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MASTER HAROLD... AND THE BOYS
With Freddie Highmore, Ving Rhames, Patrick Mofokeng, Justin Stein
Written by Nicky Rebello (based on the play by Athol Fugard)
Directed by Lonny Price
The legendary South Africa playwright Athol Fugard has created some timeless and thought-provoking scenarios of race relations in Apartheid South Africa.
Master Harold...And The Boys deals with a school-boy in the 1950s and his relationship with a black worker in his mother's tea room. His father has a damaged leg and a drinking problem. Set during a single pivotal day, Harold has to keep an eye on the shop with the black workers Sam and Willie while his mother fetches his dad from the hospital. With Sam more of a pal than a subservient, their good relationship is threatened when personal strains become the focus.
During this rainy day the surface frivolity involves horsing around the tea room, a writing assignment Harold has to do for school, and Sam and Willie's escape from their hardships with ballroom dancing. These two subject come together with a glimmer of hope.
With the racist policies of the country from those days looming, the sentiment cannot escape this island where it seems as though those policies are ignored, the young white child and older black employee treating one another as equals. But the cloud of the country's racist laws and suppressed emotional anger cannot be hidden as they reflect on events of the past in the shadow of their current exploding conflict.
Some good performances, especially from the two leads, Highmore (who made his name with Finding Neverland) and Rhames (who shelves the tough guy persona bred with Marcellus Wallace in Pulp fiction).
An interview with Fugard about his play would've been a great addition as a bonus feature (of which there are none on this release).
PS. One of the poster designs of the movie depicts a kite with the current South African flag design, which only came into use 4 decades after this movie's setting.
The mid-'80s saw a TV movie version with Matthew Broderick.
5 / B
- Paul Blom
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