Tsotsi

This  is a South African film which directed by Gavin hood. The film won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006.

Tsotsi, the leader of a gang, which included his friends Butcher, Aap and Boston. They commit all sorts of crimes. In fact, David is Tsotsi's real name. He had a family before, however, his mother was on the point of dying because of a terminal disease. Young David ran away from his abusive father and lived with a group of homeless children. One day, Tsotsi stole a woman's car and shot her, who named Pumla. But Tsotsi discovered a three -month-old baby in the back seat when he was driving the car. From that time, there was a great change in Tsotsi. He became a kind people slowly when he took care of the baby just like a father. He met a young single mother who named Miriam and forced her to feed the kidnapped child.  Fortunately, Pumlma survived the attack and looked for her baby with her husband. Tsotsi  also realize he was not the baby's father gradually, and the baby should grew up with its own family. At last, Tsotsi decided to begin a new life with Miriam. He returned the baby and was arrested by police in the end of film.

I think the theme of the film is salvation. At the beginning of the film, Tsotsi and his friends committed all kinds of atrocities. However, Tsotsi was waken up with his essential goodness because of the baby. He could abandon the baby and drived away, however, he gave up the car and took the baby back his shack. The baby made Tsotsi feel the love of family. His soul get salvation when he looked after the baby. The baby implied Tsotsi get the rebirth in his mind. At the end of film,  he put up his hands and turned himself in, which indicated that he put down all of the past evil.
Meanwhile, I think the film reveal  a critical social phenomenon about the gap between the wealthy and poor in South Africa. As the pictures showed, the poor children lived in water pipes, and the wealthy lived in high buildings and large mansions.
Meanwhile, I think the film reveal  a critical social phenomenon about the gap between the wealthy and poor in South Africa. As the pictures showed, the poor children lived in water pipes, and the wealthy lived in high buildings and large mansions.

In addition, my favorite of this movie is the relationship between Tsotsi and the baby, which is touched me deeply, especially the scene of Tsotsi take the baby to the boundary between the rich area and the slum area before he return the baby. The background music is solemn and stirring. I can feel Tsotsi is reluctant to separate from the baby, however he hope the baby have a complete and warm family and bright future, which he can not give the baby. Tsotsi is more than a father to the baby in  my eyes. He regard the baby as himself, a reborn Tsotsi.