Catch a fire film review

1.     In general, what did you like and dislike about the film?

I really enjoyed the film, especially the first middle part of it. Watching a film about a normal black citizen and his own struggles in the apartheid society is something you don’t get to see, mainly because producers may think that a movie about revolutionaries can be way more interesting. However, Catch a fire does it – and pretty well actually. Patrick Chamuso was an apolitical citizen, who didn’t care to change the world as long as he could live his live quietly. He was a school soccer teacher, had a family (although he cheated his wife) and did his job as good as he could. However, after he was tortured everything changed for him. He didn’t wanted his family to have the same problem, so he decided to change it and become a revolutionary.

I didn’t enjoyed too much the second part of the film. I see that it shows the things the way they were, and I admire the movie director Phillip Noyce for that. However, the war movies doesn’t really appeal to me, and that’s what I see that it became. However, I still think this is the best apartheid film I’ve seen so far.

2.     Who was the character you like the most and the character you liked the least in the film? Why?

I really liked Patrick’s character. He was very well written, and one can really connect with him in a way, as he was a normal man. His development from an apolitical citizen to a revolutionary is clear, and you can really tell why it happened. He was very brave too, willing to give his live for the freedom of Africa, and more importantly, of his daughters.

A character I hated was Patrick’s captor, Nic Vos. He was simply a terrible person. He lied, pretending to be accepting Patrick in his place at some point, but he actually enjoyed torturing him.

3.     What was the role of Samora Machel, the FRELIMO, and revolutionary Mozambique in the struggle against the South African apartheid? Use examples from the film and the biography of Samora Machel

The FRELIMO, just like many revolutionary movements at the time, was trying to get the freedom of his nation. This means that they are in a similar position with South Africa’s movements like the ANC. They helped them in the way they could, and, in the movie, it can be seen in the military training FRELIMO would let them make in Mozambique. Machel, who was the leader of the movement after the passing of its founder, was trying to get Mozambique to be free, and helped South Africa giving them a safe (or at least, safer) place to train.