Cry Freedom Details

This ambitious, worthy attempt by Richard Attenborough to re-create the success of Gandhi with another epic biographical portrait tells the story of the doomed South African civil rights leader Steve Biko. Attenborough is well served by the charismatic playing of the two leads — Denzel Washington as the black activist and Kevin Kline as the liberal newspaper editor Donald Woods, whose political conscience is awakened by Biko. The early scenes, in which the comfortably middle class Woods gradually has his eyes opened to the true horrors of the apartheid system, are sharply observed, and the finale focusing on the Soweto riots carries a powerful emotional punch. The film loses its way a little when the attention switches to the plight of the Woods family, but their final attempts at flight are genuinely suspenseful. As usual, Attenborough marshals a distinguished cast in support, and John Thaw and Timothy West, in particular, relish their bad guy Afrikaner roles. Penelope Wilton is also outstanding as Woods's loyal wife.

Part thriller, part social conscience tract, the film has magnificent set-pieces typical of the director's work. However, it failed to satisfy either opponents or supporters of apartheid.