Comments on: Disgrace: The ad campaign SA doesn’t need

By: Lindi

Lindi — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:06:08 +0000

Disgrace is an extremely complicated and excellent book that has been consistently ‘misread’ by those who view it simply as ‘sociological’ commentary. The film is itself only one reading of the book and a necessarily partial one. Coetzee, consistent with the rest of his works, is concerned primarily with ethics, not politics/realpolitik. The scriptwriter and director have their own agendas as, to judge by your simplistic and flippant ‘column’, you do, too.

By: mundundu

mundundu — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:17:06 +0000

John Malkovich’s absolutely awful attempt at a South African accent

that’s redundant. south african accents in general, regardless of race or ethnic group, are absolutely awful. it’s agonising. you watch television and actually *hope* that someone is trying to put on airs and talk like a brit because the local accents are so kak.

south african accents are either a plantive whine or a plaintive bark.

is so saying an absolutely awful attempt at a south african accent is like trying to multiply two negatives? would it actually sound good to my non-south african ears?

By: Po

Po — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:07:57 +0000

A film is not in any way supposed to be an advertising campaign. I know less reflective people end up using them that way. But why are South Africans so afraid of the uglier, harsher side of life? It is real and it is true.

I have read Disgrace and I do not think the book portrays white people as victims of Apartheid at all, black people get raped too. It is a fictional story of one rather unlikeable man and the relatively feeasible things he encounters.

The film will portray a certain type of reality to people, but in the end it is just art, just fiction. Like Slumdog Millionaire, it is artistic interpretation and meant to be taken as so.

It seems that South Africans are desperate to hide different facets of the truth. Why do you only want the happy side shown? It appears you are happy to embrace the censorship of a totalitarian state? The only way to grow is to embrace different stories and truths and ideas and to challenge yourself, and not cover everything with candy.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:29:21 +0000

No danger of any further damage being done to SA by Disgrace – remember our history speaks for itself. And I somehow think not too many people travelling to the World Cup will be viewing it. A disappointing movie, especially John Malkovich’s absolutely awful attempt at a South African accent. But I must admit it was thought-provoking in its grimness and hard-hitting truths. Somehow a movie I think every white South African should be made to watch.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:55:11 +0000

Why ignore or sugar coat the truth.

Rather focus on the solutioms

The day will come when good triumphs over evil and the masses will say enough is enough.

The govt of the day need to start doing what they have promised in their election manifesto

By: Lyndall Beddy

Lyndall Beddy — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:59:43 +0000

What is going to be fun is when someone makes a “Last King Of Scotland” film about Mugabe.

We have to wait for the end of the story first.

I wonder who will play Mbeki?

By: Ceraph

Ceraph — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:12:46 +0000

YES!

David J Smith, what a brilliant idea! Let’s throw away all moving pictures that present the truth about the state of our country. Instead of bothering with any kind of historical accuracy or principles of storytelling, let’s create whimsical, idealistic features about how South Africa’s children frolic, uninhibited in Soda Pop flavoured streams, the well-wishes of a nation gleaming in their eyes like Kimberly diamonds. Hell, why stop there, let’s suspend all accurate accounts of our nation’s past and present until we get past the world cup and any other upcoming international sporting events.

Perhaps you need to go back to Scotland or wherever the teletubbies live.

By: Benzol

Benzol — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:16:08 +0000

@Lyndal: “Mandela is of global importance -.” So was JF Kennedy, W Churchill, Julius Ceasar…

SA is not!

By: Benzol

Benzol — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:13:02 +0000

@Pastor…How about the film by the Freestate University students?

By: Murray Hunter

Murray Hunter — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:37:17 +0000

I wouldn’t worry. The film is going to be watched by 25 people: a dozen of them will be english literature students in South Africa, a dozen of them will be American anthropology students hoping to study abroad in Cape Town, and the last one will be the director’s mum.

Nope, if anything going to ruin the 2010 Cup, it’ll be the flippin’ recession.