Anyone with a little common sense knows that putting a baby in a shopping bag, stuffing it under a bed, and leaving it there all night is a bad idea.
"Tsotsi," which translates as "thug" in South African slang, is a film that examines the reckless behavior of the title character as he fumbles to take care of a baby that he has mistakenly kidnapped during a car hijacking.
Director Gavin Hood ("A Reasonable Man") adapted the film from a book written by Athol Fugard, a playwright who is famous for his ability to delve into the psychology of average people.
Much like the film "City of God," "Tsotsi" follows a group of small-time hoods that have been affected by circumstances totally out of their control.
Set in the slums of Johannesburg, Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) turns to a life of crime after his parents die of AIDS. He becomes the leader of a gang and makes his money by robbing strangers, which often end in murder.
The characters in the band of thieves resemble the common stereotypes in most gang-related movies: the nice fat guy, the stupid guy and the smart guy. Their appearances are sparse and in comparison to the performance of the main character, they're not missed.
Tsotsi is the most violent of the group, and also stands out as the most complicated. The unusual violence that tears through the film is what makes it so engaging. Tsotsi is unable to feed the infant, so he forces a nursing mother to breastfeed at gunpoint.
Hood pushes the concept of this woman as a replacement for Tsotsi's own mother a bit too far here. The subplot that develops as a result tends to distract from the overall intensity that the film is trying to convey.
The thought of an infant being placed in Tsotsi's care is horrifying. He uses old newspapers as diapers and carries the baby around in a paper bag as if it were a load of trash.
Although misguided, a softer side beneath his calloused exterior is evident.
Hood offers several brief flashback moments to illustrate the reasons for Tsotsi's problems. These scenes are not intolerable like those in most other movies. Instead, they appear like flickers in Tsotsi's brain, amplifying that he is confused about why he does these terrible things, and that he is haunted by his past.
The child eventually becomes a symbol of his own broken childhood, and a catalyst for his gradual self-discovery.
Actor Presley Chweneyagae is from a poor slum in South Africa, similar to where the film is set. His performance is filled with raw and brutal intensity, compounded by his infrequent lines.
Kwaito, a type of South African rap music, blares in the background throughout most of the film, further emphasizing the hard-edged life that Tsotsi leads.
The biggest strength of the film is Hood's lack of judgment of the characters. He is simply holding a camera up to this situation, treating it as if it were more of a documentary than a full-length film.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
