Apartheid rears its ugly head in this powerful drama of the struggle for independence after years of suppression in the white governed Africa. On the thrust of stardom, the now legendary Sidney Poitier gives an impassioned performance as am educated African native elected into public office, considered an outcast by most of the white men and a traitor by his own people. Sudden violence against his people opens his eyes to what he needs to do to really see his people freed from the bigoted intruders who obviously don't see the black Africans as people, rather as lowly paid workers, barely better than slaves.
The beautiful Eartha Kitt is Poitier's French born black wife, with the gentle Juano Hernandez as Poitier's wise mentor who saw the early days of the missionaries before the oppressors arrived. John McIntire plays a missionary who shares his own political horrors with Poitier in a lengthy flashback that is parallel to what is going on in Africa. Helen Horton is lovely as his loyal wife who suffered silently as McIntire was imprisoned in revolutionary China.
Made with a spiritual backdrop endorsing the importance of world freedom and the end of oppression everywhere, this is interesting and timely as more cultures seem to be regressing than progressing. It doesn't minimize the horrors of the world, and the message is loud and clear. One thing I saw on this that must continuously be promoted is the fact that even in the seemingly most evil of cultures are those who know what is going on is wrong and that the destruction of one race doesn't end hate, but increases it as trial destruction gets closer.
The beautiful Eartha Kitt is Poitier's French born black wife, with the gentle Juano Hernandez as Poitier's wise mentor who saw the early days of the missionaries before the oppressors arrived. John McIntire plays a missionary who shares his own political horrors with Poitier in a lengthy flashback that is parallel to what is going on in Africa. Helen Horton is lovely as his loyal wife who suffered silently as McIntire was imprisoned in revolutionary China.
Made with a spiritual backdrop endorsing the importance of world freedom and the end of oppression everywhere, this is interesting and timely as more cultures seem to be regressing than progressing. It doesn't minimize the horrors of the world, and the message is loud and clear. One thing I saw on this that must continuously be promoted is the fact that even in the seemingly most evil of cultures are those who know what is going on is wrong and that the destruction of one race doesn't end hate, but increases it as trial destruction gets closer.