1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.

When discussing the film Tsoti, it was brought to our attention that this film has some

aspects found in the neorealism genre. We spoke about the history of South Africa and how this

film depicts some of the events that actually happen to people living in poverty-stricken areas.

The movie has a raw feel to it due to its violent and sometimes graphic nature. By the gang

violence, rape culture, and mistreatment of women, Tsoti shows the harshness of life faced in

South Africa. The film ended up taking home the Oscar award for best Foreign Language Film in

2005. We also discussed how the director, Gavin Hood, is known for directing big movie hits

such as the X-Men Origins: Wolverine. This just goes to show his fluidity in creativity and

bringing different sides of the spectrum to life.

2) Find a related article and summarize the content. (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress,
artistic content, etc.) You can use the library or the internet. Cite the article and copy the link to
your journal entry. Summarize in your own words the related article but do not plagiarize any
content. Make sure your link is a true hyperlink that will connect to the article you are
referencing.

From South Africa, a Tough Thug Shows His Big Heart

This article discusses the life and hard times of criminals focused in films throughout

the years. The most noted film was in 1915 titled Regeneration. It is the story of an orphan

who grows up to be a gang boss and is then saved by a woman. Gavin Hood brought to life

his own version of this film with Tsoti. The author of the article then goes into detail about

describing some of the film.

He states that the rootless south American young male criminals featured in the film,

have no tribal connections, and use American gangster films for inspiration. It is said that

Hood is able to play around with the emotional and psychological side of the crimes with the

use of color photography.

 The storyline of the film is not one that is unheard of. The author argues that the film

follows the triumphant individual theory where justice will prevail. Similar to Regeneration,

the protagonist in this film is also saved by a good woman and a baby. The author argues this

is the reason why the film was nominated for various awards. It is said that Tsoti is not far off

from the stereotypical tale with an unhappy beginning, criminal present, and a life behind bars

in the future.

3) Apply the article to the film screened in class. How did the article support or change the way
you thought about the film, director, content, etc.?

This article supports the film because it is a mini review of the movie. It gives some

history on the genre that this movie fits. I agree with what the author is saying to an extent. I

agree that the film follows certain patters found in other gangster related movies with violence
then being saved by a woman. However, in this film the in my opinion the woman who saves the

protagonist only saves him because she is the one who saves the baby he has kidnapped.

The entire film we see this young man engage in violent activities and not caring about

anyones life. This all changes when he decides to take the child with him. His rough behavior

does not come to a halt, but decreases. He is still violent when interacting with the woman who

lives near him in the same area. He is more focused on making sure she feeds the baby. At first

he does it in an aggressive manner. Then he slowly starts to simmer down with her as the movie

goes on. But it should be noted that his overall character does not change throughout the film. He

is still the same angry criminal at the end of the movie. Yes, justice is served but at what cost.

I also agree that the emotional and psychological aspects of the film can be seen through

the use and variations of color. The baby and the womans home are the only times we see bright

colors being used. The rest of the film is dark with the undertones of browns, yellows, and
blacks. It isnt till we go inside the womans little house where we see bits of color with the

shards of glass she sculpts. This is the only time we see the main character surrounded by bright

color as well. It is a symbol to show his emotional connection to the woman and child. This is

also where the woman convinces him to return back the baby that is not his. Even the flashbacks

that give us a little insight on the protagonists history is dark because it is all of his suppressed

pain.

4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result

of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article. I am less interested in whether

you liked or disliked a film, (although that can be part of this) than I am in your understanding

of its place in film history or the contributions of the director.

This film was very interesting in my opinion. I took away a different perspective than

probably most people. I am all for the triumphant individual working their way up to the top or

correcting their wrongs. However, I think this film shows a bit of the opposite side. Most people

are under the impression that a baby can fix anything in their lives. They do not realize all the

care and attention the child actually needs until they have one of their own. In the film, the baby

is what saves the man but he still continues to engage in acts of violence. He is not truly saved

and the child isnt even his to begin with. It goes to show that the only person who could save

yourself is you. You cannot rely on others to do this for you.

I think this film also starts the conversation about the psychology of aggressive behavior

and the different methods used to calm people down. I found it rather odd that this person who

does not care for the lives of others decides to take a baby and care for him. It shows how much

of an impact an innocent of a baby has on people.

Dargis, M. (2006, February 24). From South Africa, a Tough Thug Shows His Big Heart.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/24/movies/from-south-africa-a-tough-thug-shows-his-

big-heart.html

Plagiarism Checklist
CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) ( X ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.

2) ( X ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other
classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.

3) ( X ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those
words, or used indentation and citation within the text.

4) ( X ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in
the bibliography in the text of the paper.

5) ( X ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.

6) ( X ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be

stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the
bibliography.

7) ( X ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks

interpretation or originality.

8) ( X ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent
about the research and ideas used in my paper.

Name: Jailene Burgos__________________ Date:

4/10/17_________________________