AboveDeepBuggy Some things I liked some I did not.

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Chase_Witherspoon Compelling fictional account of a teacher (Sutherland) who begins to delve into the clandestine methods of his local South African police force when the heavy handedness being meted out against the coloured population happens close to home. Sutherland's character is essentially colour-blind, and shocked to discover his friends, colleagues and even his wife are all afflicted by the stain of Apartheid, and unwilling to modify their views (for fear, retribution and in some cases, their racism).Brando has a relatively peripheral role as the human rights counsel, appearing in a puppet court where vicious establishment official Jurgen Prochnow is on trial for covert, racially-based atrocities. Prochnow is the film's sleeper role as the cold, merciless enforcer, while Ntshona playing Sutherland's key accomplice is also quite a defining character (some may recognise him from "The Wild Geese" in which he played the president in exile Julius Limbani). Susan Sarandon, Michael Gambon, Paul Brooke, John Kani and Ronald Pickup have smaller roles.There's a few unsettling moments and gathering tension in the manner in which Sutherland's character is perversely ostracised for his 'disloyalty', a pariah whose young son makes him vulnerable to retributions. It's a busy kind of movie with frequent scene interchanges, multiple minor characters and sub-plots but the narrative is pervasive and keeps you engaged.

MartinHafer Donald Sutherland plays a well-respected white man living in apartheid-era South Africa. He is a famous ex-rugby player--with a happy life. But, when one of his servants comes to him to complain about police violence towards his son, slowly Sutherland is forced to confront the evil within his society. You see, this caning is only the beginning--soon far, far worse happens to these people and Sutherland refuses to look away and pretend it isn't happening. Eventually, Sutherland is so enraged by the police brutalities that he seeks legal advice--he wants justice and won't accept that there is different justice for blacks and whites. When the case comes to court, it soon becomes VERY apparent that it is futile. Despite overwhelming evidence showing how brutally the police murdered one of their detainees, it was ruled a suicide. With seemingly nothing he can do, what will he do next--especially when his own family just want him to drop it? It's funny, but there was a LOT of hubbub about Marlon Brando in the film. While he totally dominated the portion he was in, it was a relatively small role. I really had to feel sorry for Sutherland, as he was very good in the film but got almost no notice since Brando is an iconic figure and so much attention went towards him.As far as the film goes, it's excellent in every way--well acted, directed and written. It's a very compelling and sad film--and fortunately it's also about what is finally past. Well worth seeing.By the way, this is not a major complaint, but twice in the film if you look closely you can see supposedly dead people breathing. The first is a little girl who is shot and perhaps she really could have continued breathing for a few seconds. But, the guy inside the coffin is clearly supposed to be 100% dead but you can see his chest moving. These goofs should have been caught but don't really detract from the film.I am going to visit South Africa in a few weeks. As an American I naturally know very little about the place, but to get myself in the mood, I am watching as many films about the country as I can. Like most of these films, "A Dry White Season" is about South Africa during the apartheid era. I wish I knew of some other films (other than "Invictus") which talked more about South Africa as it is today.

Michael Neumann This 1989 anti-Apartheid drama makes a half-hearted attempt to include some perspective from the black minority in South Africa, but once again the story is slanted entirely toward its white protagonist (upper class, liberal schoolteacher Donald Sutherland) and equally white villain (sadistic secret police chief Jurgen Prochnow). The whole thrust of the plot is in fact set up so that the greatest outrage is reserved for Sutherland's all too predictable death at the end of the film, and not for all the incidental violence in Soweto. If the scenario showed any brains or integrity the limited point of view might have easily been excused (cf 'A World Apart'), but the urgent moral issues are instead reduced to hack melodrama, wasting the talent of several respected actors (who should have known better) in flimsy two-dimensional roles. Sutherland fakes a Boer accent, Susan Sarandon (on screen for all of five minutes) fakes a British accent, and in the end only Marlon Brando manages to transcend the banality of the script, in a small and otherwise unnecessary role as Sutherland's lawyer.

hkmanwah I believe this to be one of Marlon Brando's most underrated performances. The film itself is a splendid period piece of Apartheid South Africa. I rarely see this movie mentioned in biographical comment with regard to Brando's career, and yet, it is a stunning performance. I assume the lack of comment is the fact that he only played a supporting role, and that the subject of apartheid probably denied it a higher profile. As somebody who has lived in South Africa, both before and after apartheid, i cannot tell you how accurate the performance of Brando is in this role. There is no doubt in my mind that he must have studied meticulously before playing this part. I do not know why, but there are a large percentage of professional people in South Africa who have an almost perfect "Queen's English" accent...but it is tinged with a slight South African edge which only the most perceptive can detect. Not only does Marlon Brando capture this perception, but he somehow manages to replicate it, which i have always found truly incredible. You would have to live South Africa to know how fantastic his voicing is in this part, but believe me, apart from the power of his acting, this role is a truly stunning illustration of his amazing ability. I hope this movie will obtain the higher profile it deserves in the future.Manny Wah Hong Kong