Review of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) by Michael S — 04 Jan 2014

"Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" is sadly another in a long line of obligatory, year end biopics, which is to say that though it is proficient on a technical level, it doesn't do it's subject or it's stellar lead performances any justice.

The film starts out strong enough, with Idris Elba's Mandela instantly grabbing our attention and commanding the screen. Elba (TV's Luther, Prometheus) has long been one of the most undervalued actors in the business, and this is one of his strongest performances without question. He doesn't simply impersonate the man, but instead seems to embody his very essence. Naomie Harris is equally strong as Winnie, Mandela's wife of 38 years (27 of which he was behind bars for). Director Justin Chadwick's film is at it's best when the focus is on their relationship, and in the early going when we get to see Mandela's earlier, more youthful years... a side we just haven't seen in cable documentaries.

But no matter how great the performances are and how good the setup; "Long Walk to Freedom" devolves into a rather pedestrian biography due to it's scatter-shot narrative. Perhaps Mandela's life is just too epic in scope to capture in one movie? This may be true (and the success of "Invictus," a film with a singular focus supports this claim) but surely a film with better structure and a sense of progression was possible. "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" feels and plays like a miniseries had been chopped up; condensed into a two and a half hour preview for those with short attention spans. Even these people would find disappointment in a running time that drags in it's stagnated pacing.

Nelson Mandela is a legendary figure. Where's the filmmaking ingenuity to match? Where's the controversy? Where's the honest telling depicting the man as both revolutionary and Magistrate of peace?

There's no doubt that we will see such an entertainment at some point. "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" is not it.