SOUND OFF

One of the year's best films.

What about a Sound Off for The Princess and the Frog? I'd think that movie has been publicized well enough to be worthy of a Sound Off page.

This idea that South Africa is some sort of rainbow nation now is a farce. Adriana Stuijt reports that by 2008, more than 800,000 of the 3 million Afrikaaner minority were reported homeless.....living in shacks, caravans, and in more than 120 squatter camps and at religious missions. Many Afrikaaners are now denied jobs because they are not black. Since 1994, there has been tens of thousands of cases of well organised, armed gangs of young black men attacking Afrikaaners. These attacks include gang-rapes, racial and ethnic slurs, the removal of sexual organs, finally followed by an execution-style murder. One particular case involved the torture and murder of Alice Lotter,77 and her daughter Helen, 57. They were first tortured by being stabbed with broken glass bottles into their vaginas. Then one had her breast cut off while she was still alive. Both women were finally killed by strangulation. The black killers then used the victims blood to write "Kill the Boer, Kill the Farmer" on the walls of the home. When is Hollywood going to show this ongoing genocide of the Afrikaaner Germanic people? Matt Damon claims to care about human rights. I guess that only applies to certain types of people.

I thought the movie was wonderful. Inspirational and well directed. I saw the early showing of it this morning and not really fully understanding rugby, I felt I got a good grip on the sport. The coaching clinic in the movie, somewhat help me understand the rules of the game. I am a soccer fan really, and the quote, "soccer is a gentleman's sport played by hooligans and rugby is a hooligan's sport played by gentleman" stuck in my mind. But what really drew me to the movie was the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley... Great Poem, very inspiring. Morgan Freeman made me forget he was an actor, he did a awesome job as Mandela but hey, its not his first time playing a South African ala Power of One. I think Morgan should get at least nominated but i dnt know if it was good enough for a win. I was captivated by it.. showing the transition of a country from apartheid to equality and the humanity or comrodery of sports to bring forth unity was inspiring.

Question: How many indigenous people of South Africa are currently homeless now? How many Indigenous people of South Africa have been killed during apartheid or even after apartheid or maybe even now? Like your point is full of holes, i agree with you, murder, rape, pillaging, displacement and/or genocide is barbaric and inhumane. But the table have not completely turned. The minority Afrikaaners still hold majority of the wealth in South Africa. It is sad what happen to those families and woman but it is nothing new, under sun of South Africa. I am not going to even say its poetic justice, its not fair, its right but the Afrikaaners have done far more to indigenous people of South Africa in a century then what has been this last decade. I bet you if i got to a shantytown in South Africa, the demographics would be the same; poor black South African people! maybe just maybe a sprinkle of Afrikaaners. Like those Afrikaaners being displaced are landowners that may have had legitimate right to the land but I doubt it. It was never theirs to begin with. There great grandfather before them probably stole it or conquered it or eminent domain. Do they deserve to die over it, probably not. All in all, its a Hollywood movie. Not all the truths are going to come out. Even in America, people are being displaced or killed because of race, religion, economic status. Matt Damon aint Jesus and neither is Nelson Mandela, people are still upset, angry and frustrated by past oppressions. Those who are already malicious in nature be them Afrikaaner or Black South Africans are going to display that type evil nature. That is not going to change overnite. But comment over here about the oppression or genocide of Afrikaaner Germanic people for the last decade, there not fully oppressed. Hollywood recognize a full onslaught of oppression and genocide. More people will have to die for the cause for it to be mediated. How bout you do you part. Maybe a documentary, lets forget about what Matt Damon and worry about what you can do. you've started already by expressing you opinion which is good but now what else can you do? Did you even see the movie? Like why watch if you harbor such feelings? Why comment on a sound off and you haven't watched it? i hoped u watched and just maybe you'll produce or direct your vision or take on it.

My staff and I watched it last night and none of us liked it - I thought it was as bad as Gran Torino and for all the same reasons. He gets great performances from his lead actors but everyone else - well they're just embarrassing. I lost count of how many times some of the minor characters were looking at the camera. By the end of the film it was just a big joke for us full of all-too-odd moments and that horribly long slo-mo bit at the end. In fact, just about everything was dragged out like he (Eastwood) felt he had to beat you over the head to get the point (one example: the black boy and the white cops at the end he kept cutting back to for the duration of the final game). The musical montages were another embarrassment and the relationships between the blacks and the whites was nothing surprising and unfortunately it all boiled down to charicatures. It's a shame that Morgan Freeman, in a role he was born to play, ended up in this lackluster film. Of course audiences here today are just eating it up because it's Clint (and Morgan and Matt) just like they ate up Gran Torino and all it's faults. I like Clint Eastwood but I fear he's losing his directorial touch.

>>I thought it was as bad as Gran Torino Lol! Gran Torino's a frickin' masterpiece so basically you're one clueless tool, Mat.

@#5 Phil you are a idiot once again, if you talking about Afrikaaner Germanic people been killed what about all the black african people who been killed too by white people. i seen all your comments before bashing Thor movie cause they cast a black man and a asian man in the movie. now you attacking this movie i think you need to shut the fuck up Phil.

Alex, recently (the last 4-5 months) i've read about six of your articles and thought "what are you smoking?" Your opinion yes but seriously Eastwood has a problem with pacing??

@number 5, You are polarizing a bit, but I understand your point of view. I have been there and had also the impression that the black people are taking kind of a "revenge". they haven't learned from the past...

#5 go to bed little boy. #18 what you man they havent learned from the past. you call it the past but its still going on right now racist white african people has a stronge hold in africa.

I saw the movie last night with my father. He had a rather unique perspective of having lived in South Africa for about six months back in the mid 1980's when aparteid was still in full force. WE both thought the movie amazing. The acting was phenomenal, but what can you expect from Morgan Freeman, and Matt Damon was a revelation. I thought Mr. Eastwood did a beautiful job with the story and the cinematographyand his use of the film score was awesome. The use of the poem Invictus was inspired. It is my fathers favorite poem. He's had a copy of it (given by me for his birthday) on his bedroom wall for about 40 years and me could both still recite 3/4s of it. My only minor quibble with the film was in my opinion, the dialects were a bit overwhelming and i had a hard time understanding some of the dialogue. As for the above comments of people using the movie to politicize a point of view: IT'S A MOVIE, PEOPLE!. detailing a not so distant past where a race of people had been subjugated. Yes, it still goes on in the world today. Is the world perfect: NOT HARDLY. Will attitudes of people change: PROBABLY NOT. Is this movie trying to change attitudes: MAYBE. Just enjoy the movie or not, that is all anyone can do. and maybe try to be a little nicer and a little more tolerant of other people. That's all anyone of use can do.

This film represents a great story. Every film attempts to tell a great story, even if there's another message within. I personally want a great story when I go see a film. I think it would be silly to think a film about Nelson Mandela, including Mr. Mandela's actual words, would not have his message within it. Solid film.

#18 You are a conservative though, right? Non-conservatives generally don't make a point to memorize isolated horror stories about black-on-white violence In South Africa to repeat in graphic detail in response to a film that deals, in part, with apartheid. I wouldn't say #12 was ASSUMING you were a conservative. They were INFERRING it on the basis of your post. Of course, that's not 100% reliable. And neither is any evidence you're going to encounter in a court of law either. So, how about you drop the BS I'm-a-victim outrage for once, ok Conservative?

@#26 Tom Dearsley I wish Firstshowing.net had more reviews as well. Alex, Brandon, can you consider this a poll?

#5, ha ha ha. That's pretty funny.

#13: If Gran Torino is a "frickin masterpiece" then then my morning bowel movement would like to thank the members of the Academy... But thanks, I've never been called a clueless tool before I'd suggest that the next time you watch Gran Torino maybe take your head out of Clint Eastwood's crotch and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Does anyone know if Spike Lee has seen the film. Is Spike complaining that their aren't enough black actors in this movie?

dee, awesome.

What do you mean by complaining that all of his movies have kind of social/political/racial message? Of course they do and of course those are the movies that the Academy eats up. When your movie lacks any of these, then its rarely a movie anyone actually wants to see. Think of one movie that doesn't at least have a SOCIAL message. Dare ya.

Phil (comment #5), I'm a white South African and I can assure you that what you think is happening in South Africa is complete rubbish. I was born here and have lived all over the world, but SA is and always will be home. I'm proud to be a Southy African everyday of my life and I can assure you that the so called genocide that you refer to is a myth. I live, work and socialise with Afrikaaners, Zulu's, Sotho, Xhosa's and have never once encountered the racist attitude you say is so prevalant. We have a constitution that enshrines human rights, we have a government that is fighting (and winning) the war against crime in the county - please note that I am not a supporter of the current government, but can see what they are doing right - and we have a country full of people with a lot to offer each other and the world.

I believe Clint Eastwood is making wonderful, inspiring statements as he ages. He gets better like a fine wine. He want to impart to the world a sense of what we could be. Yes, I found Invictus, at times, slow. But the overall message of forgiveness and redemption captivated me. I came out thinking about forgiveness in my life and I think that is what Director Eastwood wanted. Bravo.

Can't wait to see this film! Not so sure about Matt Damon pulling off a South African accent though... either way Invictus also has a really cool facebook fan page, if you're a fan of the movie! http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=invictus&init=quick#/invictus?v=wall&ref=search

Bla bla bla... Im reading all your comments on racism and thinking.... you know, Im a girl living in South Africa (and Im NOT a racist).....but I can tell you one thing, Im so scared of some of these barbaric black people thats out there raping, murdering and torturing innocent people (Black and white). Not a night goes by without the police helicopter flying over my house looking for these murderers. You can probably blame it on apartheid, name it what you will, I just think these people will never change. If your bad, your bad, and no matter what...it will never change their evil hearts. Look around you and see that some of your good black-brothers have moved on and focused on the good in life.

Bored me almost to death.