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AMANDLA! A REVOLUTION IN FOUR-PART HARMONY Send This Review to a Friend
The long battle for black freedom in South Africa before apartheid could be overthrown is set to music in this film with an unusual angle. Songs that accompanied the struggle are interwoven with the landmark events of the upheaval and meaningful interviews. The result is a powerful, if sometimes repetitive, take on one of the great developments of the 20th Century.
The music and the struggle are beautifully blended to stimulate appreciation on both levels. We also meet an array of participants, including singer Miriam Makeba, trumpter Hugh Masekela, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, singer and song-writer Vusi Mahlasela and singer Sibongile Khumalo. There is story after story told by those who suffered under the repressive South African government. Film clips of the demonstrations and the suppression abound, and we learn much about the history of the era.
The music has an irresistible beat and the facts have irresistible force. This is a film with passion, encompassing the lows and the highs, the sadness and the triumph. Director Lee Hirsch and all who assisted and participated have created an important and illuminating cinematic and musical document. An Artisan Entertainment release.
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