LeoGlossary: Cry Freedom (1987 Film)

Cry Freedom is a 1987 epic apartheid drama film directed and produced by Richard Attenborough, set in late-1970s apartheid-era South Africa. The screenplay was written by John Briley based on a pair of books by journalist Donald Woods. The film centers on the real-life events involving South African activist Steve Biko and his friend Donald Woods, who initially finds him too radical, and attempts to understand his way of life. Denzel Washington stars as Biko, while Kevin Kline portrays Woods.

The film delves into the ideas of discrimination, political corruption, and the repercussions of violence. Cry Freedom is a worthwhile watch, but it does depict the atrocities committed by South African government authorities during its repressive and inhuman apartheid regime, the country's racist policy that lasted from 1948 to 1994. The film is a tribute to the bravery, intelligence, and idealism of Steven Biko.

The film was primarily shot on location in Zimbabwe due to not being allowed to shoot in South Africa at the time of production. Cry Freedom was commercially distributed by Universal Pictures, opening in the United States on 6 November 1987. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Roger Ebert gave the film four stars out of four, calling it "an implacable work of authority and compassion, Cry Freedom is political cinema at its best." Leonard Maltin rated the film with 3 Stars, writing that the film was a "sweeping and compassionate film".

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