Themes: Race Relations, Members of the Press, Social Injustice
Main Cast: Kevin Kline, Penelope Wilton, Denzel Washington, Kevin McNally
Release Year: 1987
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 157 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
Richard Attenborough directed this dramatic story, based on actual events, about the friendship between two men struggling against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s. Donald Woods (Kevin Kline) is a white liberal journalist in South Africa who begins to follow the activities of Stephen Biko (Denzel Washington), a courageous and outspoken black anti-apartheid activist. Woods and his wife Wendy (Penelope Wilton) get to know Biko, and they become friends, until Biko is brutally murdered at the hands of government troops in 1977 for his activities against the country's repression of the black majority population. Donald is shocked and appalled by Biko's murder and determined that the truth about Biko will become known to the world; eventually, Donald and Wendy Woods and their children must leave South Africa (and nearly everything they have) as they spread the word about Biko's life and death to ensure that he did not die in vain. Washington received an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Biko. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Review
Actor and director Richard Attenborough attempted to recreate the phenomenal success of his multiple Oscar-winning Gandhi (1982) with another socially conscious drama, Cry Freedom (1987). The film reunited many behind-the-scenes players from Gandhi, including the same writer, cinematographer, costume designer, and composer. Cry Freedom also mimicked the style and many of the liberal themes of Attenborough's earlier film. Despite these elements, a positive critical reception, and the fact that South African apartheid was an explosive geopolitical issue of the late eighties, Cry Freedom failed to repeat the box office triumph of Gandhi. The filmmakers' decision to make real-life white journalist Don Woods (played in the film by Kevin Kline) the main character, reducing to a supporting role the more historically important figure of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko (played by Denzel Washington), created some controversy and may have kept audiences away. Nevertheless, Washington received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Biko. The actor went on to win in the same category two years later for Glory (1989). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
Timothy West - Capt. de Wet; Juanita Waterman - Juanita/Ntsiki Biko; John Hargreaves - Bruce; Alec McCowen - Acting High Commissioner; Zakes Mokae - Father Kani; Ian Richardson - State Prosecutor; Josette Simon - Dr. Ramphele; Miles Anderson - Lemick; Tommy Buson - Tami; Jim Findley - Peter Jones; Kate Hardie - Jane Woods; Alton Kumalo - Speaker; Louis Mahoney - Lesotho Government Official; Mawa Makondo - Jason; Joseph Marcell - Moses; Sophie Mgcina - Evalina; John Paul - Wendy's Stepfather; Wabei Slyolwe - Tenjy; Gwen Watford - Wendy's Mother; Andrew McCulloch - Policeman Nel; Graham Fletcher-Cook - Nel's Partner; Tony Vogel - Roadblock Policeman; James Aubrey - Passport Control Officer; Judy Cornwell - Receptionist; Nick Tate - Ritchie; Shelley Borkum - Woods's Receptionist; Niven Boyd - Roadblock Policeman; Carl Chase - Policeman; Julian Glover - Don Card; Hepburn Graham - Soga; David Guwaza - Prisoner; Garick Hagon - McElrea; John Hartley - Passport Control Officer; David Henry - Afrikaner Farmer; William Marlowe - Police Captain at Soweto; John Matshikiza - Mapetla; Robert Phillips - Speaker at Funeral; Simon Shumba - Young Lesotho Official; Gerald Sim - Police Doctor; Gwyneth Strong - Girl at Funeral; John Thaw - Kruger; David Trevena - Mortician; Michael Turner - Judge Boshoff; Buddy Uzzaman - Mortician's Assistant; Andrew Whaley - Sub-Editor; Gary Whelan - Police Sergeant; Peter Cartwright - Senior Police Officer; Paul Hertzberg - Beukes; Neil McPherson - Lemick's Assistant; Philip Bretherton - Maj. Boshoff; Peter Cary - White Frontier Policeman; Carlton Chance - Rugby Player; Basil Chidyamathamba - Brother-in-Law; Ruth Chinamando - Mother; James Young von Coine; Michael Graham Cox - Passport Control Officer; Dudley Dickin - Nationalist Party Delegate; Karen Drury - Young Secretary; Angela Gavaza - Shebeen Queen's Niece; Patricia Gumede - Shebeen Queen; Kalie Hanekom - Magistrate Prins; Christopher Hurst - Roadblock Policeman; Russell Keith Hurst - Security Guard; Paul Jerricho - Sgt. Louw; Dominic Kanaventi - Black Frontier Policeman; Munyaradzi Kanaventi - Samora Biko; George Lovell - Nkosinathi Biko; Claude Maredza - Rugby Player; Peggy Marsh - "Helen Suzman"; Walter Matemavi - Nephew; Sam Mathambo - Lesotho Passport Officer; Kimpton Mativenga - Black Security Policeman; Tichatonga Mazhindu - Dilima; Robert McNamara - Security Policeman; Nocebo Miambo - Aunt; Hilary Minster - Passport Control Officer; Clement Muchachi - Father; Walter Muparutsa - Lesotho Businessman; Glen Murphy - Security Guard; Marcy Mushore - Niece; Star Ncube - Prisoner; Albert Ndinda - Alec; Marilyn Poole - Acting High Commissioner's Wife; Lawrence Simnbrashe - Informer; Xoliswa Sithole - Nurse at Clinic; Hans Sittig - Security Policeman; Graeme Taylor - Dillon Woods; Fishoo Tembo - Biko's Brother; Adam Stuart Walker - Duncan Woods; Hamish Stuart Walker - Gavin Woods; Spring Stuart Walker - Mary Woods; William Morgan Sheppard - Policeman
Credit
Norman Dorme - Art Director, John King - Art Director, George Richardson - Art Director, Andrew Whaley - Casting, Susie Figgis - Casting, Wendy Woods - Consultant/advisor, Donald Woods - Consultant/advisor, John Briley - Co-producer, Norman Spencer - Co-producer, John Mollo - Costume Designer, David Tomblin - First Assistant Director, Richard Attenborough - Director, Peter MacDonald - Second Unit Director, Lesley Walker - Editor, Terence A. Clegg - Executive Producer, George Fenton - Composer (Music Score), Jonas Gwangwa - Composer (Music Score), George Fenton - Musical Direction/Supervision, Wally Schneiderman - Makeup, Stuart Craig - Production Designer, Ronnie Taylor - Cinematographer, Gary Levy - Production Manager, Allan James - Production Manager, Richard Attenborough - Producer, Terence A. Clegg - Producer, Michael Seirton - Set Designer, David Harris - Special Effects, Simon Kaye - Sound/Sound Designer, Jonathan Bates - Sound/Sound Designer, Peter Brace - Stunts, Peter Brace - Stunts Coordinator, John Briley - Screenwriter, Peter MacDonald - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Donald Woods - Book Author
