After his death, there were a lot of potted biographies run of Nelson Mandela and a common thread was that Mandela himself never claimed to be a saint.
This film, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, uses Mandela's autobiography as its prime source material and is pretty clear-eyed about the sort of man he was before his long transformative imprisonment.
The film's poster states ''Revolutionary, Prisoner, President'' but in the film he really begins as a sharp lawyer and bad husband.
When the thuggery of the white South African State is made personal, he becomes politically active hoping that mass action will force the government to soften its stance.
His first marriage fails under the weight of his constant womanising but then he meets Winnie (Naomie Harris), a strong woman who shares his political goals.
Much has been made of the fact that Idris Elba has little physical similarity to Mandela, but what he has is more important.
He has the sort of charisma that Mandela had, so, when he stands and talks, you understand why this is the man that people followed, even when he told them things they did not want to hear. It is that X factor so often missing in screen biographies.
Best thing: Although this is Mandela's story, it shows that what the State did to Winnie was worse than what they did to her husband, and before you dash off an angry letter to the editor, the film acknowledges necklacing.
Worst thing: To cover a long life you have to abbreviate, but the audience was so engrossed we could have handled a more detailed account of his time on Robbin Island.
See it with: An open mind.
- by Christine Powley
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Director: Justin Chadwick
Cast: Idris Elba, Naomie Harris, Riaad Moosa, Zolani Mkiva, Simo Mogwaza, Fana Mokoena, Thapdo Mokoena, Dean Lotz
Rating: (M)
Five stars (out of five)
