On D List of Movie Reviews

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A Dry White Season (1989)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 1/08, 5/19

DWhite
1/08: A Dry White Season is everything that Hotel Rwanda is not.

Understandably, it's a sad story that's of bravery, courage, and justice. The acting is uniformly excellent. I didn't know this before, but after looking up information on the internet about Euzhan Palcy, the director of the film, it turns out she's a black woman from Martinique, French West Indies. Not only that, but she's also the first black female to direct a major Hollywood picture. It's a remarkable achievement.

Donald Sutherland, once again, pulls off a special performance that's reminiscent of Ordinary People. He's largely the reason why the film works althought the story per se is compelling. Jürgen Prochnow, who's well known for Das Boot, gives a great villainous performance, and it's easy to hate his character. Playing a lawyer for a short time, Marlon Brando steals the show. As a reward, he was given an Oscar nomination, the eighth and final of his career.

All in all, A Dry White Season is a must-watch drama.

5/19: A Dry White Season is a sad movie about apartheid in South Africa which now has been abolished.

Euzhan Palcy, a black female director, is brave enough to put the truth on screen for everybody to see, and it's difficult not to be moved. There are many strong performances by the ensemble cast who play a mix of heroes and villains. The standouts are Donald Sutherland, Zakes Mokae, Jürgen Prochnow, and Marlon Brando who scored the film's sole Oscar nomination after coming back from a nine-year self-imposed retirement.

All in all, telling the truth often makes for great films, and A Dry White Season is one of them.