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Title: Dingaka (1964) Post by: Trevor on October 26, 2007, 06:10:52 AM The first serious film from the man who would later give the world The Gods Must Be Crazy
DINGAKA (1964) JAMIE UYS Based on a government sponsored propaganda short entitled The Fox Has Four Eyes that Uys made for the State Information Department in the 1950’s, Dingaka is the chilling story of an African named Ntuku Makwena who loses one of his children in a ritual ‘muti’ (herbal medicine) murder. Swearing blood vengeance, he pursues his child’s alleged killer to Johannesburg and almost immediately finds himself in trouble with the law, as he is arrested on a charge of attempted murder. The film was slammed in various quarters for its' depiction of race relations, this is nonetheless an excellent film with great photography and music ~ the latter courtesy of Bertha Egnos, who would later write the rousing musical Ipi Tombi. Ntuku's court-appointed, world weary lawyer, Tom Davis, attempts to assist him, but Ntuku breaks free of custody while working in a quarry and escapes to return to his village to confront and take revenge on his child’s real murderer ~ the village’s fearsome, all-powerful witchdoctor. Starring Sir Stanley Baker as Davis, Ken Gampu in a knockout performance as Ntuku and Juliet Prowse in a rather thankless role as Davis’ broody wife. |