Movie review for “A World Apart”
Synopsis: South Africa, 1963, Communist Gus Roth is forced to flee Johannesburg to escape arrest, leaving his activist wife Diana to continue their crusade against apartheid. But when Diana is wrenched from her three daughters and jailed under the notorious 90-day Detention Act, she and her family face the ultimate sacrifice in the fight for freedom.
Rating: PG
Run Time: 1 Hr. 53 Min.
Director: Chris Menges
Dvd Extra’s: Languages: English, French, Spanish
Nudity Factor: None
Of Note: Shawn Slovo wrote the screenplay about her own growing up in South Africa, Molly being the screen representation of herself. The film is dedicated to her real life mother, Ruth First (the character of Diana in the movie).
Recommendations:
Rating:
I have read a few books on Ruth First. The challenges she faced with a government that could pretty much do whatever it wanted. This movie depicts a small part of her life. The time when the government could lock anyone up for 90 days just because they wanted to. Then release you and lock you up for another 90 days. Shawn Slovo the real life daughter of Ruth First is represented by Molly in the film also helped put this film together. The challenges she faced growing up in this time. It also then shifts a lot of the focus of the film over to that perspective.
Overall, I was a little let down with this film. The storytelling in the film is not consistent. It lulls in many places and really struggles at times to find a decent pace. It shows a small snapshot of the life of Ruth First, and seems to leave a lot out that I thought could have helped the story.