Made in South Africa and London, this film version of Alan Paton's best-seller was released two years after the tale had come to the stage as "Lost in the Stars." Lee is a decent man of the cloth who comes from the hinterlands to Johannesburg to find his son and sister, both of whom now
live in a dank, rat-infested slum. Lee's son, Ngakane, has already been changed enough by life in the city to have killed a white man during a robbery. Ironically, the dead man was the son of Carson, a rich farmer from the region where Lee has his parish. Now both Carson and Lee have lost a
son--Carson to Ngakane's bullet, and Lee to prison. Pregnant with Ngakane's child, Ribbon Dhlamini stands by the young man through his trial, during which we are introduced to all of the parties involved: Carey, the dead man's mother; Connor, Lee's devious brother; Keen, the white head of a church
mission; and a very young Poitier as a preacher.
Poignant but never overly sentimental, CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY succeeds because of the simplicity of its story, the sincerity of its performances, and the carefully crafted details with which director Korda invests the film. Korda, whose brothers, Alexander and Vincent, were also gifted
filmmakers, added this picture to an impressive filmography that includes SAHARA; THE MACOMBER AFFAIR; and THE FOUR FEATHERS. His films can always be counted upon to work on a number of levels, leaving viewers with something to think about when the lights come up. CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY is a
magnificent film that isn't easy to forget. leave a comment
