Tsotsi (2005)

Six days in the violent life of a young Johannesburg gang leader.

Director:

Gavin Hood

Writers:

Gavin Hood, Athol Fugard (novel)

Stars:

Presley Chweneyagae, Mothusi Magano, Israel Makoe

Won 1 Oscar. Another 16 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Presley Chweneyagae	...	Tsotsi
Terry Pheto	...	Miriam
Kenneth Nkosi	...	Aap
Mothusi Magano	...	Boston
Zenzo Ngqobe	...	Butcher
Zola	...	Fela
Rapulana Seiphemo	...	John Dube
Nambitha Mpumlwana	...	Pumla Dube
Nonthuthu Sibisi	...	The Baby
Ntuthuko Sibisi	...	The Baby
Jerry Mofokeng	...	Morris
Ian Roberts	...	Captain Smit
Percy Matsemela	...	Sergeant Zuma
Thembi Nyandeni	...	Soekie
Owen Sejake	...	Gumboot Dlamini

Storyline

In Johannesburg, a small time criminal, Tsotsi, is a teenager without feelings, hardened by his tough life. After a series of violent gang hits, Tsotsi hijacks a car. However, whilst driving, Tsotsi finds that there is a baby on the back seat. He brings the baby to his house in the slum. The next six days bring about a change in him that couldn't be foreseen.

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Plot Keywords:

baby | slum | criminal | street life | shantytown | 

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Taglines:

In this world... redemption just comes once.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some strong violent content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK South Africa

Language:

Zulu Xhosa Afrikaans English

Release Date:

31 March 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Infância Roubada

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$140,510 (South Africa), 3 February 2006, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$76,324, 26 February 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,912,363, 9 July 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

The UK Film & TV Production Company PLC, Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, The National Film and Video Foundation of SA

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In urban slang of Johannesburg "tsotsi" loosely translated means "thug".

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Goofs

When Tsotsi enters the room of the kidnapped child, you can see (on the right hand side) that the wall paper is false.

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Quotes

Morris: Now look what you've done... you've made an old man piss his pants

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Connections

Referenced in Kingdom of the Vampire (2007)

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Soundtracks

Benoni Blues
Performed by paw'lee'n'sparx

User Reviews

Well worth watching, if you can find it

This traces a few days in the life of the teenage gang leader Tsotsi. When we first meet him, he and his friends are playing dice, deciding what to do that evening. And what they do is murder a man, stealing his wallet and leaving him behind on the train. One of the gang, Boston, isn't too happy with this. He begins to drink and to talk about how they lack decency. He tries to provoke Tsotsi into revealing some sort of feeling, asking him about his real name. Tsotsi means thug, it isn't the name his mother gave him. That doesn't work, so Boston asks has any woman hurt him. Still no reaction. Not even a dog, he pleads in exasperation, and his provocation bears fruit, as Tsotsi punches and kicks Boston in a brutal attack before running off into the night.

As he runs we get a flashback of a young boy, a young Tsotsi fleeing through the night. And throughout the rest of the film Tsotsi's childhood memories are intercut with the current happenings and violence. To say anymore about the plot would be to spoil some moments of the film.

There is a wonderful mixture of stillness, silence, and energy to this film. At times the camera lingers on faces, watching for a flicker of emotion. Other scenes are full of action and movement.

This is a film that does say that poverty is a driving force behind crime, but that is never allowed to become an excuse. There are other characters who are just as poor but do not react in the same way. It also never glamourises the violence, and while redemption may be at the heart of the film it never goes over the top in offering a happy ending.

This is actually one of those films you hope may have a Hollywood ending, where they can all live happily ever after, even though you know that that would render the rest of the film almost pointless.