nigelclark

This movie depicts values and reactions of people living in a country which has had strict Gun Laws for 600 years. Apart from the odd shot gun most people have never seen a real gun or a cross bow and have no idea even how to use one. The police are not armed and except in inner city areas are not even trained in their use.They do not have more than a simple 2 way radio in their cars at most. In such an area I can assure the American viewer people do not ever lock their doors. The local Policeman would have no experience of violent crime other than a drunken punch up in a local bar. This is a true to life action/thriller, If you prefer non-reality fantasies you should stick to watching Hollywood Movies. The film has some very interesting artistic camera work and appears to be almost entirely 16 mm steady cam work which if true is all the more remarkable. The actors are not big time stars but as I once lived in such an area where this was filmed were surprisingly real down to small details only an insider would notice. Unlike the majority of Popular Movies it is really difficult to do more than knit pick this film.

This film should be viewed in context of the middle 1970's, pre-apartheid, pre-politically correct era when the ability of people to laugh at themselves was an attribute which endeared one to other races and cultures. The late Jamie Uys was reputed to have made this movie on a shoestring, directing, producing, editing it himself with the most primitive equipment using many tricks from the bygone age of early film making. The movie has a simple story, it is cleverly amusing and a masterpiece of ingenuity using extremely limited resources. Over many years it has traveled around the world purely on its own merit. Watch it for good old fashioned comic entertainment.