A South African cinematic triumph

The Afrikaan word "tsotsi" roughly translates to "thug." On the surface, the film "Tsotsi" is about the life of a young street-raised gangster named Tsotsi, in the same vein as 2001's "City of God." However, below its skin the film is more a stark look at redemption and one man's desire to break away from the harsh innate life of the slums is South Africa. \n"Tsotsi" chronicles a group of South African hoods as they reap mayhem throughout their run down shantytowns and the upper class, bourgeois sectors of the city of Johannesburg. Tsotsi (newcomer Presely Chweneyagae in a daunting and brilliant debut) is the leader of the small gang of thugs who spend their days robbing business men on the subway, getting into bar fights and have little or no concern for the social struggles around them.\nOne night, while on a routine car jacking in a particularly rich sector of Johannesburg, Tsotsi holds a woman at gunpoint and takes her car, only to discover later that he stole more than he bargained for. To keep the film's element of surprise intact, I will stop here. The film's ambience and tone does a full 180 upon the discovery of what was left in the car.\n"Tsotsi" was this year's victor for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards, the first win for the nation of South Africa. Despite critics who say the Palestinian film "Paradise Now" was snubbed because of political reasons, the film is completely worthy of the praise and is one of the best foreign films I've seen in a long time.\nIt's rare these days to see a film come along that truly shows a bad character desiring to change his ways because of something as simple as an unexpected addition to a chaotic life. Tsotsi is a cold-blooded killer. He was born in the slums and will most likely die in the slums. What "Tsotsi" does, however, is present us with a character who, despite his cold demeanor and harsh upbringing, has a desire to do right with his life.\nThe film is gorgeously shot, accentuating the bleak landscape of the South African slums and utilizes a beautiful array of vibrant colors. The soundtrack is a beautiful mix of modern Afro-Pop, R&B and rap by South African artist Zola and the acting is brilliant, particularly with Chweneyagae, who manages to carry full scenes just through the emotion of his face and eyes.\nIn his acceptance speech at this year's Oscars, director/screenwriter Gavin Hood pleaded with the audience to accept foreign language films because they deal with the same important human themes as American films. \nWhile "Tsotsi" takes on themes that have indeed been done before, the film is an emotional triumph that bests many mainstream films being released today.