Review of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) by Stuart K — 28 Apr 2014

Adapted from Nelson Mandela's 1994 autobiography, adapted by William Nicholson (Shadowlands (1993) and Gladiator (2000)), and directed by Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)). This moving and thoughtful biopic of the great South African leader does him justice, and it has some good performances, it doesn't shy away from how nasty apartheid South Africa was either.

Nelson Mandela (Idris Elba) was a defense lawyer in Johannesburg, who in the 1950's joined the African National Congress, which was against the apartheid imposed in 1948 by the National Party of South Africa.

Using methods of terror to intimidate the government to dropping the apartheid, Mandela gets recognition, but he pays the price for his crimes when he is sentenced to life imprisonment in 1963. On Robben Island, Mandela is told he will never be freed from prison, but what he didn't count on was the people of the world fighting his cause and campaigning for his release.

His wife Winnie (Naomie Harris) goes through her own hell, but comes out fighting. It's a tough film to watch in places, but it has some very good performances and it was even filmed on many of the real locations where the real events happened, including Robben Island.

It has a powerful feel, and it has some lovely cinematography too. It is well worth a look and it's a shame Mandela didn't live to see this.