Thanks for checking out our new feature, Forgotten Fridays. This is something we want to try out to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. I have done some of these reviews in the past called Forgotten Gems, but now we want to try and bring you something on a more regular basis.
Today’s review is The Power of One
THE GENERAL IDEA
compassionate novel about the coming of age of a white anti-apartheid activist during the years of World War II in South Africa. Seven-year-old P.K. is a white English South African raised on his family’s farm by his Zulu nanny. When his mother takes ill, he is sent away to an Afrikaner boarding school, where he is picked on and nearly killed by the school bully during a pep rally for Hitler. Surviving and carrying on his life, he earns life inspiration from a number of unlikely sources. A Jailed German professor (who teaches him languages, music and philosophy), an African prisoner (who teaches him how to box), and finally finds an unlikely bond in the culture of that time with an African boxer from a shantytown.
Together they invoke the folk legend of the Rainmaker (the one who will bring harmony) and PK begins to teach literacy to the Africans, while he falls in love with the daughter of the Apartheid leader.
THE GOOD
The storytelling in this film is beautiful on a number of levels. Not only do we get a solid feel for each stage of his life, but the pacing doesn’t make it seem like “chapters” but just a natural progression. Three actors take on the role of PK, but you really feel the sense of growth of the character.
The best part of the movie has to be the supporting cast. PK may be the central figure and an inspiring one for sure. What he endures and lives through only serves to help him grow until he is a man of his own right. But he gets there by those who inspire and teach him along the way.
Some very notable performances sit on opposite ends of the spectrum. A jailed African prisoner, Herr Piet (Morgan Freeman) teaches PK to box, and this is hands down my favourite Freeman performance in anything he has been in. Piet becomes a mentor and friend to PK. Though Piet teaches PK much, he is also inspired by him as well.
The opposite would be PK’s nemesis. The bully in his boarding school where PK was only 8 abused and tormented PK to the point that it nearly kills him. This abusive Nazi obsessed youth Botha, who is played by a young Daniel Craig. Their paths cross again when PK is older and Botha has not forgotten PK.
The setting is also beautifully laid out. The strong themes of rising above the blind hate embodied by Apartheid could easily have been shoved down your throat, but instead through the growth and life of PK you simply see it as the status quo. It is told from the perspective of a white man, who also suffers his own kind of separation. Sure it offends the sensibilities of our modern thinking, but it is presented in a way that you can accept it, and see how people lived with it.
THE BAD
The only complaint I could even begin to fathom is the repeated complaint that the book is far more inspiring than the film. I don’t know that my soul could bear the burden of such influence considering how emotionally this movie impacted me, as I have only heard this from the account of others.
OVERALL
The movie is wonderfully told, and it is an inspiring and tragic tale of one man’s life in the midst of adversity. When I first saw this movie in 1992, I was changed at my core. It was just that powerful of a movie. You feel every little victory and you pain at every loss. The film drained me emotionally at my first viewing and easily sits at the top of my favourite films of all time.
Typically this is where we would write a “Out of 10″ rating, but since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I have made my own rating system.
TV – Make a point of watching it if you see it listed on TV.
Rent – Good enough to go out of your way to see it, but not enough to buy it.
Buy – So good. You will watch it again and again. Buy it!
So on a scale of TV, Rent or Buy I suggest BUY!
It’s a very good film, but the book is better. :) My students read the book and then watch the movie and they are always disturbed by how much is lost in the movie (for example, Geel Piet is actually a combination of two characters from the book). And then there is the issue of what the movie ‘added’ — which was a love interest! There’s no girl in the book!
Rodney that is such a awesome movie…i remembered i brang this movie into school to watch my freshman year in high school on VHS.
Ive never seen the movie, but the book is really awesome. Sounds like a good movie too so ill have to check it out. Be sure to read the book though if you haven’t
Watched it years ago on TV. I was 12 or so then. Remember bits and pieces of it,I didn’t realize the bully was Daniel Craig until now…But I do remember I liked the movie. Would love to check it out once again.
Loved the book. Never gotten around to seeing the movie, though.
great flick, great choice … can we give suggestions for Forgotten Fridays?
You can email me your suggestions, but I have to tell ya, I gotta love it if I am going to pimp it! lol
My email link is found on the “About Us” page above.
This is also one of my favorite movies – the music in the movie was also really good too…bought the CD after watching the movie.
I’m with you on the Music!!
Saw the movie first, loved it. Read the book second, loved it more. Still love the movie, but, yeah, it’s it’s own thing, for sure.
As a young South African I found this movie particularly brilliant, especially since not all of the characters were evil like most South African characters in movies these days:)
Easily one of my favourite movies. Thanks for the reminder Rodney.
This is a really awesome and powerful movie. I don’t even remember of seeing that it played in theaters back in the day, but one day one of my sisters brought it home and now years later it is part of my DVD collection. Good to see it get some recognition today, it truly is a lost gem often forgotten. It’s been quite some time I watched it, might have to tonight after work. Good review.
Oh, and Daniel Craig was an evil son of a bitch in this movie.