchestra coordinator
Nicky Ryan	....	music producer

Transportation Department
Dirk Buchmann	....	action vehicle coordinator

Other crew
Susan Bradley	....	title designer
Johnny Clur	....	helicopter pilot (as John Clur)
Elloise Dover	....	assistant: Mr. Dutton
Christopher Gambale	....	assistant to Harvey Weinstein
Rosalind Lurie	....	title graphics designer
Dezi Rorich	....	unit publicist
Gloria Stravino	....	production accountant
Gert Uys	....	helicopter pilot: third unit
V. Renee Taylor	....	mix assistant: New York (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Alpine Pty Limited
• Distant Horizons
• Miramax Films
• Videovision Entertainment

Distributors

• Capitol Films (France)
• Miramax Films
• Telegroup (Spain)

Special Effects

• Buena Vista Imaging (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Abbey Road Studios  music recorded at (as Studio One, EMI Abbey Road Studios)
• Airtime TV Outside Broadcast  equipment
• Chris Fellows Sound Studios  re-recording studios
• English Chamber Orchestra  score performed by
• Epic Soundtrax  soundtrack released by
• Filmair  aerial equipment
• Logical Designs  equipment
• Movie Camera Company  equipment
• Nexis Pictures  post-production facilities
• Sequence Post Production  post-production facilities
• Sound One  adr facility: American unit (as Sound One Sound)
• Tableau Production Services  equipment
• Technicolor  prints
• Video Lab  video services (as The Video Lab)

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for emotional thematic elements and brief language

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

South Africa | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR | Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Spain:13 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Drakensburg, South Africa

Company:

Alpine Pty Limited

Trivia:

The background instrumental music in the movie is the same as the theme song from the movie Zulu (1964).

Quotes:

Theophilus Msimangu:But he has some truth on his side.
Rev Stephen Kumalo:"Truth"? But how can he have truth on his side and not God?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in In Debt We Trust (2006)

Soundtrack:

Exile

Why the beloved country?

Apartheid was a grotesque social experiment aimed at perpetuating the evils of colonialism after the age of empires was past; white liberal Alan Paton one of its most celebrated literary critics. Darrell Roodt's film of perhaps his most famous book, Cry, the Beloved Country', stars Richard Harris and James Earl Jones (better known as the voice of Darth Vader, which leads to some unintentionally comic moments) and is not an awful film; but politically, it misses its targets. Aided by some slushy background music, it invests most of its black characters with a frankly ludicrous level of dignity; while oddly underplaying its depiction of the routine dehumanisation that black people suffered under white rule. In consequence, the film's only real anger appears directed not at the system but at Jones's brother, a nasty and opportunist anti-apartheid campaigner, which was surely not quite the original point. At the end of the film, an impassioned quote from Paton appears on the screen; it's a shame it seems so unconnected with what has preceded it.