Film Review of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom:

1. In general, what did you like and dislike about the film?

The “Long Walk to Freedom” is an interesting movie, but not a good one, probably the thing I like about this is the possibility to show the injustices, the racism, the apartheid, and the struggle of South Africa. Is very important we don’t forget this conflict because the concept of race is wrong, the superiority of white people is not real, we are the same, obviously we have differences, but we can’t attack, humiliate, and hate a women or a man for their colour of skin.

By the way, I really dislike how the director of the film shows Mandela, I don’t know the situation of South Africa, and certainly I know a few things about Mandela. The movie show me two faces of Mandela, the first was I know, the Mandela like a pacifist and a revolutionary, and the second is the face of the politician, a man who manipulate the society to obtain the power. I think the figure of Mandela I has it’s was wrong, I feel dumb, because, like I say, I don’t know much about the apartheid, the struggle of South Africa and Mandela, I feel this movie open my eyes, but not in a good way.

2. In your own words, how would you compare the "various Mandelas;" the ones from the article and the one from the film?

I have to say the figure of Mandela for me, always had been the pacifist, an anti-violence man, and now, after to see the movie and read the article, I how Mandela had two personalities, I never thought this man, this kind man, will be, to the beginig a “terrorist” and after of that, after he went the prison, he became a symbol of a movement of freedom and equality for the races in South Africa. I know in general the revolutions start with the armed fight and a opposition against the system, because the system is a hegemony, and in this case between “white race” and “black race”, and also know in some occasions we don’t have another way to make visible the injuries, the unequal distribution of riches of the country, the fear, and the pain to be treat like an animal and not like a person with rights and feelings.

If I compare the Mandela of the movie and the Mandela of the article, I don’t see much difference, but evidently the function to this text permit understand the context of the ANC, the apartheid, the laws of South Africa, and the vulneration of many african people. In relation with the film, I think the director shows Mandela not to looking explicitly to this context, but he prefer the public see a man, a human, a person in love, angry, sad and nonconformist with the society that he lives.

3. What was the role that Winnie Mandela played in the film? Think about the contrast between her and the other ANC members.

It’s interesting the role of Winnie Mandela, first of all because she is a woman and is very important highlight this, because the revolutions always been by men and the figure of woman is forget. In second place I can saw in the movie she led the multitude and organize the confrontation with the police. I think the movie make a contrast between Winnie and Nelson, because she convert a symbol to the arm revolution and he transform in a symbol to the pacifist struggle.

4. How do you compare the role of Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress in the struggle against the apartheid and in the post-apartheid South Africa to the Concertación and their role in the struggle against Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship and in post-dictatorial Chile?

The role of Nelson Mandela and the ANC is very important to the struggle against the apartheid, because they are the movement that permit to the people wake up and do something for end the politics of the government. We need understand that this citizens have fear and feel insecure because the authorities repress with excessive and arbitrary violence any manifestation against to the penal system. That’s the reason why this party and this man are so famous and controversial in the struggle against apartheid.

In the post-apartheid South Africa the ANC and Mandela are essential to change the laws focus in the human rights and equality of races and promove a new economic system, but in this they can’t do so much for the unequal distribution of money in the country.

In relation with Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship and post-dictatorial Chile, we have to know before of the government of Nelson Mandela, the apartheid regimen has a good and strong relationship with Chile, because they share militar instruction for repress the people and they contraband militar army. After of the apartheid, this relationship is broke, and is very interesting how Mandela congratulate Chile in their politics for cure the wound cause of the previous government, in fact both countries have a comision for find the true about the violation of human rights call “Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación” and penalize these crimes.  

Also is important the end the apartheid in South Africa and the dictatorship in Chile because both are regimens that promove repression, violence, hate and fear in the people. I think maybe are process very complicated but necessaries to return the power and freedom to the people and we still waiting the justice works in both cases.