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Tsotsi [DVD] [2006]
 
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Tsotsi [DVD] [2006]

DVD ~ Presley Chweneyagae
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
RRP: £12.99
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Frequently Bought Together

Tsotsi [DVD] [2006] + Goodbye Bafana [DVD] [2007] + Hotel Rwanda [DVD]
Total RRP: £52.97
Price For All Three: £13.44

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Tsotsi [DVD] [2006]
75% buy the item featured on this page:
Tsotsi [DVD] [2006] 4.2 out of 5 stars (21)
£4.98
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Product details

  • Actors: Presley Chweneyagae, Mothusi Magano, Percy Matsemela, Terry Pheto, Jerry Mofokeng
  • Directors: Gavin Hood
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: Momentum Pictures Home Ent
  • DVD Release Date: 17 Jul 2006
  • Run Time: 94 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000F2BN5Y
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 6,969 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Synopsis
Based on South African playwright Athol Fugard's only novel, TSOTSI is a thrilling, provocative look at life in the ghettos outside present-day Johannesburg. Presley Chweneyagae stars as the title character, a teenager with a killer stare who lives alone in a ramshackle room in a poor shantytown, where he pulls off petty crimes with the help of three compatriots Boston (Mothusi Magano), Butcher (Zenzo Ngqobe), and Aap (Kenneth Nkosi). But after they stab a man to death on the subway and Tsotsi (which means thug or gangster) beats up Boston for trying to find out about his past, Tsotsi runs off to a wealthy section of the city, shoots a woman, and steals her car. Only later does he discover that there is a baby in the back seat and decides to keep it for himself. As Tsotsi finally does look back at his own childhood, he tries to take care of the infant, carrying it around in a paper bag and forcing a young mother, Miriam (Terry Pheto), to breastfeed it at gunpoint. At this point, writer-director Gavin Hood could have opted for trite sentimentality, but instead he delves deeper into Tsotsi's psyche, as the young man might have already gone too far to turn back now. TSOTSI is a pulsating, electrifying film propelled by Chweneyagae's powerful, mesmerising performance. The pounding soundtrack features popular local Kwaito music by Zola, who also plays crimelord Fela in the film. Winner of the 2006 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, 'TSOTSI will rank as one of the best films ever to come out of South Africa', as Fugard himself said.

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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
5 star:
 (10)
4 star:
 (8)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful, 7 April 2006
By sam (london United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
So you may have missed Tsotsi when it was in our cinemas this winter/spring and may have thought that wasn't much of a loss anyway. It's not Mission impossible nor is it Sophies choice- its not "hollywood" and that may have led you to believe you didn't miss anything significant, a feeling that i probably would have shared if i hadn't been forced to see this beautiful southafrican made film.
I fell instantly in love with the amazingly acted characters of tsotsi and the visual style of the film equally. So much so, i bought this dvd. This film is a gem. An absolutely beautiful story which captivates and transends geographical boundaries, race and class
I guess the point of this review is to make sure that a least one other person out there may see it, buy the dvd and hopefully see what i saw. Or at least something close to what i did. thanks
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and Intense Film, 2 May 2006
By L. Davidson (Belfast, N.Ireland) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
"Tsotsi" won the Best Foreign Film Award at the 2006 Oscars, so it is worth watching if only to see why it is so highly rated by the critics. It is a film about redemption and "the power of love" ,which transforms the heart of a callous and vicious Soweto gangster; the "Tsotsi" of the film's title. This takes place gradually following his unwitting kidnapping of a young baby after stealing a car and shooting a woman in a wealthy part of Johannesburg. Assuming the role of father , the experience of looking after the stolen child triggers memories of his own traumatic childhood and helps him come to terms with it, as well as opening his heart to the possibility of developing constructive, loving relationships with people. Presley Chweneyagae puts in a stellar performance as Tsotsi and he is ably supported by a fine cast. The film possesses a tremendous amount of intensity and emotion and it's message that "there is good in everyone" ,even amongst the most hopeless of cases ,is a positive and life-affirming one. The cinematography in "Tsotsi" is admirable also and the storyline provides interesting insights into relationships between social classes in 21st Century South Africa, where life for the majority of blacks still appears to remain nasty ,brutish and short.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Child is a Father to Man, 14 May 2006
By MICHAEL ACUNA (Southern California United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
Though "Tsotsi" is set in South Africa and the milieu, to the American eye, is as exotic as a film set on the Moon, the concerns are Universal: the loss or disconnect of ones parents, the longing for a parent's love and caring, a governments lack of concern for a citizens civil rights.
Tsotsi (Presley Chweneygae) is a hood, a young man who kills and steals without any apparent concern for what he is doing and why he is doing it. His face and eyes radiate mostly hate and disdain. He is psychically and emotionally detached and removed. Then, one day he steals a luxury car, shoots the woman to whom it belongs and realizes, once he drives the car away, that there is an infant in the back seat.
This beautiful, innocent child forces Tsotsi ( really named David) to face the loss of his Mother, the uncaring, drunken non-concern of his father and the deep seated, mostly ignored or glossed , psychically ignored feelings with which he hasn't been able to deal.
Director and screenwriter Gavin Hood (adapted from a novel by Athol Fugard) has fashioned a traditionally structured film and peopled it with non-traditional characters and it works because we can all relate to Tsotsi's dilemma. And it doesn't hurt to have Presley Chweneygae as your lead character. The first time we see Tsotsi on screen he looks at the camera with his huge black eyes: eyes that are filled with superiority, despair, disgust and hurt. When he first sees the infant his eyes and face fill with wonder and awe at the utter helplessness and innocence. It is this disparity and friction that makes the film crackle with fire and well observed life.
"Tsotsi" is not a revolutionary film like say the similarly themed "Children of God" but it is a very emotionally effective and socially aware one and Presley Chweneyagae's performance is so natural and truthful that it makes you wince with recognition and empathy.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Life lessons
I don't usually take the time to review things as most people say it all in their reviews anyway, but I have to express my pure love for this film. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Ms. C. I. Rawlins

4.0 out of 5 stars Re-birth of a Rainbow Nation? (8/10)
Based on a novel by South African playwright Athol Fugard, Tsotsi a slickly-produced, powerful drama set in a giant township outside Johannesburg. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Demob Happy

5.0 out of 5 stars SPECTACULAR!
I will keep this review brief as I believe that it doesn't take long to portray with words just how utterly brilliant this film really is. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mr. Shaun M. Thomas

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding hope in desperate life of a young South African
Tsotsi is ultimately an uplifting film set in the brutal and hopeless world of a young man (Tsotsi) living in a shanty town outside Johannesburg. Read more
Published 23 months ago by John Deighan

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthy Oscar Winner-for a change
I won't give you a plot summary as several reviewers have done so and Amazons review gives you the plot (why spoil it?). Read more
Published 24 months ago by Eve

5.0 out of 5 stars It's amazing what reaches a gang leaders heart
`Tsotsi' is one gorgeous and thrilling film. Not only is it a first-rate piece of storytelling, but it also takes the viewer into a world of South African poverty and crime that... Read more
Published on 4 Jul 2007 by Jenny J.J.I.

5.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric
Having lived in Johannesburg over thirty years ago and being familiar with life in the townships I thought that this film captured their atmosphere remarkably well. Read more
Published on 31 May 2007 by Mr. A. V. Ward

4.0 out of 5 stars Baby let's play house...
Following on the ragged coat tails of previous award stormer's such as La Haine and City of God, Tsotsi also deals with marginalised youth gangs fighting for survival, respect... Read more
Published on 24 May 2007 by Adrian Stranik

3.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening
This film opens your eyes to what life can be like, makes you appreciate the UK! My sister-in-law lives in Jo-burg, has seen the film and thinks it quite realistic. Read more
Published on 22 May 2007 by C. Jones

5.0 out of 5 stars A disturbing and moving film
Set mainly in a ghetto in Johannesburg this film tells the story of the criminal underclass for whom violence and robbery are everyday occurrences and necessary for their own... Read more
Published on 1 Feb 2007 by J. Page

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