Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema (2008)
"Jerusalema" (original title)

Young hoodlum's rise from a small-time criminal to a powerful crime entrepreneur during the turbulent years before and after the fall of apartheid.

Director:

Ralph Ziman

Writer:

Ralph Ziman

Stars:

Rapulana Seiphemo, Jeffrey Zekele, Ronnie Nyakale

6 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rapulana Seiphemo	...	Lucky Kunene
Jeffrey Zekele	...	Nazareth
Ronnie Nyakale	...	Zakes Mbolelo
Shelley Meskin	...	Leah Friedlander (as Shelly Meskin)
Malusi Skenjana	...	Tony Ngu
Robert Hobbs	...	Inspector Blakkie Swart
Jafta Mamabolo	...	Young Kunene
Motlatsi Mahloko	...	Young Zakes
Kenneth Nkosi	...	Lucas Sithole
Sally Burdett	...	News reader
Lerato Moloi	...	Loretta Dlamini
Thandy Matlaila	...	Young Nomsa
Mzwandile Ngubeni	...	Young Bull
Gladys Mahlangu	...	Mama Kunene
Patrick Bakoba	...	Caiphas

Storyline

Starting off with simple smash and grabs, and petty crime, Lucky Kunene quickly graduates to more aggressive heists such as armed robbery and carjacking. Soon, Lucky realizes he needs a bigger score to fulfill his goals of making it big, and escaping from the slums, to a dream house by the sea. Kunene hatches an elaborate and violent plan to make his fortune - hijacking buildings from landlords of Johannesburg tenements by winning the favor of the tenants and then holding their rent hostage from the landowners. His high-profile real estate acquisitions attract the attention of the local police force who have no qualms about using unprovoked brutality to bring him down. His trouble with the law, coupled with an escalating war between a local drug lord, creates a tense standoff: both sides are closing in, and Kunene must stay one step ahead--or his empire, and his life, will come crashing down.

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Plot Keywords:

carjacking | police | drug lord | epic | johannesburg south africa | 

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Taglines:

"If you're going to steal...Steal big, and hope like hell you get away with it!"

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language, drug use and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

South Africa

Language:

English Afrikaans

Release Date:

May 2008 (South Africa)

Also Known As:

Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema

Filming Locations:

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$4,958 (USA) (11 June 2010)

Gross:

$4,958 (USA) (11 June 2010)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Muti Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A mixture of languages can be heard throughout the movie. Much of what the main characters speak to each other is township slang known as Tsotsitaal (literally 'gangster language') which is composed of vocabulary from Zulu, Sotho, Afrikaans, English, other African languages and invented slang. It is generally associated with young township-dwelling men, though some terms have entered mainstream South African parlance.

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Goofs

Metrorail trains were not colored yellow in 1994, but red.

User Reviews

An African Renaissance in Cinema

Saw Jerusalema last weekend. I found the film to be an engaging, moving, and important reminder that the strangest worlds are right under our noses. Fast paced, gritty and in your face

I loved Rapulana Simpiwe in the lead, a stunning young talent, Jafta Mamabolo who played the young Kunene is fantastic.

The script is excellent, reassuringly tight and Carried me effortlessly through the journey.

This is the story of how a intelligent kid with the same hopes and dreams as anyone else; an education, work hard, get a degree and live his dreams through legitimate means, succumbs, despite himself, to a life of crime because it is his only course available.

It accurately portrays the universal genesis of crime and loss of innocence and righteousness (the symbol of which of course was the mother with her hand pressed tightly on her bible).

I don't know what's happening with the film in terms of its international release, but I would sincerely hope that many others will have the memorable experience that we did.