A fantastic tale on how rugby saved the lives of those living in a concentration camp during the Anglo-Boer War.
Starring: Shailene Woodley and Theo James
Plot: Set in 1901, this period epic follows Willem Morkel – a Boer and family man whose wife and son are murdered during the Anglo-Boer War. Captured as a prisoner of war, Willem must survive incarceration in the notorious St. Helena concentration camp and defeat the ruthless Colonel Swannell, at his own game… Rugby.
Remarks: South African films have improved drastically over the past few years and if you don’t believe me, watch Modder En Bloed. Don’t let the Afrikaans title fool you, this film is mostly in English and follows Willem during his time at St. Helena concentration camp. The movie takes quite a long time to set the tone but once the story fully kicks in it will leave you on the edge of your seat. I haven’t watched a film about the Anglo-Boer War in years and this film touched on the topic a lot while not making the war the hero of the story. In fact, our hero, Willem Morkel, was phenomenal. Stian Bam, who played the character, gave one of the best performances of his life. In fact, the entire cast was brilliant. However, there is always one person who stands out of the crowd and, for me, that was Grant Swanby. He plays the villain of the film and does so perfectly. His performance was emotional, artistic and, at some parts, downright scary. His character develops a whole lot throughout the film and it’s something that is beautiful to see. He shone throughout the movie and every single time he was on the screen, I was hooked. I also liked how rugby was such a prominent theme throughout the film. Sport has the ability to bring people together and it does just that in the film. It’s that camaraderie that gives the prisoners hope and it’s that hope that set them free. British actress, Charlotte Salt, also stars in the film and added a great element to her character however, didn’t blow me away. I also feel that the film could have been edited a bit better as it felt a little too long. Overall, this is one of the best local films I have ever seen and I highly suggest you get to a cinema this weekend and watch it. You won’t regret it.
Rating: 4.5/5
Modder En Bloed releases April 1st, 2016.
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Dit klink nou na iets wat ek sal wil kyk. Onlangs het ek beginne soek na ons familielyne. My Ouma se mense is meestal dood in die konsentrasiekanp in Irene. Ek bevind myself dat ek nou als verslint oor die konsentrasie kampe. ‘n Sagmoedige idee dat daar darem iets goeds ook van gekom het…
Watched it today, truly special and touching! A must see movie!