Mandela and Deklerk Reviews

This low-profile production earned high praise from critics for its outstanding acting and faithful recreation of an important turning point in South African history -- the end of apartheid. It was, of course, black activist Nelson Mandela who led the fight against racial separatism, and Sidney Poitier portrays him with dignity and unyielding resolve as Mandela rises from imprisoned persona non grata to leader of all of South Africa. In the role of Mandela's foil-turned-peacemaking partner, Frederick Willem de Klerk, is Michael Caine. His performance aptly depicts the altruism and pragmatism that induce de Klerk to surrender to destiny and, with Mandela, turn South Africa into a democracy in which blacks and whites are equals. Poitier and Caine both won Emmy nominations for their portrayals, and Caine also earned a Golden Globe nod. To enhance the authenticity of the film, director Joe Sargent and producer Bernie Sofronski shot it in locales where the actual Mandela-de Klerk negotiations took place, spliced in newsreel footage of the historic events, and hired native actors -- such as Jerry Mofokeng (Sfsulu), Owen Sejake (Miangeni), and Farouk Valley-Omar (Kathadra) -- to play minor roles. In addition, Sargent and Sofronski engaged South African musician Cedric Gradus Samson to compose a score played by an all-South African orchestra.