X
- 2013
- PG-13
- The Weinstein Company
- 2 h 21 m
- 2013
- PG-13
- The Weinstein Company
- 2 h 21 m
Summary A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life, from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
Directed By: Justin Chadwick
Written By: William Nicholson, Nelson Mandela
- 2013
- PG-13
- The Weinstein Company
- 2 h 21 m
- 2013
- PG-13
- The Weinstein Company
- 2 h 21 m
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
60
5.8
Where to Watch
Summary A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life, from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
Directed By: Justin Chadwick
Written By: William Nicholson, Nelson Mandela
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
60
56% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
41% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
60
56% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
41% Mixed
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Mr. Elba’s towering performance lends “Long Walk to Freedom” a Shakespearean breadth.
A conventional biopic made anything but conventional by the magnitude of its subject's life and accomplishments, and by Idris Elba's imposing performance in the title role.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 68 User Ratings
5.8
46% Positive
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
35% Mixed
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
19% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 68 User Ratings
5.8
46% Positive
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
35% Mixed
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
19% Negative
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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He decided early on what he wanted and pursued it straightforwardly all his life. That rarely yields riveting drama, however well-intentioned filmmakers may be.
A long slog of a movie that insists on hitting the high spots like a Wiki page, which leaves little room to investigate the political and personal changes that altered Mandela's thoughts about violence and its uses.
The film was shot entirely in South Africa, and revels in golden light on dry yellow grasslands. But it's still a very British movie, a respectful view from a suitable distance.
"Mandela" is not without the capacity to move.
A cursory history lesson with no interest in probing the deeper or more complex implications of Mandela's positions and their relationship to his country's shifting landscape.
The title pretty much sums it up: a walk with Nelson from rural boyhood to his election as South Africa's first democratically-elected president. Much of the journey is taken up with his early fight against apartheid and the subsequent 22 years in jail. To anyone who hasn't read the autobiography on which the film is based, this will provide interesting details about his personal life and political struggles. Although Idris Elba (Mandela) and Naomie Harris (his wife Winnie) both create rich characters and the narrative is compelling, the whole thing lacks emotional power. The prison years are the most absorbing. It should take 2+ hours to chronicle a great man's life, but it feels too long and sometimes too simplistic. Still, an informative history lesson.
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This movie was poorly acted at times. Idris Elba was good however, everyone else was not as good. The movie was also longer than it should've been. The movie is around two hours and twenty minutes, but it should've only been about one hour and fifty five minutes. In other words, it was really boring for the most part.
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Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom tells of the lengthy path toward ending apartheid and the racial war in South Africa
The title of the Nelson Mandela biopic is befitting of the arduous task faced by Mr. Mandela. Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom tells of the lengthy path toward ending apartheid and the racial war in South Africa spanning some seventy years from childhood to inauguration.
Most people know Nelson Mandela as he was portrayed by the media later in life; the seemingly soft spoken man who emerged from prison, endearingly called Madiba by his people. The Nelson Mandela portrayed by Idris Elba in Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom is a far more complex person, realistic and humanistic. Idris Elba does a commendable job at portraying Mandela though I found his accent to be a bit distracting. The acting is sublime by Naomie Harris who plays Winnie, Mandela’s second wife and I am disheartened that she was not formally recognized with a nomination for best supporting actress. There is something about the movie that feels slightly disconnected, as though character development was missing. I believe the issue with character development arises out of the inability to properly convey the urgency in needing change in South Africa. South Africa’s desperation and growth from apartheid is just as important as a character, and being a story about Nelson Mandela, the plot’s focus is lacking clarity. The story spans from Mandela’s childhood to inauguration, some seven decades, and in the process feels a bit slow moving, a highlight reel of sorts.
It is a difficult task but marvelous attempt leaving the viewer with a good drama that feels like a historical documentary. In the end you feel as though you know Nelson Mandela but only part of the story of South Africa.
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It feels like the film builds to a climax that never arrives. The film does feature two great performances from Elba and Harris, the depictions of the race war and racism in South Africa is well handled, especially how out of control things got around the time of Mandela's release. There are some scenes which are great unto themselves such as Mandela's trial, several scenes during Mandela's time on Robben Island, Mandela greeting the people as the first black president as he is respectfully saluted by his white staff members and so forth. The final scene in particular had some great soul to it, and Elba's perfectly delivered monologue of one of Mandela's most famous quotes was very moving.
Having said that, the film suffers from the problem of trying to cram too much detail and information about Mandela's story in South Africa into a two hour film, and, as a result, several scenes which could have built up to something poignant or could have been fleshed out are quickly glossed over. These scenes include but are not limited to the Sharpeville Massacre and the resulting wave of protest and oppression, Mandela's trial itself, his imprisonment on Robben Island, and the final stages from his release to his ascendancy to presidency.
As a result, the film feels like there's a lot of plot to it, but not a lot of story, as if the film is running by a tick box list. "Oh, we did Sharpeville, good, let's move on. Oh, we did Mandela's trial, okay let's move on". No one moment is really given any real chance to shine, it feels like there's no real substance or consequence to them in terms of the characters and situation on screen. As a result, the final climax Mandela ascending to presidency when it comes, doesn't carry the emotional punch that it should.
Despite these problems, I would still recommend that people would watch this film at least once.
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A movie that is meant to tell a powerful message and show us a part of Africas history but fails miserably. There are so many interesting concepts that could show us what their lives were really like. Sadly, the film is riddled with pacing issues, boring cinematography, and uninspired writing. It felt like this movie was more interested in simply showing us series of events instead of telling us an inspiring story about the life of Nelson Mandela. It is so bad that I not only find it offensive to well directed movies trying to make a difference, but is also disrespectful to the legacy of Mandela.
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Production Company
Videovision Entertainment,
Distant Horizon,
Film Afrika Worldwide,
Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa,
Long Walk to Freedom,
National Empowerment Fund,
Origin Pictures,
Pathe UK
Release Date Nov 29, 2013
Duration 2 h 21 m
Rating PG-13
Tagline It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.
Website
http://www.mandelamovie.co.za/
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
Academy Awards, USA
• 1 Nomination
Capri, Hollywood
• 3 Wins & 4 Nominations
