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If there is a single person that should be credited for putting South African cinema to the world stage, the most likely candidate is Jamie Uys. In 1974 he directed nature documentary *[Animals Are Beautiful People](https://peakd.com/hive-166847/@drax/film-review-animals-are-beautiful)*, which would become first South African film to become international box office sensation. In 1980 he directed *The Gods Must Be Crazy*, a comedy that was even more successful and ultimately sparked something like a film franchise of its own.


This film could be seen as some sort of sequel to *Animals*, because it begins in the same setting and using the same nature documentary style, including voice over narration by Paddy O’Byrne. We are introduced to small band of San bushmen in Kalahari region. They are described as people perfectly adapted to life within the confines of their environment, accustomed to taking water, food and everything they need from nature and not needing government, laws or possessions. They also never experienced contact with civilised world and when a pilot tosses empty Coca Cola bottle from its plane, they mistake strange object for gift from the gods. At first, a bottle is used in many ingenious ways, but, unlike natural objects in Kalahari, it can’t be shared, so it leads to envy, hatred and even violence in previously idyllic community. Xi (played by N!Xau), one of the tribesmen, decides to return the “evil thing” to the gods and begins the journey to the edge of the world. In the meantime, Johannesburg journalist Kate Thompson (played by Sandra Prisloo) is fed up with hectic urban life and decides to start new life as teacher in Botswana Christian mission.  On the way there she is to be escorted by biologist Andrew Steyn (played by Marius Weyers), a man who is an expert in his field, but turns into bumbling idiot whenever in company of an attractive woman. Further up north, in another African country, group of Communist guerillas led by Sam Boga (played by Louw Verwey), fail to bring down the government and are forced to seek shelter over the border in Botswana. 


Just like *Animals*, this film required years of making, most spent in extensive location scouting as well in search for the actor who would play indigenous protagonist. N!xau, who unlike the character, actually knew something of the outside world and had more sedentary lifestyle, proved to be a good choice. Although not trained as an actor, he played Xi with almost childlike innocence , making him extremely effective character of many “fish out of the water” situation. Uys refused to make Xi one-dimensional, and although the subject of culture shock might look too patronising or too pandering to “noble savage” stereotypes, this film shows that people like him have their place in the world, and that at least some skills developed in wilderness, like those that Xi displays in the action-packed finale, make him superior to the civilised people. Marius Weyers is also well-cast in the film, playing the role that required not only acting talent, but also physical skills needed for many elaborate and ingenious slapstick gags that Uys developed for this film. Weyers also has very good chemistry with Prinsloo, despite the script at times going towards all-too-convenient screwball routines. In the end, *The Gods Must Be Crazy* provides not only great comedy, but also enhances it with just right amounts of romance and action, while also providing some exotic wildlife scenes to the audience. Uys achieved international success, while giving this film distinctively local flavour. 


There is one thing that has cast a long shadow over this film and nearly destroyed it, and which, to a certain degree, casts the dark shadow even today. The film was made in South Africa under white minority rule and, as such, seen as implicitly endorsing its apartheid system, as well as racist prejudices that served as its justification. Propaganda overtones related to South Africa’s participation in Cold War through long and exhausting border war with Communist Angola seem even more explicit, with main villain commanding black insurgents looking like parody of Che Guevara and serving as possible reference to Cubans who were giving aid to their Angolan allies. This segment of the film is also the most problematic, because it features graphic violence that looks distinctively out of place in otherwise perfect example of family-friendly film.  *The Gods Must Be Crazy*, made while Mandela was still imprisoned at Robben Island, had its share of vocal detractors and attempted boycotts, but in the end audience cared mostly about the entertainment and flocked to the theatres. Uys’s film in the end even managed to find its way to the cinema theatres of Communist Yugoslavia, country anything but friendly to 1980s South Africa. What is probably more problematic about this film has less to do with Cold War politics. It is the portrayal of Stone Age tribal life as idyllic and superior to modern civilisation that may leave some bitter taste in mouth. Seeing people that don’t own anything and are happy might reminds us of certain real life and very powerful characters who today want to impose this fictitious state of affairs to the rest of humanity.


RATING: 7/10 (++)


https://youtu.be/hvgFqdqPIuE


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