Mister Johnson

This is the only film I've seen about Africa, made by whites, wherein the hero was actually a Black African. Imagine that. It's a moving film, well directed by Mr. Beresford, that tells the tragic story of an ambitious African man whose dreams exceed his reach. It features terrific performances by Maynard Eziashi, Pierce Brosnan, and Beatie Edney, with fine work by Peter James and Herbert Pinter.

"Mister Johnson" is, first and foremost, a comedy. I must say this, because it's far too light-headed to be a serious dramatic film. Although, whatever the case, I can't say it's the most compelling story. The title character (played by Maynard Eziashi) isn't as sympathetic as the script might intend him to be. He steals, he cheats, he tries his best to be an Englishman, all to much self-detriment. From a artistic standpoint, as well, this is not an especially engaging tale. Bruce Beresford has displayed a lot of subtlety in other films, but there's something about "Mister Johnson" that falls quite flat for me. I wanted to like it, because I nearly always enjoy Beresford's films. In the end, it's the performances by Eziashi and Brosnan that make this worth watching. They create characters you can get into, even though lacking a script that deserves it.

The cinematography was truly lovely, it's natural colors blended with the story telling so thoroughly, I sat in the dark fascinated by this syncopation. The film has a huge cast, and filming in the African sun, it had to be a difficult. I loved the talent. Every character was real. I loved the story --the collision of two cultures at the beginning. Most of all I love the character of Mister Johnson as portrayed by Maynard Eziashi. His behavior seemed typical of the era. And African villagers seemed so gentle and accepting of foreign intrusion. Maybe it was that way in the beginning. Joyce Cary wrote a very sweet, sort of tragic story. I wish all films contained this truth, warmth and humanity.

A British colony in West Africa creates a monster in the local black man who succumbs to the western greed and uses it to better his life so as to live like the rich whites do. A convincing performance by Maynard and a surprising one from Brosnan. Wonderfully shot and gently directed by Master Beresford.

Poignant exploration and depiction of a person with dreams and aspirations. Not your typical film. Based on novel by Joyce Cary (very good novel) and pretty much sticking to the book's plot etc., this story should touch your feelings fairly deeply and perhaps make you think about the illusions (delusions) and impossibilities that drench many people's lives. Beresford (Driving Miss daisy, Breaker Morant) directs tautly and beautifully. Watching this film should make you a wiser, deeper person--don't miss it. (will probably have to buy copy from Amazon or ebay or perhaps from netflix.) Set in Africa, colonial theme is important. Moreover, racial dimension (protagonist is black) makes the story edge towards the politically incorrect. The hero's skin color is significant, but he is not a victim of racism--at least not in liberal's knee-jerk way.