Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom chronicles the life and times of South African civil rights icon Nelson Mandela, leading up to his election as the countrys first black chief executive under a proper democracy. After briefly touching on his youth in a rural African village, the film introduces Mandela (Idris Elba) also referred to as Madiba- as a lawyer around the mid-20th century, when he soon joined the African National Congress (ANC) as a courtroom soldier in the battle against institutionalized racism and race-based social/economic inequality in Apartheid-era South Africa.

Nelsons lifestyle soon costs him his first marriage, before he finds (and weds) a kindred spirit in Winnie Madikizela (Naomie Harris), an equally progressive-minded social worker. However, when Nelson and his fellow protestors abandon their non-violent resistance for a sabotage campaign against the Apartheid government, he ends up being captured, convicted and informed that he will spend the remainder of his life in prison (rather than be allowed to become a martyr to his cause). Over the years that follow, change takes place both within Mandela and in the world around him though neither his freedom nor peace in his country prove easy to come by.

Morgan Freemans performance as the elder Nelson Mandela in Clint Eastwoods Invictus is considered by many to be a definitive portrayal of the man, yet that film highlights just a single noteworthy incident from the recently-deceased anti-Apartheid crusaders life; moreover, there Madiba isnt even the protagonist. By comparison, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom is a proper memoir, in terms of its scope, scale and respectful yet critically-objective tone; but as a work of biographical cinema, its far less revolutionary than the subject whose life it depicts.

The script based on Mandelas autobiography and written by William Nicholson (Les Misrables) -is foremost a Cliff Notes summary of key events in Nelsons life (before he became president of South Africa). However, because the screenplay pauses every so often to explore Mandela and Winnies characters in depth exposing their personal follies, moral shortcomings and self-motivated desires in the process it elevates Long Walk to Freedom as a work of art. Still, on a pure storytelling level, the film often feels like a homework assignment youve been required to watch insightful, for sure, but something of a chore to sit through (especially with a running time of close to two and a half hours).

Idris Elba in Long Walk to Freedom

Director Justin Chadwick (The First Grader) and cinematographer Lol Crawley (Hyde Park on Hudson) bathe flashbacks to Mandelas youth in the plains of Africa- along with later sequences in that setting (see: Mandela and Winnies wedding) with a glowing sunlight. This visually gorgeous (if somewhat melodramatic) composition technique ultimately works to highlight Nelsons spiritual connection with his homeland, and provides a fitting contrast to the harsher, desolate colors and imagery of Mandelas time in prison as well as footage showing unrest and violence in the streets of South Africa, over the decades.

Unfortunately, as lovely as the film can be to look at, its more unwieldy in terms of construction. There is a lot of material covered here; beginning with the important events in Nelsons life before his imprisonment, the film eventually splits its time between Mandelas evolution from aggressive and inspirational activist to wizened and peaceful leader and Winnies journey in the opposite direction (from charitable social activist to fiery rabble-rouser). Chadwick and his editor Rick Russell (44 Inch Chest) cover all the necessary bases, yet not with as much attention to detail as would be preferable, and often at the price of a flowing pace (as mentioned before) especially during the late second act/early third act.

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‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom’ Review