Tsotsi (film)
Tsotsi is a 2005 Academy Award-winning film directed by Gavin Hood and set in a Soweto slum, near Johannesburg, South Africa. It is based on a novel of the same name by Athol Fugard. The soundtrack features Kwaito music performed by the popular South African artist Zola as well as a score by Mark Kilian and Paul Hepker featuring the voice of South African protest singer/poet Vusi Mahlasela.
Tsotsi won the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film at the 78th Academy Awards. In 2005, Gavin Hood was nominated for the Screen International Award at the European Film Awards for his work on the movie. Tsotsi received a nomination for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006. The film also won at least five "audience" or "people's choice" awards at various film festivals.
Characters
Tsotsi's gang. From left to right: Boston, Tsotsi, Butcher, Aap.Tsotsi (David):
Leader of a gang of small-time thugs. His name is Tsotsi for "thug. He is
a cold blooded, heartless killer"
Boston / Teacher Boy: A member of Tsotsi's
gang and a heavy drinker, Boston was studying to be a teacher before he quit college
and moved to the shacks. He frequently pleads for decency and moderation in the
gang's dealings. It is revealed in a deleted scene that Boston quit school after
raping a classmate.
Die Aap: Tsotsi's childhood friend, Aap is obedient and
happy-go-lucky, and relies on Tsotsi heavily, rarely thinking for himself.
Butcher:
The fourth member of Tsotsi's gang, and the most violent, Butcher is a cheat and
a loose cannon who doesn't hesitate to commit murder.
Morris: A beggar who
worked in the gold mines until he was permanently crippled when a beam fell on
his legs, Morris begs at the Park Metro Station.
Miriam: A widow with a young
son who lives near Tsotsi in the slum. She earns money by sewing and selling handicrafts.
Inspector Zuma, Officer Steyn and Captain Smit
John
and Pumla: The parents of the kidnapped child.
Captain Smit: A police captain.
Music from the Motion Picture album
Tsotsi
Soundtrack
by Various Artists
Released February 14, 2006
Genre Foreign Language Rap
Soundtracks
Afro-Pop
Label Milan Entertainment
Producer Emmanuel Chamboredon
Zola - Mdlwembe
/ Mdlwembe Music Video
Zola - Bhambatha
Zola - Zingu 7
Pitch Black
Afro Feat Bravo - Matofototo
Unathi - Sghubu Sam
Mafikizolo - Mnt'Omnyama
Zola - Palesa
Zola - Seven
Zola - Ehlala Zola
Ishmael - Crazy
Zola - It is Your Life
Zola - Woof Woof
M.Kilian/P.Hepker Feat Vusi
Mahlasela - Stolen Legs
M.Kilian/P.Hepker Feat Vusi Mahlasela - On The Tracks
Vusi Mahlasela - Silang Mabele
M.Kilian/P.Hepker Feat Vusi Mahlasela -
Bye Bye Baby
M.Kilian/P.Hepker Feat Vusi Mahlasela - Baby Handover
M.Kilian/P.Hepker
Feat Vusi Mahlasela - E Sale Noka
Zola - Ghetto Scandalous
Cast
Presley Chweneyagae - David / Tsotsi
Terry Pheto - Miriam
Kenneth Nkosi
- Aap
Mothusi Magano - Boston
Zenzo Ngqobe - Butcher
Zola - Fela
Rapulana Seiphemo - John Dube
Nambitha Mpumlwana -
Pumla Dube
Jerry Mofokeng - Morris
Ian Roberts - Captain Smit
Percy
Matsemela - Sergeant Zuma
Thembi Nyandeni - Soekie
Owen Sejake - Gumboot
Dlamini
Israel Makoe - David / Tsotsi's father
Sindi Khambule - David
/ Tsotsi's Mother
Benny Moshe - Young David / Tsotsi
Bheki Vilakazi
- Newspaper Vendor
Craig Palm - Young Cop
Jeremiah Ndlovu - Old Man
at the Tap
Sibusiso Mkize - Young Aap
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mbali Khumalo
Marven Lekohotsa
Capieus Manamela - Gang
Lennox
Mathabathe - Policemen
Katleoo Matidune - Little boy
Joyce Moshoshoe
- Gang
Edward Oliphant - Gang
Brian Rolfe - Officer
Tumi Sejake
- Little girl
Monthuthu Sibisi - Baby
Ntuthuko Sibisi - Baby
Ismael
Songo - Gang
Moses Timati - Gang
Lindokuhle Tloubatla - Myriam's Baby
Samuel Tsebe - Old kid
Enoch Tsotetsi - Gang
Eduan van Jaarsveldt
- Policeman
Plot
His mother dying from complications from HIV disease, the young David ran away from an abusive father and lived with other homeless children in a series of large concrete construction pipes. At the start of the film, David, now known to all as Tsotsi, is involved in a murder committed by Butcher during a mugging. After a fight with Boston, Tsotsi shoots Pumla, a young woman, while stealing her car, only to discover a three-month-old baby in the back seat.
The gang
mug and murder a man on the train.Tsotsi hastily strips the car of its valuables
and takes the baby back to his shack.
The woman survives the attack, and works with a police artist to create a composite sketch of Tsotsi's face, which is then run in the newspapers.
Realizing that he cannot properly care for the baby on his own, Tsotsi spots Miriam, with a young child strapped to her back, collecting water from a public tap. He follows her to her shack and forces her at gunpoint to feed the kidnapped child.
Meanwhile, rich gang leader
Fela begins attempting to recruit Aap, Boston and Butcher to work for him.
After he takes the child to Miriam a second time, she asks Tsotsi to leave the child with her so that she can care for him on Tsotsi's behalf. Tsotsi agrees.
Tsotsi decides to take care of the injured Boston, and has the men take Boston to his shack. Boston explains that he never took the teachers' examination, and Tsotsi tells him that the gang will raise the money so that Boston can take the exam. To do so, they will have to commit another robbery.
Tsotsi, Butcher
and Aap go to Pumla and John's house; when John returns from the hospital they
follow him into the house and tie him up. Aap is assigned to watch John while
Butcher ransacks the bedroom and David collects items from the baby’s room.
When Aap goes to raid the fridge, John activates the alarm. In panic, Butcher
attempts to kill John, but David kills Butcher and he and Aap escape in John’s
car moments before the security company arrives.
Traumatized by Tsotsi's killing of Butcher and fearing that Tsotsi will one day hurt him too, Aap decides to leave the gang. When Tsotsi goes back to Miriam's house she reveals that she knows where he got the baby, and begs him to return the child to his parents.
Tsotsi sets off to return the baby. He reaches John’s house, tells John over the intercom that he will leave the child outside the gate. Meanwhile, an officer stationed at the house alerts Captain Smit, who rushes to the scene, arriving just as Tsotsi is about to walk away.
The police train their guns on Tsotsi, ordering him to return the baby. However, John urges them to lower their weapons so that he can retrieve the baby himself. Tsotsi emotionally returns the baby to John. The police aim their guns at Tsotsi and Captain Smit orders him to raise his hands.
Having enough of taking care of a baby he accidentally stole during a car jacking Tsotsi decided to bring it back to its parents. Arriving at the entrance he is spotted by a guard who then calls for support. Tsotsi hesitates to ring the buzzer as he thought of leaving the baby outside the gate where he had accidentally stolen it. He eventually rings the buzzer and asks John, the father of the baby, if he can leave the baby outside the gate. In the meantime, the police arrive and Tsotsi finds himself trapped and frustrated. He attempts to escape but it is too late as police are surrounding him at gun point. Holding the baby in his arms, he is convinced by John to give up the baby. After this point there are three alternate endings to the film. In one version Tsotsi is simply told to put up his hands and the film ends. In the two others the baby begins to cry after he's returned it to the parents and Tsotsi reaches for a bottle of milk in his pocket so as to feed the baby. A police officer thinks he's reaching for a weapon and then shoots him. One version ends with the gun shot killing him, the other with him dashing off, jumping a concrete wall, and running towards the township.
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