Cry, the Beloved Country

In South Africa, some young black township boys burgle a white owned farmer's house and accidentally kill a white man. The father (Canada Lee) of one of the boy's has recently arrived back in Johannesberg and is shocked how the township has changed. The tragedy surprisingly has the effect of bringing both sides together.

An early and rare example of a film that highlighted South African apartheid in this strong racial drama. Even more surprising is that the authorities allowed the film to be shot in South Africa, but was directed by Zoltan Korda, a director that liked authenticity in his films. It is something of an earnest drama, but is nevertheless worthy without being preachy. A strong early performance for Sidney Poitier and a final film for Canada Lee in a particularly powerful performance.