Catch a Fire

Phillip Noyce’s Catch a Fire has been reproached for the single, ridiculous reason that it deals with South African apartheid. Audiences and film critics have developed a “been there, done that” attitude about the film, claiming its themes have no relevance to the world we live in today. Firstly, this reasoning is completely off the mark—the movie does parallel current events—and secondly, when did a film suddenly lose credibility because its subject matter was found untimely? That said, the film is rife with problems; however, viewers should learn how to direct their criticism more intelligently. The setting is 1980 South Africa, and Patrick Chamusso (Derek Luke) is wrongfully accused and arrested for acts of terrorism. When policeman Nic Vos (Tim Robbins) can’t get the answers he wants out of Chamusso, he arrests the captive’s wife, and the two are held for months under harsh conditions before their eventual release. This is where the story really begins. Chamusso, so enraged by what has happened, joins the fight against the regime and against those who persecuted both himself and his family. Essentially, he becomes the man he was initially accused of being. It’s a wonderfully dramatic concept, made more powerful by the fact that it’s a true story. But for some reason, the filmmakers have chosen to focus on Chamusso’s hatred toward Vos himself, rather than toward the political system. It doesn’t help that Vos is a poorly written, one-note character that exists only to fuel Chamusso’s rage (although Robbins does a great job of glowering throughout the entire picture). The movie is helped by the assured direction of Noyce (The Quiet American, Patriot Games) and a fantastic performance by Luke. But it’s a shame the script didn’t go through a few more rewriting stages.

Directed by Phillip Noyce.
Written by Shawn Slovo.
Starring Derek Luke, Tim Robbins, Bonnie Henna, Mncedisi Shabangu and Sithembiso Khumalo.

Rated PG-13 for thematic material involving torture and abuse, violence and brief language. 101 min.

**½ so says The Fish