Movie Review: MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM (2013)

Written by Anthony Sargon

“Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. Released just one week before the passing of Nelson Mandela, the film is based on his autobiography, titled “Long Walk to Freedom.” While it’s certainly a valiant effort, the film is ultimately too straight-forward and conventional to really break-out, but it’s bolstered by captivating performances by Idris Elba and Naomie Harris.

The film chronicles Nelson Mandela’s journey from a young up-and-comer in the world of civil rights, all the way to becoming President of South Africa. We get to see him become of man of big influence, and quite a lot of the film revolves around his time in prison. But the film also focuses on Winnie Mandela, and really highlights the role she played in supporting her husband and his movement while he was in prison, even if their views didn’t line up all that well later on.

What works best about “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” are the performances. While Idris Elba certainly looks nothing like the actual Nelson Mandela and is far too tall and built for the role, he still delivers an enthralling performance that gives audiences a believable and lovable Mandela. In the film’s later scenes, Elba is under quite a lot of makeup to look like an older Mandela, and the makeup department truly does a great job in aging the character convincingly, and they actually make the actor look somewhat like the real deal, except much taller. Namoi Harris is also excellent as Winnie Mandela, and she does a tremendous job at conveying her anger and strength. You see her go from a mild mannered young girl to a strong and fierce revolutionary leader, and Harris is electrifying. I wouldn’t be surprised if the pair got recognized by the academy for their performances.

The problem with the film, and in that case any film trying to cover a big portion of Mandela’s life, is that his story too “larger-than-life” to be truly given justice in a two-hour movie. Maybe a miniseries would be a more efficient way to give every event its due, rather than glossing over it to get to the next big event. The film means well, and with a story as amazing as Nelson Mandela’s, expect to tear up and feel inspired on more than one occasion. But that has less to do with the film and more to do with the story, which is amazing no matter how it’s presented.

The Verdict:

I’d be lying if I said that Nelson Mandela’s recent passing didn’t play a factor in my final impression of the film; had I had seen this earlier, I may have been less forgiving. I think it’s difficult for any film to truly do Nelson Mandela’s story justice, but “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom” is an admirable effort, one that’s bolstered by two very strong lead performances. It won’t teach you anything new about Mandela’s struggles or blow your mind in any way, but it’s a respectful look at one of history’s most influential, and beloved, people.

Numerical Score: 7.5

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