Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) User Reviews

Excellent film. Must watch.

[grantboonzaier · 8/10 · 23 November 2013]

As a 37 year old white South African, who never really saw, felt or experienced Apartheid and the way SA was back then as I was too young, I now have a much better appreciation for all the suffering, discrimination and pain that was caused.

Nelson Madela gave up most of his adult life for a cause which has now come full circle and SA is now better off for it, mostly.

A powerful movie, that shows a man more passionate about equality and human rights than his own well being, and sadly at the detriment of his own family.

I strongly recommend every single South African to watch this movie, especially our current government!

Mandela's struggle played brilliantly by Elba

[CMTiago · 8/10 · 24 January 2014]

Nelson Mandela is a man that should be remembered for his incredible fighting spirit that not only helped him achieve his goals, but also be remembered as an important leader to his people. When making movie about such an iconic and historic figure, one has to cast the perfect actor. Idris Elba was very much the right man for the job. The actor is Mandela in every scene he appears and shares the same emotions as our real life protagonist. This is clearly one of the best roles of the year and one of my personal favorites. Naomie Harris is not far off either as Winnie, Madiba's second wife, a woman who stands by her man during his imprisonment, and slowly drifts apart from him as she no longer feels she knows him and his intentions. Much has been said about the movie's plot flaws, something I do not agree with as I found it to be quite entertaining and a great homage to the legend that is Nelson Mandela. Great performances in a fantastic movie.

Rating 8/10

Interesting and detailed chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life from childhood until he achieved power

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 18 November 2014]

This is an insightful biography about great leader Nelson Mandela who was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary, politician and philanthropist . He was leader of the African National Congress, who has been imprisoned since 1963 for allegedly inciting riots against the government. As he spend long time in prison amidst tight economic sanctions by the international community, and growing unrest by the natives who continue their fight for equality, and freedom for Nelson Mandela. Amongst mounting international pressure to free Nelson, as well as imposition of crippling economic sanctions, the South African government representative meets with Nelson and agrees to free him . One time freed Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was South Africa's first black chief executive, and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation. Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999.

This is an enjoyable biopic about Mandela's life , an emotive journey from his boyhood by means of flashbacks in a rural village , his imprisonment through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa . The picture has some strong moments as police cruelty on civilians as well security officers' brutality against people , including women , and infants . There's enough background information to give the spectator a taste of what South African life was like under apartheid, detailing hard confrontations , violent environment , fear and tension . The flick describes perfectly a great man who could have lived in bitterness and anger all his existence , seeking vengeance when he ultimately achieved power, but who instead chose to devote himself to democracy and peaceful reconciliation between blacks and whites in South Africa . The main actors , Idris Elba and Naomi Harris give awesome interpretation and the story was professionally directed by Justin Chadwick . Any film that concerns Nelson Mandela is a picture worth watching in my opinion and this one results to be one of the best . Worthwhile seeing for historical characters buffs . Other films based on this historical figure are the followings : ¨Mandela¨ (1987) by Philip Saville with Danny Glover , Alfre Woodward , Warren Clarke , Julian Glover ; ¨Mandela and De Clerk¨ (1997 )by Joseph Sargent with Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine ; ¨Goodbye Bafana¨ (2007) by Billie August with Dennis Haysbert ,Joseph Fiennes , Diane Kruger and ¨Winnie¨ by Darrel Root with Jennifer Hudson , Terrence Howard , Elias Koteas .

The picture was well based on real events and characters whose screenplay was faithfully written by William Nicholson upon Nelson Mandel's autobiography : As Mandela or Xhosa born to the Thembu royal family, Mandela attended the Fort Hare University and the University of Witwatersrand, where he studied law. Living in Johannesburg, he became involved in anti-colonial politics, joining the ANC and becoming a founding member of its Youth League. After the Afrikaner minority government of the National Party established apartheid in 1948, he rose to prominence in the ANC's 1952 Defiance Campaign, was appointed superintendent of the organisation's Transvaal chapter and presided over the 1955 Congress of the People. Working as a lawyer, he was repeatedly arrested for seditious activities and, with the ANC leadership, was unsuccessfully prosecuted in the Treason Trial from 1956 to 1961. Influenced by Marxism, he secretly joined the South African Communist Party (SACP) and sat on its Central Committee. Although initially committed to non-violent protest, in association with the SACP he co-founded the militant Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) in 1961, leading a sabotage campaign against the apartheid government. In 1962, he was arrested, convicted of conspiracy to overthrow the state, and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Rivonia Trial. Mandela served 27 years in prison, initially on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. An international campaign lobbied for his release, which was granted in 1990 amid escalating civil strife. Mandela joined negotiations with Nationalist President F. W. De Klerk to abolish apartheid and establish multiracial elections in 1994, in which he led the ANC to victory and became South Africa's first black president. He published his autobiography in 1995. During his tenure in the Government of National Unity he invited other political parties to join the cabinet, and promulgated a new constitution. He also created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses. While continuing the former government's liberal economic policy, his administration also introduced measures to encourage land reform, combat poverty, and expand healthcare services. Internationally, he acted as mediator between Libya and the United Kingdom in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, and oversaw military intervention in Lesotho. He declined to run for a second term, and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki. Mandela became an elder statesman, focusing on charitable work in combating poverty and HIV/AIDS through the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Mandela was a controversial figure for much of his life. Denounced as a communist terrorist by critics, he nevertheless gained international acclaim for his activism, having received more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Soviet Order of Lenin. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name, Madiba, or as Tata ("Father"); he is often described as the "Father of the Nation".

Respectful, even reverential, but honest and moving

[rogerdarlington · 12 January 2014]

This is a film that is difficult to judge simply in cinematic terms since the subject is such a titanic figure in recent history, many older viewers (such as me) will have lived through most of the events depicted, and Nelson Mandela himself - the prisoner who became a president - unknowingly heightened the interest around his life by dying just weeks before the film was released. Yet, allowing for all of this, by any standards "Mandela" is a success, telling a powerful story in a honest and immensely moving manner with some outstanding acting. If it is somewhat reverential, this was to be expected, given the subject and the timing.

Unfashionably for recent bio-pics, "Mandela" chooses not to concentrate on a seminal incident in the subject's life but to paint on a huge canvas, covering many decades and lots of political events in a linear narrative that frequently deploys news clips from the time. It is based on Mandela's long 1995 biography of the same name which I bought on a visit to Robben Island and read with great admiration. British William Nicholson ("Gladiator") has done a skillful job of turning such a huge story into a manageable script and British director Justin Chadwick ("The Other Boleyn Girl") handles a complex of ingredients with genuine talent. It looks good with attention to period clothing and artifacts and use of actual sites and some breathtaking countryside (it was shot entirely on location in South Africa).

Ultimately, however, the success of such an ambitious work rests especially on the lead actors and the casting here was inspired. Idris Elba as the eponymous hero gives a towering performance, while Naomie Harris is a revelation as the more complex and less sympathetic character of his second wife Winnie. It helps that both are not major stars - although that is now set to change - and notable that both are British actors who affect convincing accents.

This is a balanced portrayal of multi-layered characters. Mandela is represented with great respect but he is not offered to us as a saint. He treats his first wife unkindly and his support for violence is not disguised. The film really impresses with its representation of Winnie, a woman who suffered so much, hated so much, and herself caused so much injustice. Mandela is now dead but his great project - the creation of a peaceful and prosperous multiracial nation - is still a work in progress.

A noble but safe bio-pic

[freemantle_uk · 7/10 · 21 January 2014]

Nelson Mandela is one of the most important and celebrated political history, known for his imprisonment, his stand against apartheid and his commitment to peace and racial equality. A film based on his autobiography was always going to be of interest and seen as clear awards bait.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom follows a young Nelson Mandela (Idris Elba) in his early days in politics, working as a lawyer in Johannesburg, 1942 and is approached by the ANC to become an achieve member of the defiance movement. During the cause of the film it follows Mandela's relationship with Winnie Madikizela (Naomie Harris), his move into violence, his trial and imprisonment. But the 1980s South Africa becomes ungovernable the Apartheid regime are forced to open negotiations with Mandela.

Mandela's autobiography is a large book, spanning nearly 800 pages and the film attempts to tell the story of over 50 years of history in a 2 hour, 20 minute package. This results in a bio-pic of broad brushstrokes, giving ups brief snippets of moments in Mandela's life, giving us a glance of events instead of going into any details. This is especially the case of the early part of the film, skipping through Mandela's early political activism, the foray into terrorism and the trial. Even the events on Robbin Island were quick and it was only when the film enters into the political negotiations when there is more of a narrative throughout and we able to feel the violent tension South Africa was going through.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom has an excellent cast with the likes of Elba and Harris and they performs were able to transcend the fact they did not look the like people they did played. They get the voices and mannerisms down as the film explores Mandela's and Winnie's different ideologies later on in the film. They relationship is one of the longest running themes of the films. The supporting cast were also very strong in their performances and there was no weak link in the film.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom was helmed by Justin Chadwick and written by William Nicholson. Chadwick is a very safe director and Mandela is a competently made film. His direction is solid, showing casing the period effective, with set pieces being well set up and well shot as the film goes through a lighting pace. But it was the script that was the biggest let down, with Nicholson rushing through Mandela's life instead of letting moments have a chance to breath. This was a film that either needed to be longer, a three hour epic so many parts of Mandela's life could be explored or been more focused on one or two events. There were parts that were just screen writing tricks then a real moments, like the fist metaphor.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is a solidly made, but safe film. There are excellent moments in the second half of the film as South Africa implodes with violence, but it is a very safe film that tries to fit too much in its running time. It is a film that can easily appeal to a middle -aged, mainstream audience.

6.5/10

Sprawling and Superficial

[TimMeade · 6/10 · 7 February 2014]

In Clint Eastwood's 2009 film, Invictus, there is a scene in which Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela absents himself from state business and heads off to a meeting of the Sports Council where he has been told they are passing a motion changing the name of the South African rugby team from the Springboks to the Proteas. It is put to him that he surely has more important things to worry about than the name of a sporting team. Mr Mandela disagrees.

He explains that, to the contrary, this is a crucial moment in the reconciliation of South Africans. He advises that during his long incarceration, he studied the Boer – their language, their culture, their poetry. He got inside their head to understand what made them tick, what motivated them. Through this study, he knew just how important the Springboks were to the white South Africans and that a name change would be a grievous error. Putting his authority on the line, he managed to overturn the original decision and retain the Springbok name.

This was a crucial scene in the film, demonstrating Mr Mandela's wisdom and erudition. A small vignette, it did much to explain Mr Mandela's character and why he proved so successful and commanded such respect following his release from prison.

Unfortunately, there was no similar moment in Justin Chadwick's Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.

The film took a sprawling, episodic approach to its subject's life and as such could only touch superficially on its aspects. Mr Mandela's first forty years were covered at break neck speed as we saw him pull himself up by his bootstraps to achieve a fine education, witness injustice and state sanctioned violence, then have his first marriage fail due to his commitment to the cause as well as his own infidelity. Only after his trial – at which he and his co-defendants fully expected to receive the death penalty – did the film take a breath and attempt a deeper approach. But even then, it missed its target.

Perhaps the most interesting story to emerge from this film was toward the end of Mr Mandela's imprisonment. Seeing the writing on the wall, the white minority government set up meetings with him to try and establish a power-sharing agreement acceptable to both sides. Nelson Mandela's fellow four prisoners all voted that he should not respond to these overtures, they saw it as a trap. Ignoring the strongly held views of people with whom he had fought alongside and been jailed with for over 20 years, Mr Mandela went his own way moving to upmarket and comfortable accommodation in a residential area . Here, he discussed with his jailers their country's future.

This was an episode ripe for exploring – how did his long-term prison friends and ANC members view this? Did they feel betrayed? Did the friendships endure or did they feel unable to forgive him? Did Mr Mandela himself suffer sleepless nights questioning his own actions and motives? We don't know. We were never made privy to their inner feelings or reactions. This was such a pity – I wanted to know so much more. Had the film concentrated more on this single aspect in its over long running time, it would have been so much more successful.

The film's direction, cinematography and acting were all competent. As Nelson Mandela, Idris Elba had a thankless job to show him ageing from a youthful man into old age – and he wasn't helped by ineffective make-up and talcum powder grey hair. But he lacked charisma and the film's script also failed to evoke the spirit of one of the greatest figures from the second half of the 20th century.

The film was average. Mr Mandela deserves better.

Overall disappointing

[alfredsmith · 6/10 · 24 February 2014]

I have a great deal of respect for Nelson Mandela and was hoping that this film would do him justice but overall this was disappointing. Idris Elba was convincing as a young Mandela but not so much as he got older. It seemed rushed and just when the storyline became interesting it quickly jumped to another time. Given what Mandela had been through and accomplished it is impossible for a two and a half hour film to cover it all, but they seemed to dwell far too long on inconsequential events and too little on the essential parts of his life. Having said this. it is still worth a watch if your knowledge of the man's life is limited but I hope the definitive Mandela biopic is made soon.

A Beautiful Walk!

[yashmishra91 · 9/10 · 14 January 2014]

Mandela: Long Way To Freedom (English): The film which is releasing in India after 2 months (24 January 2014) of it's international release (a week before Nelson Mandela's death), is indeed a nice cinematic outing based on the Classic Hollywood narrative style. Despite the film losing it's track while focusing more on the life and times of Late Nelson Mandela, the film scores with it's screenplay (William Nicholson) based on the autobiography written by the legend himself, then comes the production designing work by Johnny Breedt, whose brilliantly portrays the Apartheid times on screen, the cinematography by Lol Crawly whose shots brilliantly bring out the best of the legend and his times and then the proper placement of music score as well as the archival footages within the film's coarse, the the performances by the lead. The best among them comes the performance by Idris Elba who greatly delivers a performance that's worth cherishing and successfully brings out the portrayal of Madiba well and then comes the narration by the director Justin Chadwick, who keeps you engaged and sympathize with the film's journey to freedom. Not to be missed! My rating would be: 4/5.

A truly educational film.

[richieandsam · 7/10 · 16 December 2013]

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM

The timing of this movie was a big coincidence. The movie is being released just as Nelson Mandela died. I don't even know if he got to see the final product.

This film is about Nelson Mandela. The former South African president. The man who changed the world by fighting for equal rights for black people. Nelson spent 27 years in prison because he was fighting for his beliefs.

The movie is an educational experience. I knew about Nelson Mandela a bit before watching the movie. The man is an icon and inspiration to millions around the world, but I will admit to not knowing too much about the full story. This film showed me what he was fighting against and fighting for. The man went through so much and lost so much of his life in jail.

The violence through the film was harsh and horrible to watch, but not because it was gory… but because you knew that these events actually happened. Nobody should have to go through this kind of treatment all because of the colour of their skin.

The acting was amazing throughout the movie by everyone. I honestly feel that this film could win Oscars. Idris Elba played nelson Mandela through the years. He was very convincing and did a brilliant job at portraying the man himself. Naomie Harris played Nelson's wife, Winnie. Naomie was probably the best actress in the movie. I actually felt bad for Winnie. She was such a strong woman and went through so much. She stuck by Nelson and their beliefs and got punished for it for many years. Winnie deserves a film all about her. I also felt very sorry for their children. They saw so much violence and mistreatment. The whole film was very horrible to watch, but to be honest I am glad they showed us. What I liked also was the fact that they used real footage through some of the movie. You actually saw news footage of the riots and violence that went on.

The one bad thing that I can say about this movie is the makeup. It is amazing how far the effects have come in the movie business. They can make a car turn into a robot and make it look real, they can blow up a building and make it look real, they can do pretty much anything they want and it can look realistic… but they can't make a young man look old without the prosthetics looking plastic. Honestly, the makeup when Mandela was old looked bad. You could tell that he was wearing plastic make up. It didn't ruin the movie, but it was quite bad.

I really enjoyed the movie and I loved the photos that they showed of the real Nelson Mandela through the end credits. It really made the point seeing the photos of the real people going through what you have just seen acted out on screen.

Nelson Mandela. R.I.P.

I will give this film 7 out of 10.

"It is an ideal for which I am prepared to die"

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About as good as you can expect in a feature-length film about a great man.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 21 March 2014]

The idea of making a film about the life of Nelson Mandela is a very daunting task. Not only was he a great man but so much happened in his life that shoving it into a little over two hours is a bit ridiculous. Sure, you might do a good job in many ways, but you can't help skipping many things and making his life a bit sketchy at times. Still, if you do make a film, you can't do much better than this.

The first half of the film is the worst--mostly because so much was omitted. It's sort of a highlights reel--with seemingly less important stuff either skipped or condensed. I cannot blame the movie for this-- it was NOT a mini-series and, in hindsight, it should have been.

The second half is much better as it gets to the personal philosophy of Nelson Mandela. Because it is based not on events as much as personality, it is much more touching and insightful. The very end, in fact, is wonderful--and provides a wonderful ending by quoting the great man himself.

The bottom line is that this IS a good film but no film can adequately encapsulate Nelson Mandela's life and legacy. Well worth seeing--but there is so much more to the story that you should learn for yourself.

Interestingly enough, I have been to South Africa a couple times recently and was shocked that he is universally beloved--by whites and blacks equally. This was a great way to learn about the man--listening to people's stories and seeing where he lived and was imprisoned. Start with the film and then take a trip and just ask folks what he meant to them.

The Depth Of The Man Never Really Exposed

[richiecardinal60 · 4/10 · 21 March 2014]

Mr. Mandela's story wold be better celebrated in a mini series spanning several episodes if one is to try to examine the real effect of his life and struggle. From his beginning in the legal pursuit to the incredible resolutions his endeavor and great strength delivered to the world, a glancing look is not sufficient to either dissect or fully understand the scope of this man's achievement on all of us and our existence.

There are simply too many elements to the story line of this man's life that cannot be appreciated when so much material is covered in such short order. The early rise of his group, the man's personal confliction, the nature of the apartheid movement and the incredible will of the man to transcend it all is touched upon but never really explored to a level where the impact of his triumph is delivered to the audience.

Dotting the i

[sesht · 24 January 2014]

Watched it earlier tonight. A reviewer was right when he said Chadwick had done a by-the-numbers job on it.

I am Not a fan of biopics. However, I did enjoy 'Gandhi', and, to a relatively lesser extent, 'Aviator'. Those characters too were undeniably compelling, which made the tales all the more riveting. Mandela's character is definitely one such. However, something was lost in translation when it came to filming Madiba's life's work, ironically, in the year that he was finally laid to rest.

No fault lies with the performers, but choosing to sideline a great many supporting characters and not depict the horrors of apartheid in the year of '12 years a slave' (the preview for which played before this one) seems a tad ironic, in not giving the audience something powerful to root against. I don't know if the responsibility rests with the original work itself (in terms of skimming over the details, that is), but the punch, the power, that was sorely needed to make this a rousing epic that it should aspire for, is missing. Someone needs to remake this, if possible, with the same cast, and hopefully make it more powerful/riveting. The old-age makeup on Elba also took me out of the movie multiple times. U2's 'Ordinary love' plays during the end-credits, but I don't know if the movie would have benefited more from it being played over one of the key sequences (take your pick). Perhaps Justin Chadwick was not the man for this job (He took the bite out of 'the other Boleyn girl', so that aspect's consistent enough, that did not make him suitable for this job in any case).

Having said all that, this is still a decent effort, just about right in most departments, and far better than other by-the-numbers predictable/routine fare playing at the local multiplex.

Worthy but Superficial Account of a Great Man's Life

[l_rawjalaurence · 6/10 · 30 January 2014]

At the heart of Justin Chadwick's film lies a wondrous central performance by Idris Elba. Although facially unlike Nelson Mandela, he captures the great man's mannerisms and speech-patterns with uncanny accuracy. Throughout his long life, depicted in MANDELA from his humble beginnings as a lawyer to his final accession to the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa in the mid-1990s, he comes across as a devoted family man, who is nonetheless devoted to the nationalist cause. When faced with a choice between domesticity and politics, he inevitably chooses the latter option. This might not necessarily be the best for him, but it is something that he believes he must do for the cause of the African National Congress. Although not by nature a violent man, Elba's Mandela is nonetheless pragmatic; as the Sixties wear on, he understands that violence is necessary in order to advance the cause of African equality in the apartheid regime. While this performance stands out in the film, the handling of post-1945 South African history is superficially handled. We are not told why the apartheid regime came into being in the late Forties; nor does the film explain how and why it fundamentally differed from the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. For the first half-hour, the film adopts a comic-strip approach to history; a series of apparently disparate sequences follow one another with little concern for historical coherence. It is only when Mandela is sent to Robben Island for life imprisonment that the structure becomes more comprehensible. When Mandela is released from prison, the film once again fails to provide explanations for the sudden outbreak of violence in the townships following his release, when it seemed that African was fighting African as well as the white minority. Nor does the film acknowledge the contribution made by other members of the ANC (African National Congress) - for example, Oliver Tambo. Viewers expecting to learn something about South African history since 1945 will be sadly disappointed.

Hollywood's Agenda: Blacks Hating Whites Is a Cash Cow!

[TheTruthDoor · 6/10 · 5 January 2014]

I watched "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" last night and just want to correct some of the previous reviews on IMDb.com for this movie.

First of all, this film is not Academy Award worthy...I really wonder what award other reviewers think it deserves.

The acting was over the top, the makeup was amateurish (the Mandela character had gray hairs in different parts of his head from different camera angles and scenes from the same time period). I guess the talcum powder must of moved during breaks.

Editing was awful, in the first 60 minutes it was almost impossible to keep track of what time period it was suppose to be. One minute Mandela is a child, then in a few seconds he is suppose to be an accomplished attorney trying a case.

From what I have read and researched about Mandela, this movie portrays him as a worldwide respected leader and the real facts are 180 degrees the other way. The truth is that he was sent to prison for valid crimes he committed.

Hollywood has an agenda....to keep black's hatred of whites in the forefront because it sells tickets, and this movie is just another cash cow for the Hollywood moguls.

Don't bother paying to see this propaganda....research the real Mandela for yourself.

"You Are Different! That's Why We Are Talking To You." ♦ 67%

[nairtejas · 7/10 · 27 December 2013]

That is the most remarkable dialog in the film, which heavily depends on dialogs & voices rather than actions, except the incarceration.

Haven't read much about the person who fought for freedom of his people. And because of this, the justified 140-minute film was full of information, although I cannot go fact-checking. Starting off with a flashback of Madiba's dream of contemplating love and not hate, the film talks sparsely about his troubled childhood, his teenage & then the eventful life ahead.

The story is what we've all heard/read/watched previously in other media, but the plot here only expresses the thoughts & words of the leader and his colleagues. Only action is the heavy violence. This, as a result, provides a garbled story. The prison time of 27 years, his dispute with his wife's ideologies later, his talks with the government all are so superficial, they only put a scratch on our mind process- cycle. Many unwanted scenes could've been deleted and replaced with rallies and the whole movement. Towards the end, it just skips time from 1984 to 1990s and ends.

Idris Elba is very good, but somehow I couldn't visualize him as Mandela, except for the last few minutes. Naomie Harris is terrific and it is her performance that I loved the most. Supporting cast is good. Along with U2's Ordinary Love, the music hangs on tight. With a very fine screenplay, this film retells the story in a dusky manner, many times hinging on implications...

BOTTOM LINE: For the many occurrences of goosebumps throughout the film, I recommend it for a one-time watch. Reading the autobiography first would be better.

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? NO

Profanity/Vulgarity: No | Sex: No | Mouth-Kiss/Foreplay: Mediocre | Violence: Infinity | Gore: Strong | Drugs/Alcohol: No | Smoking: Mild

A Magnificent Film about a One of the Great Figures of Our Time

[JustCuriosity · 9/10 · 26 October 2013]

I had the privilege of viewing a sneak preview of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom at the Austin Film Festival. This magisterial biopic is likely to become the definitive film treatment of the life of Nelson Mandela. It is beautifully filmed and as grand as the beauty of South Africa itself. It is an epic inspiring account of the life of Nelson Mandela spanning his entire adult life from the 1940s to his assumption of the Presidency of South Africa in 1994. The film presents Mandela as both a larger than life heroic figure and at the same time as human being struggling with an almost unimaginable burden as the human exemplar of his nation's struggle. The film is impressive and will bring Mandela's story to millions around the world.

The storytelling is powerful. The portrait of Mandela by Idris Elba is impressive as he presents his journey from young adult to grandfather of new multi-racial nation. He develops from an immature young man to man for whom suffering has created great wisdom, heroism and leadership. While he is presented as a hero, the film still manages to capture his human flaws through the difficulties with both his first and second wives. His dedication to his peoples' struggle comes at deep personal cost. The film is entrancing and deeply moving.

The struggle of his wife Winnie Mandela – portrayed by Naomie Harris - is also deeply moving. She dedicates herself to her husband's struggle, but in some way her struggle is more difficult than his. The pain that strengthens him seems to embitter her and drive the two of them apart. Their love for each other and their courage is both inspiring and tragic. The portrayal of their marriage is heartbreaking. Their marriage becomes yet another casualty of the struggle against Apartheid.

While reviewers will undoubtedly find fault or historical inaccuracies, the film seems an honest portrayal of one of the great figures and one of the great struggles of the 20th century. It is highly recommend for those seeking a little more hope and inspiration.

Elba was more passionate and inspiring in the monster flick 'PACIFIC RIM'!

[Hellmant · 6/10 · 30 January 2014]

'MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM': Three Stars (Out of Five)

Biographical film based on the life of Nelson Mandela. Idris Elba stars as the anti-apartheid revolutionary and former South African President. It's based on Mandela's book 'Long Walk To Freedom' and scripted by William Nicholson (who has written or co-written such popular period pieces as 'GLADIATOR', 'SHADOWLANDS', 'ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE' and the 2012 movie adaptation of 'LES MISERABLES'). Justin Chadwick directed the film, he also directed the 2008 historical biography 'THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL'. The movie studies a great man and deals with an important part of history but the subject matter should have lent itself to a much better film!

The movie (like Mandela's book) chronicles Mandela's (Elba) life from childhood until his election as the President of South Africa. It begins with his early years growing up in a remote rural village, tells of his revolutionary days and arrest (as a terrorist) and details his 27 years spent in prison. It of course climaxes with his release from prison and his dealing with the new violence of revolutionaries, which had started a war. It concludes with his inauguration as the first democratically elected South African President. Naomie Harris co-stars as his wife (of 38 years) Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

When the movie premiered in London (on December 5th, 2013) Nelson Mandela's daughters Zindzi and Zenani were in attendance. They were notified during the film, by cell phone, that their father had just passed away and said they did not want the screening to be postponed. It really would have been nice if the movie was a more fitting tribute (and I really wanted to like it) but it's just not nearly inspiring enough. It's long, boring and uninvolving. The length of the film (almost two and a half hours) wouldn't have bothered me if it had felt more eventful. Elba is decent in the lead but he seemed more passionate and inspiring in the monster flick 'PACIFIC RIM' than he did in this! Still the movie is educational and worth watching, it's just disappointing that it's such a missed opportunity for a better film.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAydMPYt0Hs

Long Walk to the Academy Awards

[shant-101 · 10/10 · 8 September 2013]

I'm calling it now: 'Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom' WILL be nominated for Best Picture by the Academy for Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Why? It has all the right ingredients. It portrays a worldwide hero cinematically and truthfully (not that the Academy cares about the truth, just look at Argo). Nelson Mandela wasn't a perfect man and the filmmakers admit to that straight of the bat. They also don't just go from scene to scene plotting out Mandela's life, they take their time and allow the audience to enter South Africa and its people and places. It's a very cinematic film. It also allows the audience to leave the theater inspired. I found myself suddenly having a greater appreciation for finding the good in people. I definitely credit this to Alex Heffes, the musical composer who really pulled off a score that (I would say) is better than some of John Williams' score. It's made by an underdog filmmaker, (something the Academy always looks for) and is even endorsed by Mandela himself. It's a fantastic film that I have had the pleasure to see and I hope to see Justin Chadwick and Anant Singh at the Oscars in February.

A shouldn't miss movie!

[billsoccer · 9/10 · 28 December 2013]

This movie isn't perfect - after seeing it one wonders why it wasn't made so. After all, it's about one of the most important people of the 20th Century! It shows his roots in his tribe, revisiting this theme throughout, helping to explain several of his life's turning points. The tribal traditions explain his interest in helping the black populace in South Africa, and his gradual radicalization. 20+ years later, he was at odds with his political party and fellow freedom fighters when the Apartheid government started putting out peace feelers. He's shown struggling internally with power-sharing (delaying true democracy) and his 2nd wife's - Winnie Mandela - terrorist activities. I think they could have highlighted his decision to walk away from power - ala George Washington - and peacefully transfer power. This was a first, and still isn't routine in Africa! Idris Elba's performance clearly puts him in contention for best-actor Oscar.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is interesting in depicting historical events but falls a little short in being dramatically compelling enough

[tavm · 6/10 · 26 March 2015]

Just watched this movie with Mom on a Netflix disc. Her viewing of the film got her to understand more about him and the wife of his she's most familiar with, Winnie, since she's an avid reader of newspapers and magazines and probably remembered most of their struggles during their lifetime while watching the movie. Since I rarely read about them during those times, I wasn't completely able to put the events together in a naturally flowing way drama-wise. Still, I appreciated the performances of Idris Elba and Naomie Harris in those roles in trying to convey their attitudes resulting from how each suffered during their jail times. So on that note, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is worth a look.

wasnt expecting that.

[nikhilrampal · 4/10 · 25 January 2018]

Yes. Idris elba was amazing. But we knew that going in.

What we didn't know is that this movie was going to be frustratingly focused on his early life and mistakes to the extent id rather be watching an episode of friends.

Poor script.

Could have been better! 6/10

[leonblackwood · 6/10 · 15 June 2014]

Review: Most of the material used in this movie has been seen through the media or read in books, so you don't find out any in depth information about the man or his family. But saying that, the movie is well put together by the director and you do feel the intensity of the various situations that Mandela found himself in. I liked the music used throughout the movie, especially when the kids are singing, but my main problem with the film is Idris Elba. He totally didn't look like Mandela and his build and mannerisms really didn't work. After seeing Morgan Freeman do such a good job playing Mandela in Invictus, Elba really did have a steep hill to climb with his portrayal. Apart from that, it's a watchable movie which is extremely touching and emotional. Watchable!

Round-Up: Idris Elba has really played some versatile roles since he came on the scene in the Wire. From Prometheus, Thor & Pacific Rim, you can see that this role was a complete change from his usual performances, which was why some people found it hard to watch. Naomie Harris put in a good performance, but she was still a strange choice by the director because she has only come to light through Skyfall and the Pirate Of The Caribbean franchise as Tia Dalma. I think that the the saviour for the movie had to be the concept and the fact that Mandela sadly passed away soon after the movie came out. There must be some in depth information that has never been seen or told by the public which can make a much better movie, if they get the perfect actor.

Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $27million

I recommend this movie to people who are into the Mandela legacy and the way he changed South Africa. 6/10

Mandela

[theannakostan · 7/10 · 11 January 2014]

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is a pretty good movie for what it is worth. I saw it two weeks ago and it still has me thinking about Nelson Mandela and South Africa and generally I think that is a mark of a pretty good movie, if it still has me thinking about it or its subject matter that long after leaving the theatre. I actually learned a few things I did not know about the Mandelas and their cause in South Africa other than just the Apartheid fight that we all obviously know about. I'm not sure how historically accurate the movie was but again the movie had a view and got me thinking about it so it gets points for that. There was some violence in it so be careful about letting children watch this before they are ready.

G movie

[machudson · 7/10 · 7 June 2021]

I think this is a good movie. The acting seems to be good and on point, but I do not know much of Mandela. This review is for a school assignment in which I did not finish the movie, I wont be surprised if this does not help you out. When the actor eventually had to play as the "older" Mandela he also did a good job.

Powerhouse performance

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 5 August 2014]

If you didn't know Idris Elba before this, you will remember his name after this. Mandela you knew (most likely), but if you hadn't read up on him or followed his his life in general, you might not know some of the things that are displayed here. And he's not only shown as being "good" (though that term is always something that can be argued about) in the movie either.

Every man has downsides and every man will have flaws. That doesn't change the fact that Mandella did something great and was a voice that could not be silenced. This lead to family issues obviously and those are portrayed here too. It's hard to get all the details and since this is a movie there is some freedom (no pun intended) in the storytelling. But overall this could be watched in History classes in School.