Tsotsi is the Zulu word for thug: a gangster who does what he must to survive. Tsotsi\ the film is also named after its main character, played by Presley Chweneyagae, a young actor from South Africa who does not disappoint. ""Tsotsi"" is a film made for the thick-skinned and the weary-eyed, but its message is valuable for everyone: decency. Find it, use it and know what it means. This movie is full of wonderful moments that can be quiet or terrifying, rarely sweet but always moving and—like a bad dream—images that may never leave even the strongest of minds.
Winner of the Academy Award for best foreign language film, ""Tsotsi"" is a remarkable moment in cinematic history. It forces its viewers to keep their eyes open, even if they wish more than anything to close them, and it paints a picture that most Americans have never even dreamt to exist.
Tsotsi is the name of a young thug in Johannesburg, South Africa, a place of colors, illness, children and little hope for some. He is the leader of a gang that makes its way by robbing rich men on trains or gambling at local bars; they are criminals, untrustworthy and hard to the marrow. After beating up a fellow gang member, Tsotsi flees to the suburbs and steals a rich woman's car. It is not until he gets approximately half a mile down the road that he realizes what is in the backseat: a child. It is this moment that propels ""Tsotsi"" into a whirlwind of sadness, desperation and change. The story moves with anger and speed, catching its breath during those few essential moments softened by the presence of women. The maternal woman is a motif that gives ""Tsotsi"" enough windows to let the light in.
Women are essential to happiness and to success in this film, and while they are not what Tsotsi craves, they are what he needs. If this movie does have a love story, it is subtle and true. There is no Hollywood in ""Tsotsi.""
It is doubtful that most parts of the United States know of this film's existence, but those who see it will walk away haunted, their $8 wholly justified. It does not feel like a foreign film. Its characters are young, and they only wish for acceptance, for a shred of dignity and respect. ""Tsotsi"" is a film that cannot help but win crowds over. It has no visible flaws, no moments of weakness. It carries its audience like an unsinkable ship and rolls with it over the deadly waves of a young South African's life. It takes no interest in things it cannot explain, does not attempt to make most audiences understand, but writes its case in such a way that it succeeds on both counts. ""Tsotsi"" will be in theaters for as long as it takes to exhale, and it is one of the most important movies of its time. It convinces, and then it ends, just like a perfect brushstroke.
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