Saw this totally unexpectedly as I had missed it the first time around and the BBC put it out (with virtual no prior notice!) on the evening of the day on which the death (in real life) of the title character was announced. We were absolutely stunned by the acting of the lead actress who manages to cram so many feelings and emotions into just 90 minutes! She manages to portray every aspect of Mrs Mandela's life one can think of; the vulnerability and yet the core of steel running through her, the need for love and yet the unlimited ability to hate which develops, the mother who ends up instigating the killing of a young boy, the woman of enormous charisma and ability who is forced into "second place", the wife and mother who is abandoned and endures torment and degradation on scales which can hardly be imagined and YET can still emerge with head held (very) high and still refusing to be cowed, the woman who can gain the reverence of a whole township and appears assured, confident and determined, whilst fighting demons (not least out of a bottle) in her own private space etc. etc. All the other actors (even though turning in highly commendable and memorable performances in most cases) just pale in comparison with this master class in acting. Should be absolute required viewing for anyone wanting to begin to understand modern world history, the life of a tremendously gifted, but also deeply flawed, individual and, above all, wanting to see acting on the screen at its very best.
