Following the death of Nelson Mandela on the 5th of December 2013, this chronicle of his life's journey is a very topical subject, and effectively provides a great desire from the public. The film illustrates his maturation from his childhood rural village to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa whilst maintaining a firm ethos of non-violence throughout.
Idris Elba who plays Nelson Mandela acts against Naomie Harris, playing his second wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Each performs spectacularly in their roles: effectively drawing the viewer into the intensity of the hardships they individually, and as a racially-segregated group, faced.
The film manages to depict a number of important moments throughout Nelson Mandela's life, however, because Mandela did so many important things, there is a sense in which the film is attempting to capture too much within its binding. However, the film is an earnest and ambitious attempt and is a truly captivating demonstration of a life's chronology for a truly influential political figure. William Nicholson, the scriptwriter for the film, commendably depicts the milestone moments of Mandela's life in a brisk fashion so as to ensure that Mandela's greatest achievements are all illustrated.
In light of his recent death, the film manages to dispel the typical biased "gloss" which is shown to those departed. The film effectively recounts the events of Mandela's existence with clarity and honestly depicts both his right and wrong behaviour. For example, during his first marriage to Evelyn Mase, Mandela is shown to be unfaithful and at times negligent towards her and his first two sons. This realistic depiction of a human male who did not proclaim to be perfect heightens the authenticity of his cinematic depiction.
It is a definite 'must-see' film, if only to comprehend the immensity of his impact to the dissolution of apartheid; I would 100% recommend this movie to all.
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