Cry, the Beloved Country



I watched Cry, The Beloved Country on Saturday night.

I'd read the book towards the end of my peace corps service in South Africa in March of 2001. There was a lyrical quality to the book that sticks with me still. I'd read a string of things beforehand that were plot-focused plot-driven, and so it was a treat to read something where the words themselves were as important as the story they were trying to tell. I liked that the adaptation kept some voiceover narration to maintain Patton's distinctive voice.

The film version was good. James Earl Jones and Richard Harris were great. I'd have liked to see the son's story fleshed out more (like it was in the book), but even without that the film was compelling.

The shots of the drakensburg and rural natal (KZN) were stunning and brought me right back to the hiking trip that SB and I took through the drakensburg in 2000. Good times.




Posted: Sat - June 10, 2006 at 11:09 PM      

©