Tsotsi

Enter the underground of Johannesburg and discover all the pains of youth, magnified a few times.

Tsotsi is a film that will leave you numb, just physically numb for maybe an hour after you’ve seen it. The tale of a young gangster in the slums of Johannesburg, who finds himself caring for a baby after shooting its mother in a carjacking, is equal parts beautiful and ugly, touching and disturbing.

This certainly isn’t something you should watch if you want to relax or are feeling a bit down, but it’s essential viewing all the same. While there is nowhere near as much violence in this film as there is in City of God, what there is, is equally unsettling and horrific. At the start, for instance, Tsotsi and his gang follow an elderly man onto a peak hour train before cornering him, murdering him and stealing his possessions – right there in front of all the other passengers, none of whom seem to notice or care.

It’s hard to find fault with Tsotsi. At a mere 90 minutes, you can’t really say that it’s too long. The writing and the pacing are all spot on, the acting perfect. The soundtrack, a mixture of classic African sounds and modern hip-hop, is flawless. The character development, particularly of Tsotsi, is realistic. This is a shockingly brutal but incredibly touching tale of redemption. Without a doubt, this is an unforgettable cinematic experience that is more than worthy of your time and your money.