The Forgiven (2017) User Reviews

A worthwhile watch and one extraordinary scene at the end.

[philsk · 7/10 · 22 May 2018]

I had a job to recognise Forest Whittaker when the movie started because the make up was so good, and his normal facial expressions and mannerisms were just not there for this movie, quite rightly so to because he portrayed Desmond Tutu so very well.

Eric Bana's portrayal was so brilliant that you really hated the man and became engrossed in the interplay between him and Tutu, which in itself was interesting to watch.

I won't go into the details and spoil everything, but one of the scenes towards the end of the movie was one of the most heart-wrenching scenes I have ever seen in any movie, anywhere, and surely the actors must have received a standing ovation from the crew after it was filmed.

Don't be put off by the poor reviews, because this is a movie worth watching and you may well learn something along the way.

-Powerful forgiveness. No specific spoiler

[stbibby-83270 · 7/10 · 28 September 2018]

Well this is my first ever review of any film on imdb. This was a subtle yet powerful film. Played out with a sense of realism and not a glamorous melodrama. I really enjoyed this and the performances of all were great. Eric Bana again knocks it out of the park, and forrest well what can you say. The ending crept up like a patient cat waiting to strike you unexpected and... IT DID. Well worth a watch and something that can teach you a great deal about the power of the human soul to endure and forgive. Against all odds.

Eric Banas is just solid as a rock!

[karimgabc · 7/10 · 25 March 2018]

Dont see the hate of this move. just a good movie about the human race!

An informative and compelling watch

[scottmikhail · 7/10 · 31 May 2018]

I for one didn't know much of the Apartheid 'era' (for want of a better word), but found his film to be a raw and confronting telling of the draconian state of affairs predominately black South Africans were forced to suffer through.

Whitaker's performance was flawless. Bana's was solid.

That last scene in the court room was bloody gripping.

Part of me would have liked to have seen Bana break at some point but I was left satisfied enough at how his story ended up being told.

It's not one you'd plan your night around but I felt it had enough grit and intrigue to earn its rating.

The thought does count ... yes?

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 25 May 2021]

It is tough - what goes on in certain regions of the world. The movie boasts Eric Bana and Forest Whittaker - both amazing actors in their own rights. But the subject matter is the one that counts. And it is one that if you are a decent human being will really make you angry ... to say the least.

There are many things in this that will appall you ... that will infuriate you. There is some relief along the way if you can call it that, but mostly this is heavy stuff. There is no right way to go about certain things ... or no right way for all. Because while revenge or forgiveness are the two main things you can choose from ... how can you tell someone who lost so much ... who has dealt in so much pain, what to do? And it is not like there is just good and bad ... I mean there is in some situations, but the overall it is quite complex ... as is the movie. Which is why it might not touch a nerve with you ... or touch all of them at once.

powerful

[tstrasnov · 7/10 · 3 September 2018]

Powerful movie about the depths of human depravity and the difficult path towards justice, forgiveness and overcoming racism. Unfortunately today's situation in South Africa reminds us all that another apartheid is about to take place - this time against white farmers who are in minority and whose murders are taking places with the majority black government condoning genocide. Sad story that we shall have to re-live if the world doesn't act now. If not I imagine another movie will be made in a few years this time with actors acting in reversed roles....

this is a great way to show bad acting and no substance

[stefankarlssoncom · 1/10 · 17 March 2018]

I just had to see this since i saw it on imdb having higher than +5 in total. i tried to follow and watch it but its poor preformance by actors and the guys filming must have been drunk all the time, there is no steady shot even when they are sitting still.

the director has tried sell this movie on the fact that people are going to feel sorry for africa once again yet not much substance is put in the move other than voilence here and there. really appalling.

Critic scores have always bothered me

[paultrengove · 8/10 · 23 March 2019]

Sometimes a film does not need to be original or show artistic flair when telling its story. This is particularly the case when portraying momentous and in this case tragic historic events. And critics always searching for "originality" or "flair" when reviewing a film can at times consider no context when truly understanding the intention of a movie such as this one.

A film can certainly do history justice by purely being authentic with strong and brave performances as is the case in The Forgiven.

A movie about the fallout of South Africa's transformation from apartheid to a fragile state of confusion and change, runs the risk of "trying too hard", embellishment or falling victim to basic flaws such as bad acting or poor story telling. However this film is executed perfectly and the performances from Whitaker and Bana were simply outstanding.

Loved Forest Whitaker in it.

[subxerogravity · 7/10 · 16 March 2018]

It's one of Forest Whitaker's best performances (but not his best). Similar to Gary Oldman's Oscar winning performance in The Darkest Hour, Whitaker is so engulfed as Desmond Tutu, thanks to both being a great actor and to some make up effects that you forget it's Forest Whitaker (Well, until you see the lazy eye). I must say, although I know who Tutu is I never seen a picture of him and upon seeing one I'm indifferent about the make up effects as it makes Tutu seem like an ugly man, but once again, it's about Whitaker's metamorphism.

The Forgiven is about Tutu after Apartheid ended, under the request of Nelson Mandela, headed up the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. During this time he's summoned by a dangerous criminal, played by Eric Bana, to a prison he's in, in hopes of getting clemency for his crimes.

Eric Bana as dangerous criminal, Bloomfield could have used more screen time to be a better adversary for Whitaker's Tutu, it would have just enhanced both performances greatly.

Once again, the Forgiven makes me indifferent about knowledge of other cultures, seeing how black people have so much in common in many different countries, and how I wish some of those similarities were on the positive (but still worth learning).

Though I feel like I learned something about the aftermath of Apartheid and Desmond Tutu (enough to make me want to learn more), the movie is not the best film. It's very formulated and easy to predict. The real shinning light is Forest Whitaker truly becoming someone else on camera.

This is Fictional Story

[mcunningham-201-209640 · 2/10 · 25 October 2020]

I know nothing about Bishop Desmond Tutu, this looked interesting to me since I am a history buff. If I had not googled Eric Bana's character I wouldn't have known he was fictional. I quit watching it halfway through. I can't stand propaganda, no matter where it comes from. This did not happen. Don't present BS as history.

IMDb rating failure!

[vnremsen · 9/10 · 19 July 2019]

I've never written an IMDB review before but am provoked to do so by the current rating of 5.8, which is so far off the mark that I am shocked. Whitaker and Bana both give Oscar-worthy performances. This is Bana's best performance ever --- he makes his character truly terrifying. The interaction between Bana and Whitaker is so intense that it should be a film-study classic. This great story weaves together the best and worst things about humans. A great story, too, and an important educational lesson.

The movie didn't age well

[resireg · 7/10 · 2 December 2021]

The Forgiven is two separate movies combined into one. Half of it is really interesting with the politics, racial feuds and rivalries inside a prison. There we see lot of action, emotion, thrill. And the other half are slow paced dialogues between a bishop and his wife. So those slow parts make the movie quite full.

But the point why the movie is weird, is that it presents current South Africa as a success, while we know that the country is dangerous and segregated still. Unfortunately the rainbow nation never materialized.

When good men do nothing

[sarkara · 5/10 · 2 June 2021]

Eric Bana has given a powerhouse performance, but I can't rate this movie higher because it sends the wrong message. The Archbishop Tutu character is a walking and talking mop, who anyone and everyone uses to wipe the floor with. It is not usually necessary to be aggressive and violent, although sometimes that can't be avoided, but a person in his position is expected to have the cajones to stand his ground when his beliefs are ridiculed and his ideals are mocked of. Apparently, Tutu missed the call when they were handing out balls.

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmond Burke.

Slow, But Will Not Waste Your Time

[rdg45 · 6/10 · 21 July 2018]

Very slow in the beginning, but gets moving later in the film. It is worth watching.

Eric Bana Finally Broke Out

[jamietransnyc · 7/10 · 23 February 2024]

Eric Bana finally broke out of his curse as a "girly boy" and delivered a very solid MASCULINE performance. Hopefully, this will break him out of his typecast.

It has been a shame that in the past, all his performances have been somewhat effete in their delivery, which completly contrasts with his physical appearance.

This is the dramatic presence that we want to see from him in the future, not the almost feminine character that he portrayed in TROY.

Eric Bana finally broke out of his curse as a "girly boy" and delivered a very solid MASCULINE performance. Hopefully, this will break him out of his typecast.

It has been a shame that in the past, all his performances have been somewhat effete in their delivery, which completly contrasts with his physical appearance.

This is the dramatic presence that we want to see from him in the future, not the almost feminine character that he portrayed in TROY.

Eric Bana finally broke out of his curse as a "girly boy" and delivered a very solid MASCULINE performance. Hopefully, this will break him out of his typecast.

It has been a shame that in the past, all his performances have been somewhat effete in their delivery, which completly contrasts with his physical appearance.

This is the dramatic presence that we want to see from him in the future, not the almost feminine character that he portrayed in TROY.

Spoiler (maybe)

[cwhite_realtor · 7/10 · 3 August 2018]

The movie in itself was very good The performances were not so bad But there is NO WAY I would have the same reaction as that mother did in the end.

Tried and tried

[ginaem-70532 · 1/10 · 18 January 2021]

I tried and tried getting into this movie. I seen the 5 star ratings on Amazon prime. I thought it was going to be entertaining and great. OMG was I disappointed! I didn't have expectations,but I didn't expect it to be torture. I watched the entire movie. It is one of the worst films I've ever seen! Absolutely HORRIBLE!

Worth watching. They tell an incredibly important story well.

[sutherland-pierre · 10/10 · 22 April 2018]

The story of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be required viewing as far as I'm concerned. The actors and director clearly care about this story and they have told it well. I'm a white South African with family that were in the police and military during this time. I think this movie is incredibly well done. Don't worry about the camera angles and makeup; just watch, enjoy, and maybe even learn something.

My favourite exchange: "Do you know what Paradise Lost is?" "A nightclub?" "No, you clutch plate. It's a poem... about me!"

Cheers, Pierre

This is a hard movie to rate

[steiner-sam · 6/10 · 27 December 2021]

It is mostly set in the late 1990s when Demond Tutu led the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa established in 1996 to investigate what had happened during Apartheid through public hearings of stories of victims and perpetrators. It also gave the opportunity of amnesty for some perpetrators of violence against Blacks.

The film begins with two flashbacks that set arcs for what happens later in the movie. One involves the childhood of a violent former police security officer, Piet Blomfeld (Eric Bana). Blomfeld was an Afrikaner nationalist who participated in death squad atrocities. The second is Mrs. Morobe (Thandi Makhubele) whose daughter disappeared in the early 1990s. She hopes to learn what happened in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings.

Blomfeld is in prison, but writes a letter to Desmond Tutu (Forest Whitaker) asking for amnesty. Tutu is struck by his erudite writing and goes to Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town to meet him. Blomfeld harangues Tutu in racist language, but Tutu responds with calm. Most of the film focuses on this developing relationship, and the slow evolution of Blomfeld's perspective after Tutu provides him a reminder of Blomfeld's early childhood. Blomfeld's relationship with Tutu leads to a reaction by some of Blomfeld's former Afrikaner colleagues, including the prison guard, Froncois Schmidt (Jeff Gum). The last 30 minutes of the film contain most of the drama and "action" in the movie.

This is a hard movie to rate. It is very word-dense in the interactions between Tutu and the fictional composite character, Blomfeld. There should have been more character development around Blomfeld's childhood, and in the context of Mrs. Morobe's daughter's disappearance. It would have added life to the script. I'm also not sure Forest Whitaker was the best actor to play Tutu. Too often I thought this is an actor trying to play Tutu.

On the other hand, many of the difficult issues of Apartheid are faced squarely, in words if not visually.

good history film

[djmuci · 5/10 · 23 February 2020]

Characters 4/10 graphics 9/10 story 5/10 music 3/10 acting 6/10

A must-see!

[baileyl-35500 · 10/10 · 12 August 2018]

This movie evoked many emotions, good and bad. It depicts what we as human beings are capable of at both ends of the spectrum. A difficult one to watch if you're a sensitive, caring person but, trust me, there IS a pay off in the end! Faith and love always.

Great Performances

[trainingwheelz · 7/10 · 1 February 2022]

I thoroughly enjoyed the acting performances from all the lead characters. Eric Bana's South African accent blew me out of the water! He nailed it enough for me to utterly believe he was a South African Native.

The story is an important one, despite the overall results of the TRC not leading to a utopian South Africa.

5.9 is a truly harsh score for this movie. It was entertaining but not overly so, hence the score of 7.

good (fictional) account of actual events

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 11 March 2022]

Period piece, 1960s, just after apartheid. Forest whitaker is desmond tutu, archibishop of capetown. To advance peace and forgiveness, many criminals took part in the commission of reconciliation, which offered lesser sentences or amnesty to those who confessed their crimes. When an agent for the security forces (eric bana) wants forgiveness for his harsh crimes, tutu, as head of the commission, agrees to meet with him. Good things happen, bad things happen. While a fictional story, it's quite good. Lots of debate and discussion of ethics. Some violence. Long film! Directed by roland joffe. Nominated for mission and killing fields. Story based on the play by michael ashton.

Deserving of a higher rating!

[naomi-schell · 8/10 · 23 March 2019]

Bana delivers a compelling performance that sent chills down my spine, and the exchanges between Bana's Blomfield and Whitaker's Tutu had me absolutely glued to the screen!

I thought the two main characters were brilliantly supported by all of the actors in this film, with a particularly good performance by Thandi Makhubele.

The Forgiven has a solid storyline that handles it's sensitive subject matter well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie really cannot understand why it doesn't have a higher rating - which is why I felt compelled to write my first ever IMDB review!

Well worth the watch!

[robgiblin · 8/10 · 6 August 2018]

I almost did not watch this as IMDb is fairly reliable for me with ratings over/under 6. Not sure why this was a 5.7 however I am a fan of Forrest and Eric. They are equally great in their performance here. Subject matter is hard. This movie had me from start to finish and did not disappoint. The lead characters and supporting leads pull their weight in conveying perspectives from both sides of one of history's darker (and still ongoing) sagas.