TSOTSI -- ( SO-SEE )

THIS IS A SOUTH AFRICAN FILM, BASED ON A STORY BY ATHOL FUGARD, OF MASTER HAROLD AND THE BOYS FAME.
I SAW THIS FILM WHILE VISITING RENO, NEVADA.
I WAS GOING TO PASS ON IT, THINKING IT WAS ALONG THE SAME LINES AS HOTEL RWANDA AND SOME OF THE OTHER FILMS ABOUT TRIBAL INTOLERANCE AND ABUSE.
IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT I WAS UNLIKELY TO SEE THIS FILM IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, SO I BETTER CATCH IT IN RENO - AND THAT WAS GOOD ADVICE, FROM A SMART PERSON.
PEOPLE CALL STORIES ABOUT ALIENS AND SUPERNATURAL CREATURES, HORROR STORIES. THEY ARE NOT HORROR STORIES - WATCHING THE YOUNG CRIMINAL TSOTSI ( THE WORD MEANS THUG ) IN ACTION, IS THE PERSONIFICATION OF HORROR.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO WATCH A CHARACTER WHO SO LACKS ANY SENSE OF HUMANITY OR AS A COLLEAGUE OF HIS POINTED OUT -- ANY SENSE OF DECENCY. THE DIFFICULTY IS WORTH THE EFFORT, AS YOU SEE THE STORY UNFOLD - A TRULY UNPREDICTABLE SCENARIO.
YOU WON'T CATCH THIS ACADEMY AWARD WINNING FILM ON THE BIG SCREEN, BUT YOU SHOULD BE LIKE A TSOTSI AND KNOCK PEOPLE OUT OF THE WAY TO GET A COPY AT YOUR VIDEO STORE WHEN IT COMES OUT AND YOU WILL HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT AND ASK FOR IT - THIS IS NOT A DISNEY PRODUCTION, WITH DISNEY ADVERTISING SUPPORTING IT.
I WON'T GO INTO THE STORY BEYOND TELLING YOU THAT IT IS BRUTALLY PAINFUL TO WATCH THIS MOVIE - IT IS SCARY TO THINK A SOCIOPATH LIKE THIS IS WALKING AROUND IN SOCIETY, EVEN 8,000 MILES FROM OUR SHORES. YET, IF YOU CAN ENDURE THE SADISTIC BEGINNING, YOU WILL BE TAKEN ON A JOURNEY OF REDEMPTION THAT IS FAR BEYOND THE SIMPLE-MINDED FEEL GOOD MOVIES WE SO OFTEN SEE -- AND WE LIKE THOSE MOVIES, BUT THIS MOVIE IS NOT SIMPLE-MINDED AND THE FEEL GOOD PART DOES NOT COME WITH "ROCKY" TYPE MUSIC BLARING IN THE BACKGROUND TO TELL YOU THE FEEL GOOD MOMENT IS AT HAND.
THE REDEMPTION IS MORE LIKE, A BULLY WHO KICKED YOU THREE TIMES A DAY AT SCHOOL, ONLY KICKS YOU ONCE A DAY NOW -- YOU ARE GRATEFUL AND HE IS IMPROVING AS A PERSON, BUT STILL NOT ON THE INVITE TO DINNER LIST AT YOUR HOUSE.
I WRITE ABOUT THIS MOVIE, FEELING SORRY FOR 95% OF YOU, WHO WON'T EVER SEE THIS FILM -- AN UNFORGETTABLE FILM, BUT IT IS ONLY UNFORGETTABLE AFTER YOU HAVE SEEN IT.
IF YOU DON'T ACTIVELY LOOK FOR A FILM YOU CAN'T EVEN PRONOUNCE, YOU WILL MISS A FILM FAR SUPERIOR TO 95% ( THAT NUMBER AGAIN ) OF ALL THE FILMS YOU WILL EVER SEE --- THIS MOVIE IS IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE THAN WHAT WE NORMALLY ENCOUNTER -- AND THAT IS WHY IT IS WORTH LOOKING FOR - IT WON'T FIND YOU.
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Gaff - saw Tsotsi -- a wonderful film - your reaction was on the mark --D.Y.D. in N.Y.