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Cry Freedom (1987)

Director: Richard Attenborough

Average user rating
4 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Donald Woods (Kline), editor of the Daily Dispatch, following the publication of a critical article on black activist Steve Biko (Washington), is challenged to meet him, and is won over. After Biko's brutal murder by the South African police, Woods refuses to accept the official cause of death (hunger strike) and campaigns for a full public enquiry. Viciously persecuted along with his wife and family, he finds that flight is the only answer. The initial stages of this epic movie are somewhat stodgy, but once Attenborough achieves his momentum there's no holding him. The performances are excellent, the crowd scenes astonishing, and the climax truly nerve-wracking. An implacable work of authority and compassion, Cry Freedom is political cinema at its best.

Author: MS

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

  • boboman said...
    Posted on Aug 25 2008 13:52 i was forced to watch this movie in social studies and i though that it was terribly boring, and at some parts it was hard to keep my eyes open but it was educational about racism
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  • james said...
    Posted on Dec 21 2007 20:17 cryfreedom
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  • Bumble Bee said...
    Posted on Dec 11 2007 19:18 I HAD to watch this movie in history. I thught is was going to just be another boring movie. But i thought is was a really good movie and shows alot of what happened. I would recomend it to all and woulld say to wathc it more than once. Hope you liked it as much as i did
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  • simone said...
    Posted on Jul 31 2007 06:49 I studied this film for English this year, and found it not all that entertaining, but overall was a good movie. Even though it doesn't focus on Biko himself that much, rather Donald Woods, it is still a good view Biko to be found.
    Have fun watching...
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Cry Freedom

Cast & crew

Director: Richard Attenborough

Producer: Richard Attenborough

Cast: Kevin Kline, Penelope Wilton, Denzel Washington, John Hargreaves, Alec McCowen, Kevin McNally, Zakes Moke, Ian Richardson full cast

Duration: 158 mins


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