Cry Freedom
Encyclopedia
Cry Freedom is a 1987 British drama film directed by Richard Attenborough
, set in the late 1970s, during the apartheid era of South Africa
. It was written from a screenplay by John Briley
based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods
. The film centres around the real-life events involving black activist Steve Biko
and his friend Donald Woods, who initially finds him destructive, and attempts to understand his way of life. Denzel Washington
stars as Biko, while actor Kevin Kline
portrays Woods. Cry Freedom delves into the ideas of discrimination, political corruption, and the repercussions of violence.
The film was primarily shot on location in Zimbabwe
due to political turmoil in South Africa at the time of production. As a film showing mostly in limited cinematic release, it was nominated for multiple awards, including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song. It also won a number of awards including those from the Berlin International Film Festival and the British Academy Film Awards.
A joint collective effort to commit to the film's production was made by Universal Pictures
and Marble Arch Productions. It was commercially distributed by Universal Pictures theatrically, and by MCA Home Video for home media. Cry Freedom premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on November 6, 1987 grossing $5,899,797 in domestic ticket receipts. The film was at its widest release showing in 479 theaters nationwide. It was generally met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas.
, journalist Donald Woods (Kevin Kline) seeking more information about the incident, ventures off to meet black activist Steve Biko (Denzel Washington). Biko has been officially banned by the South African government and is not permitted to leave his defined banning area at King William's Town
. Woods is formally against Biko's banning, but is still critical of his political views. Biko invites Woods to visit a black township to see the impoverished conditions and to witness the effect of the government imposed restrictions which make up the apartheid system. Woods begins to agree with Biko's desire for a South Africa where blacks have the same opportunities and freedoms as those enjoyed by the white population. As Woods comes to understand Biko's point of view, a friendship develops between them.
After a political speech at a gathering outside his banning area, Biko is arrested and later beaten to death while in police custody. Woods works to expose the police's complicity in Biko's death. He meets with Jimmy Kruger
(John Thaw
), the South African Minister of Justice in his house at Pretoria
, but his efforts to expose the truth lead to his own banning. Woods and his family are targeted in a campaign of harassment by the security police. He later decides to seek asylum in England to expose the corrupt and racist nature of the South African authorities. After a long trek, Woods is eventually able to escape to the country of Lesotho
, disguised as a priest. His wife Wendy (Penelope Wilton
) and their family later join him, and are flown to Botswana
with the aid of Bruce Haigh
(John Hargreaves), a controversial Australian diplomat who uses his diplomatic immunity to help them.
The film's epilogue displays a graphic detailing a long list of anti-apartheid activists (including Steve Biko), who died under suspicious circumstances while imprisoned by the government.
The premise of Cry Freedom is based on the true story of Steve Biko
, the charismatic South African Black Consciousness Movement
leader who attempts to bring awareness to the injustice of Apartheid; and Donald Woods
, the liberal
white editor of the Daily Dispatch
newspaper who struggles to do the same after Biko is murdered. In 1972, Biko was one of the founders of the Black People's Convention
working on social upliftment projects around Durban. The BPC brought together almost 70 different black consciousness groups and associations, such as the South African Student's Movement (SASM), which played a significant role in the 1976 uprisings, and the Black Workers Project which supported black workers whose unions were not recognized under the Apartheid regime. Biko’s political activities eventually drew the attention of the South African government which often harassed, arrested, and detained him. These situations resulted in him being banned in 1973. The banning restricted Biko from talking to more than one person a time, in an attempt to suppress the rising anti-apartheid political movement. Following a violation of his banning, Biko was arrested and later killed while in police custody. The circumstances leading to Biko's death caused worldwide anger, as he became a martyr and symbol of black resistance. As a result, the South African government banned a number of individuals (including Donald Woods) and organizations, especially those closely associated with Biko. The United Nations Security Council responded swiftly to the killing by later imposing an arms embargo against South Africa. After a period of routine harassment against his family by the authorities, as well as fearing for his life, Woods fled the country after being placed under house arrest by the South African government. Woods later wrote a book in 1978 entitled: Biko
, exposing police complicity in his death. That book, along with Woods' autobiography Asking For Trouble, both being published in the UK, became the basis for the film.
due to the tense political situation in South Africa at the time of shooting. Other filming locations included Kenya
, as well as film studios in Shepperton and Middlesex, England. The film includes a dramatized depiction of the Soweto uprising which occurred on June 16, 1976. Indiscriminate firing by police, killed and injured hundreds of African school children during a protest march.
on October 25, 1990. It features songs composed by veteran musicians George Fenton
, Jonas Gwangwa
and Thuli Dumakude among others. Jonathan Bates edited the film's music.
Track listing:
reported that 76% of 21 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 6.4 out of 10.
Rita Kempley, writing in The Washington Post
, said actor Washington gave a "zealous, Oscar-caliber performance as this African messiah, who was recognized as one of South Africa's major political voices when he was only 25." Also writing for The Washington Post, Desson Howe thought the film "could have reached further" and felt the story centering around Wood's character was "its major flaw". He saw director Attenborough's aims as "more academic and political than dramatic". Overall, he expressed his disappointment by exclaiming, "In a country busier than Chile with oppression, violence and subjugation, the story of Woods' slow awakening is certainly not the most exciting, or revealing." Roger Ebert
in the Chicago Sun-Times
offered a mixed review calling it a "sincere and valuable movie" while also exclaiming, "Interesting things were happening, the performances were good and it is always absorbing to see how other people live." But on a negative front, he noted how the film "promises to be an honest account of the turmoil in South Africa but turns into a routine cliff-hanger about the editor's flight across the border. It's sort of a liberal yuppie version of that Disney movie where the brave East German family builds a hot-air balloon and floats to freedom."
Janet Maslin
writing in The New York Times
saw the film as "bewildering at some points and ineffectual at others" but pointed out that "it isn't dull. Its frankly grandiose style is transporting in its way, as is the story itself, even in this watered-down form." She also complimented the African scenery, noting that "Cry Freedom can also be admired for Ronnie Taylor's picturesque cinematography". The Variety Staff
, felt Washington did "a remarkable job of transforming himself into the articulate and mesmerizing black nationalist leader, whose refusal to keep silent led to his death in police custody and a subsequent coverup." On Kline's performance, they noticed how his "low-key screen presence served him well in his portrayal of the strong-willed but even-tempered journalist." Film critic Gene Siskel
of the Chicago Tribune
gave the film a thumbs up review calling it "fresh" and a "solid adventure" while commenting "its images do remain in the mind ... I admire this film very much." He thought both Washington and Klines' portrayals were "effective" and "quite good". Similarly, Michael Price writing in the Fort Worth Press viewed Cry Freedom as often "harrowing and naturalistic but ultimately self-important in its indictment of police-state politics."
Mark Salisbury of TimeOut boasted on the film's merits by declaring the lead acting to be "excellent" and the crowd scenes "astonishing", while equally observing how the climax was "truly nerve-wracking". He called it "an implacable work of authority and compassion, Cry Freedom is political cinema at its best." James Sanford however, writing for the Kalamazoo Gazette
, did not appreciate the film's enduring qualities, calling it "a Hollywood whitewashing of a potentially explosive story." Rating the film with 3 Stars, critic Leonard Maltin
wrote that the film was a "Sweeping and compassionate film". He did however note that the film "loses momentum as it spends too much time on Kline and his family's escape from South Africa". But in positive followup, he pointed out that it "cannily injects flashbacks of Biko to steer it back on course."
, the Berlin International Film Festival
and the Political Film Society
.
The film premiered in cinemas on November 6, 1987 in limited release throughout the U.S.. During its opening weekend, the film opened in a distant 19th place and grossed $318,723 in business showing at 27 theaters. The film Fatal Attraction
opened in first place with $7,089,680 screening at 1,351 theaters. The film's revenue dropped by 10.6% in its second week of release, earning $284,853. For that particular weekend, the film fell to 25th place showing in 19 theaters. The film The Running Man
, unseated Fatal Attraction to open in first place with $8,117,465 in box office revenue showing at 1,692 theaters.
Cry Freedom had one week in wider release beginning with the February 19–21 weekend in 1988. The film opened in 14th place showing at 479 theaters grossing $802,235 in box office business. The film went on to top out domestically at $5,899,797 in total ticket sales through an 4-week theatrical run. For 1987 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 103.
video format on May 5, 1998. The Region 1 Code
widescreen
edition of the film was released on DVD
in the United States on February 23, 1999. Special features for the DVD include; production notes, cast and filmmakers bios, film highlights, web links, and the theatrical trailer. Currently, there is no scheduled release date set for a future Blu-ray Disc
version of the film, although it is available in other media formats such as Video on demand
.
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
, set in the late 1970s, during the apartheid era of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. It was written from a screenplay by John Briley
John Briley
John Richard Briley is an American writer best known for screenplays of biopics. He won the Academy Award For Best Original Screenplay at the 1982 Oscars for Gandhi...
based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods
Donald Woods
Donald James Woods, CBE was a white South African journalist and anti-apartheid activist.As editor of the Daily Dispatch from 1965 to 1977, he befriended Steve Biko, leader of the anti-apartheid Black Consciousness Movement, and was banned by the government soon after Biko's death, which had been...
. The film centres around the real-life events involving black activist Steve Biko
Steve Biko
Stephen Biko was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the...
and his friend Donald Woods, who initially finds him destructive, and attempts to understand his way of life. Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
stars as Biko, while actor Kevin Kline
Kevin Kline
Kevin Delaney Kline is an American theatre, voice, film actor and comedian. He has won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards, and has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards and an Emmy Award.- Early life :...
portrays Woods. Cry Freedom delves into the ideas of discrimination, political corruption, and the repercussions of violence.
The film was primarily shot on location in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
due to political turmoil in South Africa at the time of production. As a film showing mostly in limited cinematic release, it was nominated for multiple awards, including Academy Award nominations for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Original Score, and Best Original Song. It also won a number of awards including those from the Berlin International Film Festival and the British Academy Film Awards.
A joint collective effort to commit to the film's production was made by Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
and Marble Arch Productions. It was commercially distributed by Universal Pictures theatrically, and by MCA Home Video for home media. Cry Freedom premiered in theaters nationwide in the United States on November 6, 1987 grossing $5,899,797 in domestic ticket receipts. The film was at its widest release showing in 479 theaters nationwide. It was generally met with positive critical reviews before its initial screening in cinemas.
Plot
Following a news story depicting the demolition of a slum in East London, South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, journalist Donald Woods (Kevin Kline) seeking more information about the incident, ventures off to meet black activist Steve Biko (Denzel Washington). Biko has been officially banned by the South African government and is not permitted to leave his defined banning area at King William's Town
King William's Town
King William's Town is a town in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa along the banks of the Buffalo River. The town is about 40 minutes' motorway drive WNW of the Indian Ocean port of East London...
. Woods is formally against Biko's banning, but is still critical of his political views. Biko invites Woods to visit a black township to see the impoverished conditions and to witness the effect of the government imposed restrictions which make up the apartheid system. Woods begins to agree with Biko's desire for a South Africa where blacks have the same opportunities and freedoms as those enjoyed by the white population. As Woods comes to understand Biko's point of view, a friendship develops between them.
After a political speech at a gathering outside his banning area, Biko is arrested and later beaten to death while in police custody. Woods works to expose the police's complicity in Biko's death. He meets with Jimmy Kruger
Jimmy Kruger
James Thomas "Jimmy" Kruger was a South African politician who rose to the position of Minister of Justice and the Police in the cabinet of Prime Minister John Vorster from 1974 to 1979...
(John Thaw
John Thaw
John Edward Thaw, CBE was an English actor, who appeared in a range of television, stage and cinema roles, his most popular being police and legal dramas such as Redcap, The Sweeney, Inspector Morse and Kavanagh QC.-Early life:Thaw came from a working class background, having been born in Gorton,...
), the South African Minister of Justice in his house at Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, but his efforts to expose the truth lead to his own banning. Woods and his family are targeted in a campaign of harassment by the security police. He later decides to seek asylum in England to expose the corrupt and racist nature of the South African authorities. After a long trek, Woods is eventually able to escape to the country of Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
, disguised as a priest. His wife Wendy (Penelope Wilton
Penelope Wilton
Penelope Alice Wilton, OBE is an English actress.-Life and career:Penelope Alice Wilton was born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire, to a former actress mother and a businessman father. She is a niece of actors Bill Travers and Linden Travers and a cousin of the actor Richard Morant...
) and their family later join him, and are flown to Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
with the aid of Bruce Haigh
Bruce Haigh
Bruce Douglas Haigh joined the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1972. He served in South Africa from 1976 to 1979 with the Australian Embassy ....
(John Hargreaves), a controversial Australian diplomat who uses his diplomatic immunity to help them.
The film's epilogue displays a graphic detailing a long list of anti-apartheid activists (including Steve Biko), who died under suspicious circumstances while imprisoned by the government.
Development
Steve Biko
Stephen Biko was a noted anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the...
, the charismatic South African Black Consciousness Movement
Black Consciousness Movement
The Black Consciousness Movement was a grassroots anti-Apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan Africanist Congress leadership after the Sharpeville Massacre in...
leader who attempts to bring awareness to the injustice of Apartheid; and Donald Woods
Donald Woods
Donald James Woods, CBE was a white South African journalist and anti-apartheid activist.As editor of the Daily Dispatch from 1965 to 1977, he befriended Steve Biko, leader of the anti-apartheid Black Consciousness Movement, and was banned by the government soon after Biko's death, which had been...
, the liberal
Liberalism in South Africa
This article gives an overview of liberal parties in South Africa. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament.-Introduction:...
white editor of the Daily Dispatch
Daily Dispatch
Daily Dispatch is a South African newspaper published inEast London in the province of Eastern Cape.Founded in 1872 as East London Dispatch, the Dispatch is today the Eastern Cape'sbest selling daily with a circulation of about 33,000 copies....
newspaper who struggles to do the same after Biko is murdered. In 1972, Biko was one of the founders of the Black People's Convention
Black People's Convention
The Black People's Convention was founded at the end of 1972 as the Nationalist Liberatory Flagship of the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa.The BCM was a product of three historicultural and ideological imperatives:...
working on social upliftment projects around Durban. The BPC brought together almost 70 different black consciousness groups and associations, such as the South African Student's Movement (SASM), which played a significant role in the 1976 uprisings, and the Black Workers Project which supported black workers whose unions were not recognized under the Apartheid regime. Biko’s political activities eventually drew the attention of the South African government which often harassed, arrested, and detained him. These situations resulted in him being banned in 1973. The banning restricted Biko from talking to more than one person a time, in an attempt to suppress the rising anti-apartheid political movement. Following a violation of his banning, Biko was arrested and later killed while in police custody. The circumstances leading to Biko's death caused worldwide anger, as he became a martyr and symbol of black resistance. As a result, the South African government banned a number of individuals (including Donald Woods) and organizations, especially those closely associated with Biko. The United Nations Security Council responded swiftly to the killing by later imposing an arms embargo against South Africa. After a period of routine harassment against his family by the authorities, as well as fearing for his life, Woods fled the country after being placed under house arrest by the South African government. Woods later wrote a book in 1978 entitled: Biko
Biko (book)
Biko is a biography about Black Consciousness Movement leader and anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. It was written by the liberal white South African journalist Donald Woods, a personal friend of Biko. Donald Woods was forced into exile for attempting to expose the truth surrounding Biko’s death...
, exposing police complicity in his death. That book, along with Woods' autobiography Asking For Trouble, both being published in the UK, became the basis for the film.
Filming
Principal filming took place primarily in the country of ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
due to the tense political situation in South Africa at the time of shooting. Other filming locations included Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, as well as film studios in Shepperton and Middlesex, England. The film includes a dramatized depiction of the Soweto uprising which occurred on June 16, 1976. Indiscriminate firing by police, killed and injured hundreds of African school children during a protest march.
Soundtrack
The original motion picture soundtrack for Cry Freedom was released by MCA RecordsMCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
on October 25, 1990. It features songs composed by veteran musicians George Fenton
George Fenton
George Fenton is a British composer best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, although he also writes music for the theatre. His real name is George Howe but he is better known by his pseudonym of George Fenton.-Selected film and television credits:Fenton has composed...
, Jonas Gwangwa
Jonas Gwangwa
Jonas Mosa Gwangwa has been an important figure in South African jazz for over 40 years. He first gained significance playing trombone with The Jazz Epistles...
and Thuli Dumakude among others. Jonathan Bates edited the film's music.
Track listing:
Critical response
Among mainstream critics in the U.S., the film received mostly positive reviews. Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 76% of 21 sampled critics gave the film a positive review, with an average score of 6.4 out of 10.
| "It can be admired for its sheer scale. Most of all, it can be appreciated for what it tries to communicate about heroism, loyalty and leadership, about the horrors of apartheid, about the martyrdom of a rare man." |
| —Janet Maslin, writing in The New York Times |
Rita Kempley, writing in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, said actor Washington gave a "zealous, Oscar-caliber performance as this African messiah, who was recognized as one of South Africa's major political voices when he was only 25." Also writing for The Washington Post, Desson Howe thought the film "could have reached further" and felt the story centering around Wood's character was "its major flaw". He saw director Attenborough's aims as "more academic and political than dramatic". Overall, he expressed his disappointment by exclaiming, "In a country busier than Chile with oppression, violence and subjugation, the story of Woods' slow awakening is certainly not the most exciting, or revealing." Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
in the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
offered a mixed review calling it a "sincere and valuable movie" while also exclaiming, "Interesting things were happening, the performances were good and it is always absorbing to see how other people live." But on a negative front, he noted how the film "promises to be an honest account of the turmoil in South Africa but turns into a routine cliff-hanger about the editor's flight across the border. It's sort of a liberal yuppie version of that Disney movie where the brave East German family builds a hot-air balloon and floats to freedom."
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
writing in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
saw the film as "bewildering at some points and ineffectual at others" but pointed out that "it isn't dull. Its frankly grandiose style is transporting in its way, as is the story itself, even in this watered-down form." She also complimented the African scenery, noting that "Cry Freedom can also be admired for Ronnie Taylor's picturesque cinematography". The Variety Staff
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, felt Washington did "a remarkable job of transforming himself into the articulate and mesmerizing black nationalist leader, whose refusal to keep silent led to his death in police custody and a subsequent coverup." On Kline's performance, they noticed how his "low-key screen presence served him well in his portrayal of the strong-willed but even-tempered journalist." Film critic Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal "Gene" Siskel was an American film critic and journalist for the Chicago Tribune. Along with colleague Roger Ebert, he hosted the popular review show Siskel & Ebert At the Movies from 1975 until his death....
of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
gave the film a thumbs up review calling it "fresh" and a "solid adventure" while commenting "its images do remain in the mind ... I admire this film very much." He thought both Washington and Klines' portrayals were "effective" and "quite good". Similarly, Michael Price writing in the Fort Worth Press viewed Cry Freedom as often "harrowing and naturalistic but ultimately self-important in its indictment of police-state politics."
| "Attenborough tries to rally with Biko flashbacks and a depiction of the Soweto massacre. But the 1976 slaughter of black schoolchildren is chronologically and dramatically out of place. And the flashbacks only remind you of whom you'd rather be watching." |
| —Desson Howe, writing for The Washington Post |
Mark Salisbury of TimeOut boasted on the film's merits by declaring the lead acting to be "excellent" and the crowd scenes "astonishing", while equally observing how the climax was "truly nerve-wracking". He called it "an implacable work of authority and compassion, Cry Freedom is political cinema at its best." James Sanford however, writing for the Kalamazoo Gazette
Kalamazoo Gazette
The Kalamazoo Gazette is the daily newspaper in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA. The Gazette is owned by Booth Newspapers which is owned by Advance Publications....
, did not appreciate the film's enduring qualities, calling it "a Hollywood whitewashing of a potentially explosive story." Rating the film with 3 Stars, critic Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
wrote that the film was a "Sweeping and compassionate film". He did however note that the film "loses momentum as it spends too much time on Kline and his family's escape from South Africa". But in positive followup, he pointed out that it "cannily injects flashbacks of Biko to steer it back on course."
Accolades
The film was nominated and won several awards in 1987–88. Among awards won were from the British Academy of Film and Television ArtsBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
, the Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
and the Political Film Society
Political Film Society
The Political Film Society is a nonprofit corporation that exists to recognize Hollywood films' ability to raise awareness in political matters in the world. Film makers are the ones who are awarded by this organization...
.
| Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60th Academy Awards 60th Academy Awards The 60th Academy Awards were presented April 11, 1988 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was the first to be held there since the 20th Academy Awards... |
Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Denzel Washington | |
| Best Original Score | George Fenton, Jonas Gwangwa | ||
| Best Original Song | George Fenton, Jonas Gwangwa | ||
| 41st British Academy Film Awards 41st British Academy Film Awards The 41st British Film Awards, given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1988, honoured the best in film for 1987.-Best Film: Jean de Florette *Cry Freedom*Radio Days*Hope and Glory-Best Actor:... |
Best Director | Richard Attenborough | |
| Best Film | Richard Attenborough | ||
| Best Score | George Fenton, Jonas Gwangwa | ||
| Best Editing | Lesley Walker | ||
| Best Cinematography | Ronnie Taylor | ||
| Best Sound | Jonathan Bates, Simon Kaye, Gerry Humphreys | ||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | John Thaw | ||
| 38th Berlin International Film Festival Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978... (1988) |
Guild of German Film Theaters | Richard Attenborough | |
| Peace Film Prize Commendation | Richard Attenborough | ||
| 45th Golden Globe Awards 45th Golden Globe Awards The 45th Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1987, were held on January 23, 1988.-Best Actor - Drama: Michael Douglas - Wall Street*John Lone - The Last Emperor*Jack Nicholson - Ironweed*Nick Nolte - Weeds... |
Best Motion Picture - Drama | Richard Attenborough | |
| Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama | Denzel Washington | ||
| Best Director - Motion Picture | Richard Attenborough | ||
| Best Original Score - Motion Picture | George Fenton | ||
| 31st Grammy Awards | Best Song Written for a Motion Picture or Television | George Fenton, Jonas Gwangwa | |
| National Board of Review Awards 1987 National Board of Review Awards 1987 The 59th National Board of Review Awards were announced on December 15, 1987, and given on 16 February, 1988.-Top 10 films:#Empire of the Sun#The Last Emperor *Academy Award for Best Picture*#Broadcast News#The Untouchables#Gaby: A True Story... |
Best Picture | ———— | |
| 1988 Political Film Society Political Film Society The Political Film Society is a nonprofit corporation that exists to recognize Hollywood films' ability to raise awareness in political matters in the world. Film makers are the ones who are awarded by this organization... Awards |
Human Rights | ———— | |
Box office
Fatal Attraction
Fatal Attraction is a 1987 American thriller blended with horror, directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Michael Douglas, Glenn Close and Anne Archer. The film centers around a married man who has a weekend affair with a woman who refuses to allow it to end, resulting in emotional blackmail, stalking...
opened in first place with $7,089,680 screening at 1,351 theaters. The film's revenue dropped by 10.6% in its second week of release, earning $284,853. For that particular weekend, the film fell to 25th place showing in 19 theaters. The film The Running Man
The Running Man (film)
The Running Man is a 1987 American action film loosely based on Stephen King's 1982 novel of the same name. Directed by Paul Michael Glaser, the film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, María Conchita Alonso, Jesse Ventura, Jim Brown, and Richard Dawson....
, unseated Fatal Attraction to open in first place with $8,117,465 in box office revenue showing at 1,692 theaters.
Cry Freedom had one week in wider release beginning with the February 19–21 weekend in 1988. The film opened in 14th place showing at 479 theaters grossing $802,235 in box office business. The film went on to top out domestically at $5,899,797 in total ticket sales through an 4-week theatrical run. For 1987 as a whole, the film would cumulatively rank at a box office performance position of 103.
Home media
Following its cinematic release in theaters, the film was released in VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
video format on May 5, 1998. The Region 1 Code
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
widescreen
Widescreen
Widescreen images are a variety of aspect ratios used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than the standard 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio provided by 35mm film....
edition of the film was released on DVD
DVD-Video
DVD-Video is a consumer video format used to store digital video on DVD discs, and is currently the dominant consumer video format in Asia, North America, Europe, and Australia. Discs using the DVD-Video specification require a DVD drive and a MPEG-2 decoder...
in the United States on February 23, 1999. Special features for the DVD include; production notes, cast and filmmakers bios, film highlights, web links, and the theatrical trailer. Currently, there is no scheduled release date set for a future Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
version of the film, although it is available in other media formats such as Video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
.
External links
- Official website
- Cry Freedom at the Movie Review Query EngineMovie Review Query EngineThe Movie Review Query Engine also known as MRQE, is an index of movie reviews published online. Registered users are able to access movie-specific forums and provide their own reviews. The site aggregates reviews, news, interviews, and other material associated to specific movies...
- Cry Freedom film trailer at You Tube