Mandela and de Klerk (1997)

On June 12, 1964, Nelson Mandela, along with a number of political detainees, was sentenced to life imprisonment in what remains the most sensational treason trial in the history of South ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writer:

Richard Wesley

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Michael Caine, Tina Lifford

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sidney Poitier	...	Nelson Mandela
Michael Caine	...	F.W. de Klerk
Tina Lifford	...	Winnie Mandela
Gerry Maritz	...	P.W. Botha
Ian Roberts	...	Kobie Coetsee
Ben Kruger	...	James Gregory
Jerry Mofokeng	...	Walter Sisulu
Owen Sejake	...	Mlangeni
Andre Jacobs	...	Niels Barnard (as André Jacobs)
Tertius Meintjes	...	Kykendal
John Carson	...	Willem de Klerk
David Fortune	...	Mhlaba
Farouk Valley-Omar	...	Kathrada
Terry Norton	...	Marike de Klerk
Bankole Omotoso	...	Mbeki

Storyline

On June 12, 1964, Nelson Mandela, along with a number of political detainees, was sentenced to life imprisonment in what remains the most sensational treason trial in the history of South Africa. The incarceration of Mandela and other political prisoners on Robben Island would become a symbol of the struggle to end apartheid and win freedom for the black majority in South Africa. On February 2, 1990, President F.W. De Klerk stood before Parliament and announced the legalization of the African National Congress and a host of other banned political organizations. At the same time, he announced that Nelson Mandela, having served 27 years in prison, would be released within 7 days. Yet the world, and indeed most South Africans, knew little about how this momentous occasion came to pass. Until now. Mandela & De Klerk was filmed in South Africa. Most of the locations are those where the actual events took place, and the dramatized sequences are augmented with newsreel footage to ensure the ...

---

Plot Keywords:

south africa | prison | african national congress | apartheid | race relations | 

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for disturbing images of political violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Afrikaans

Release Date:

16 February 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mandela & De Klerk: Dyo andres, mia istoria

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Afrika Worldwide, Hallmark Entertainment, Showtime Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is the second time a movie that deals with the apartheid in South Africa stars both Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine, they joined forces before in The Wilby Conspiracy (1975).

---

Connections

Featured in American Masters: Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light (2000)

User Reviews

Good biopic combining actual footage and great performances

This is a well-structured, easy to follow "short version" of the Mandela miracle. The actual events were of course much more complex, as was the cast of important characters. But weaving actual footage with the close ups of Poitier(Mandela) and Caine (DeKlerk) produced a better documentary of this historic process than other "actual" documentaries. Poitier has played Mandela and South African heroes so often and so well, we may be mixing fact and fiction here. Caine also gave a great performance, perhaps the finest dramatic portrayal of his career. I'm convinced that the relatively low rating the movie has received in your base is due to the high number of South African voters. Though casting Caine as DeKlerk was necessary to attract viewers (and the bald Caine actually bore a good resemblance to DeKlerk), the choice was obviously not well received by Afrikaaanerdom and South Africans in general. How can the last important Afrikaaner ever be portrayed by his historical nemesis, an Englishman? Makes sense, but otherwise the film was great as biopics go.