Customer Reviews

Endgame

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a PBS/BBC type (101 minutes..shown on TV in 2 parts) miniseries about the behind the scenes negotiations and political struggle by both Whites and Blacks opposed to the Aparthide Policy of the South African Government. Stars William Hurt as a college professor and Oiwetel Ejiofor as Nelson Mandela. Sometimes the plot seems like a spy novel with secret meetings, political assassinations, bombings, eavesdropping by security forces, and coded messages. Based on fact and realistically presented, this is a very good movie and well worth seeing. Get your popcorn BEFORE the start of the movie and don't miss a single second..!

ENDGAME, as written by Paula Milne and directed by Pete Travis, is a thinking person's film. The subject is the ongoing crises of the Apartheid in South Africa (here during the years 1985 - 1990, with after film commentary to 1999) and the extended secret meetings between the Apartheid regime as controlled by President Botha (Timothy West), those meetings held between the African National Congress represented by Thabo Mbeki (Chiwetel Ejiofor) with prisoner Nelson Mandela (Clarke Peters) as the heart of the blacks and the increasingly disillusioned Afrikaner Apartheidists lead by Professor Will Esterhuyse (William Hurt) convened by a British representative Michael Young (Jonny Lee Miller) acting as spokesman for his entrepreneurial boss Rudolf Agnew (Derek Jacobi) of a major British industry vested in South Africa. The talks are wired by Botha's intelligence officer Dr. Niel Barnard (Mark Strong) and level of intrigue is high. The message of the film is the struggle and final victory of democracy and the end of Apartheid in South Africa, and while the cerebral discussions by this fine group of actors is illuminating, the film gains its power from fast shots of the conditions in South Africa at the time, including rioting, terrorist acts, loss of families, and the ever present intrigue and danger surrounding those men attending the secret meetings.

The supporting cast (especially John Kani as Oliver Tambo, the venerated life long friend of Mandela) is exceptionally strong, but in the end it is the unexpected fine acting of William Hurt and the always excellent Chiwetel Ejifor who remind us how small scaled dramas can have far more impact than the big epics we are used to enduring. This film is especially excellent for informing the public about the ins and outs and meanings of the South African Apartheid and why the ending of that evil regime lighted the fuse for so many other important sociologic changes. Grady Harp, June 10

The politically driven "Endgame" helps to elucidate a period of time in South Africa's history when apartheid was coming to an end. A well meaning endeavor featuring a top notch cast, "Endgame" inevitably scores more points for its intentions than for its intrinsic entertainment value. With Chiwetel Ejiofor, William Hurt, and Jonny Lee Miller in principle roles, this film--which originally aired on PBS here in the states--did get nominated for best Made-for-TV movie at this year's Emmy awards. But while I did admire the effort, my personal knowledge of the circumstances and the players (or lack thereof) left me somewhat unconnected from the film as something other than a history lesson. If you are a neophyte when it comes to the political climate and the influential figures in South Africa circa the late eighties, there are certainly more accessible films available (might I suggest "Mandela and de Klerk" starring Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier?). But the more advanced knowledge you have about the subject matter, the more you'll be able to appreciate the intricacies of "Endgame."

An intriguing and intimate look at the behind-the-scenes machinations that brought about Nelson Mandela's release from prison as well as the beginning of the end to apartheid, "Endgame" is structured dramatically as a series of meetings. Ejiofor represents the African National Congress as Thabo Mbeki and Hurt is Professor Will Esterhuyse, an increasingly disillusioned member of the Afrikaner Apartheidists. Brought together by Miller, representing British Industry with a stake in South Africa's future, the screenplay leads us through a series of negotiations that brought these disparate viewpoints into alignment. Hurt and Ejiofor are great, as you might expect, but it was some of the smaller performances that actually stood out for me. Miller was perfectly understated, Clarke Peters ("The Wire") was a convincing Mandela, and the usually underrated Mark Strong was filled with oily menace as the head of President Botha's intelligence service.

A dignified effort all around, I wholeheartedly recommend "Endgame" to anyone with an interest in the subject matter. But, as I've previously stated, this is probably not for a casual viewer. In some ways, I might have been singing higher praises had this been developed in a longer format. With a more defined context and more historical perspective given to the vast array of characters, this might have been a definitive film on the subject. Ultimately, though, the film we have is a worthwhile one and provides an interesting perspective often given short shrift in other apartheid dramas. KGHarris, 12/10.

This is one of the most interesting movies I've seen in a long time. It is highly suspenseful
and tells the story of the secret meetings that eventually led to the end of Apartheid.
You won't be sorry you took the time to see this film. Gives one hope that peace can be negotiated in even the most difficult conflicts. Should be required viewing in any history class regarding S. Africa; Casting - outstanding!

"Endgame," a British film that premiered on PBS' "Masterpiece Contemporary" but also played briefly in theaters in America, provides us with a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the waning days of South African Apartheid.

The time is the 1980s. While political prisoner Nelson Mandela languishes behind bars and violent uprisings rend the fabric of the nation, the white-minority Afrikaner government led by President P.W. Botha has declared the ANC (the African National Congress) to be an illegitimate terrorist organization run by communists and therefore unworthy of a seat at the table in any negotiations concerning the role of blacks in the future of South Africa. Into the breach stride a number of crucial players who are attempting - at great personal risk to themselves and their families - to bring the two opposing sides together through secretive talks being held at an estate in the English countryside. Present at that event are Michael Young (Jonny Lee Miller), a British businessman whose company has vital interests in South Africa and who sees the eventual abolishment of Apartheid as a good and necessary thing on both a professional and moral level; Thabo Mbeki (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a representative from the ANC; and Willie Esterhuyse (William Hurt), a philosophy professor who seems to see both sides of the issue and can therefore serve as an honest broker between the two factions (though the government also sees him as a potentially useful spy for its own side). Mandela (Clarke Peters) and Botha (Timothy West) also appear as characters, with the latter trying to convince the former to denounce the ANC's acts of violence, using subtle tactics of persuasion to do so.

Written by Paula Milne and directed by Pete Travis, "Endgame," which is based on the book "The Fall of Apartheid" by Robert Harvey, strikes a careful balance between conversational sit-downs, where agreements are reached and terms hashed out, and the kind of breath-bating, cloak-and-dagger espionage sequences that are a crucial part of any political thriller. The characters are all thoughtful, three-dimensional men who have strong opinions on matters but who are also open to new ideas and compromise and who often have to contend with their own fears, prejudices and self-doubts before they can finally come to a workable resolution. The movie manages to be intimate in tone while, at the same time, never neglecting the broader political and social canvas against which this small-scale drama is taking place. The result is a well-acted, informative and dramatically compelling re-creation of recent history.

And beyond its purely academic function, "Endgame" serves as an inspirational reminder that it sometimes takes just a handful of brave, morally decent and right-thinking people, willing to forget their differences and to come together in a common cause, to make the world a better place.

Great movie. Show's a fascinating process of how to get adversaries to talk to each other and gain trust. My wife is in the mediation field and I bought it for her as a gift after seeing it on television so she can use it for reference and for trainings. However, it's also suspenseful and engaging for us lay people and brings a lot of insight into the field.

A very interesting portrayal of the beginning of the end of apartheid in South Africa, this movie has plenty of substance. It's a story of intrigue and behind-the-scenes political maneuvering by the involved parties, with elements of suspense as the players operate amongst hostilities, dealing with threats of violence. This one should definitely be viewed by anyone interested in a broader and deeper perspective of one of the greatest events of modern global history.

One exception which caused me to rate it only four stars: I didn't like the casting of William Hurt in the role of Professor Esterhuyzen, the primary mediator/negotiator between the government and the African National Congress. For me the role just seems miscast, but it's really a minor point and ultimately does not detract from the movie's overall message and importance.