Framing
a. Portrayal of Biko:
In the film Biko is portrayed as a flawless martyr for the black consciousness cause. While Biko was very determined in his activist causes to rid South Africa of apartheid, Biko was not quite the perfect man as portrayed in the film. In real life Biko was known for his strong sexuality and had a long-time affair with a fellow political activist by the name of Mamphela Ramphele. (http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=406&lang=en) He was also involved with several other women throughout his life. Biko was said to have been much more outspoken and bold altogether. Many critics think that Richard Attenborough, director of Cry Freedom, made Biko out to be the Gandhi of South Africa, when in reality Nelson Mandela was the Gandhi of South Africa. Steve Biko, although an important figure in the history of South Africa, was no Mandela.
After reading several reviews and researching Biko in depth, we decided that Steve Biko was changed to fit what white liberals wanted him to be. Alex von Tunzelmann, a writer from guardian.co.uk, sums it up nicely with when she said this, "So this movie, honouring a black hero who staked his identity on refusing to conform to white liberal expectations, redesigns him ... to conform to white liberal expectations. Oops. Alanis Morrissette, if you're reading – this is actually ironic." (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/jun/10/cry-freedom-richard-attenborough-reel-history)
(CLIP 0:31:35 - 0:33:30) Biko's speech at soccer game
Donald Woods was portrayed as an honest news man, giving voice to the voiceless, risking his life and fighting against the apartheid in spite of opposition and threats to his family. Critics point out he was the main character in the film, despite the author's desire to create awareness of the issues in South Africa and tell Steve Biko's story. Below is a clip from a scene where Woods is speaking with his wife on a beach, deciding whether or not he should move his family out of the country permanently. Woods is portrayed as a man who understands he can't change the world, that he's not the savior of it, but that he can do what he can to try to get awareness out by escaping to a place where he can write.
Time: 1:28:13 - 1:30:00
c. Focus on Woods:
We felt that the film focused too much on Woods, and did not give enough information on the issue of the apartheid, Steve Biko, or the people of South Africa. We feel that the movie should have built a stronger connection from the African people to its audience. An example of this is when Woods remembers the Soweto Uprising near the end of the film. The viewers main focus has been on the escape of Woods, this clip is very emotionally striking, and portrays the trials that the South African people faced because of the apartheid. This is just one example that made our group wonder if the real story was about the people, instead of Donald Woods and his escape. We feel that maybe the more important issue at hand got pushed aside.
Biko dies about an hour into the film, leaving the rest of the film, an hour and a half, to be about Woods and his escape. Little is covered about the apartheid itself, except for a few clips here and there of police brutality and different uprisings that turned into tragedies. Although, we do recognize that Woods' story is important and should be told. Woods should be given credit for what he did to publish his books. He certainly did play a part in telling the story of Stephen Bantu Biko. But we couldn't help but wonder if this frame was to make Woods the hero and conqueror over the apartheid government, minimizing and ignoring the story of Biko.
“The greatest danger in films based on history isn’t necessarily that you will be told something false, but that the emphasis will be on trivia. To me, the most common distortion of history is done through emphasizing the least important facts of historical events.”
Howard Zinn, 1922-2010
History professor,
Political Activist & Playwright
Gatekeeping
a. Omission of Apartheid:
As a group we agreed with several movie reviews that felt that the cruelty of the apartheid should have been a larger focus in the movie. While the film did show moments of the harsh reality that existed, it was not shown throughout the movie as a main agenda. The movie focused more on the life and escape of Woods than the lives of the South Africans under the rule of apartheid. We understood that Wood's story was very important and eventually helped to rid South Africa of apartheid, but we felt that the film would have been more emotionally striking and informative if they could have included more instances of apartheid in the everyday lives of the Africans. We couldn't help but wonder if this form of gatekeeping was intentional to send the message that the story of Woods was more important than the story of Biko, one of the main leaders of the anti-apartheid movement, and the apartheid itself.
b. Government Control in the Film:
A great example of gatekeeping in the film was the power that the South African government had over the people. The film focused specifically on the power and restriction that they placed on the journalist Donald Woods. By banning Woods from speaking or writing to the public, controlling his life down to how many people he could be in a room with, the government fulfilled their own type of gatekeeping. They would not let a journalist share a newsworthy story (Biko's story) to the public.
(CLIP - 1:23 - 1:24:16)
The government also controlled what the public was told about Biko's death. In the coverage of the story the BBC news stated,
"It is understood Mr Biko died in hospital in Pretoria. The government minister of Justice and Police, James Kruger, stated that Mr Biko had been transferred 740 miles (1,191 km) from Port Elizabeth to Pretoria for medical attention following a seven-day hunger strike." http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/september/12/newsid_3573000/3573054.stm
James Kruger later stated in a press conference, "Biko's death leaves me cold,"
The government covered up his real death, which was caused by them, with a lie. By lying to the public again, the government commits another act of gatekeeping. They also lie about the deaths of several other detainees, listed at the end of the film.
White Privilege
"Movies act as ideological constructs that advance particular political or moral values or myths . . . and present particular images of gender, ethnicity, class, romance, and violence and as visual texts that offer complex levels of meaning and seeing."
Digital History
a. Apartheid:
The apartheid itself was started by Caucasians as a way to control and separate the blacks from the whites in South Africa. This is the greatest and simplest example of white privilege throughout the film. Several other examples fall under the category of apartheid.
b. Court Ruling on Biko's Death:
The court ruling on Biko's death is starvation from protest, in reality he was beaten so badly he died from severe brain damage. Biko's maltreatment while in jail was covered up and the Caucasian police that were responsible for Biko's murder, were not punished for this terrible act. The fact that a white judge and government leaders would cover up the real cause of Biko's death is an appalling example of white privilege.
CLIP 1:18:54-1:19:26
***CLIP 1:07:53 -1:08:35
c. First Trial & The BPC:
In the first trial scene, Biko must use his wits to defend the Black People's Convention and the African race itself against a white male judge. The BPC is restricted in its gatherings and has no protected rights to gather or protest. A specific example of white privilege in this court scene is when the judge asks Biko why they call themselves black when they are really more brown. Biko responds by saying why do you call yourselves white when you are really more pink? The judge is very surprised at Biko's boldness and fearlessness to argue and defend himself to a white man of a powerful government position.
d. Police Abusing Power:
Another example that is a result of apartheid, is the soweto disturbances. In this scene the police fire upon unarmed youth who are protesting against the change to Afrikaans as the main language taught in schools. They kill hundreds, injure even more, and arrest several others. A continuation of the police abusing their power is when they trash a community center in town.
(CLIP 2:18:35 - 2:24 Soweto Uprising)
(CLIP 1:40:30 - 1:42:10 Police trashing black community center)
3. How Media Constructs Reality: Fact vs. Fiction
a. There were several scenes in the movie that didn't happen in real life in that exact moment or to the same individual. However, they were things that occurred in that time period and the director wanted to show their importance in the film. An example of this would be when Woods is dressed as a reverend in the back of a police man's van. As they pass through a mostly black community the police officer arrests a black man for seemingly no reason. While there was no record of this happening during Woods' escape, the director obviously felt it was important to show how the police favored whites in South Africa. This simple and short scene in the film helps to instill in the viewer the ideology of white privilege in the South African community.
