1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

In class, we discussed that there is disparity of wealth between the city of Johannesburg and the
townships that surround it. The townships are underdeveloped housing areas that exist due to the
20th century institution of apartheid in South Africa. In Gavin Hood’s 2005 film Tsotsi, the
main character, Tsotsi, resides in one of these outer townships. Tsotsi and his friends make a
living by either robbing people in the city or in the affluent suburbs. This represents a real issue
concerning the situation of poverty and crime stemming from underdeveloped townships.

We also discussed that South Africa contains a relatively high rate of citizens that contain the
HIV virus. Throughout the film, HIV awareness billboards are seen in the city. The movie itself
partially served as a public service announcement that this epidemic is very real and needs
attention drawn towards it.

2) Find a related article and summarize the content.

Ty Burr of The Boston Globe describes that the film utilizes a familiar plot in an different setting.
A key point he brings up is that film is based off playwright Arthur Fugard’s novel Tsotsi. The
narrative originally took place in apartheid-era South Africa. Burr points out the contrast of how
the story fits within the context of South Africa without apartheid and that it may still be
contributing to a recurring cycle of delinquency.

As it relates to the cinematic value of the film, Burr is generally favorable. The story is still
relevant and is portrayed well by the lead actor. The original soundtrack of the film was penned
by a very notable post-apartheid rapper and the film contained cinematography that matched the
mood of the film very well.

Burr’s only real criticism is that the film seemed a bit calculable.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.

The article makes a great point in relating the context of Fugard’s original story to a politically
altered South Africa. This seems to be a good exercise upon reflection of the culture of South
Africa after apartheid had been abolished. I also felt that the lead acting, score and
cinematography all matched the mood of the film.

The movie does come off as calculable, but the story itself should not be be the main focus. One
should keep in mind the context of the film as it relates to the culture it is commenting on. This
further enriches the underlying concepts of the film.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the
screening, class discussions, text material and the article.
I enjoyed watching this film a lot. My knowledge of South Africa and Johannesburg was surface
at best. The film utilizing an older story of it’s region to provide societal commentary on it’s
current state is a very novel concept. Gavin Hood did a great job contextualizing and updating
Fugard’s work to fit in this motion picture. This film shows that South Africa has a lot of culture
to offer and is worth of its 2005 Academy Award won for Best Foreign Film.
Burr, Ty. “’Tsotsi’ Hits Hard With Its Power To Connect” The Boston Globe. March 10, 2006.
Web. April 11, 2018

Tsotsi Hits Hard With Its Power To Connect

CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( X ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.
2) ( X ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly
explain that in the paper.
3) ( X ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used
indentation and citation within the text.
4) ( X ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in
the text of the paper.
5) ( X ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.
6) ( X ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I
cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.
7) ( X ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.
8) ( X ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research
and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Joseph Lanza Date: April 11, 2018