Idris Elba (The Wire) is Nelson Mandela in this biopic, based on the anti-apartheid revolutionary's autobiography, charting the struggles that...
Idris Elba (The Wire) is Nelson Mandela in this biopic, based on the anti-apartheid revolutionary's autobiography, charting the struggles that took him from South Africa's rural Cape region to armed struggle and arrest, and then to the president's mansion as his nation's first democratically elected leader. Naomie Harris (Skyfall) plays Mandela's wife and fellow freedom fighter Winnie. Directed by Justin Chadwick (The Other Boleyn Girl).
"Born to be a Xhosa leader, he was trained in law, then drawn into resistance, then politics, then elevated to a reverence that approached sainthood. Mandela has lived one of the most remarkable lives of our time... Mandela is, above all, a love story. It's the story of Nelson and Winnie's passionate and troubled love affair that endured over decades. It's also the story of a leader who so loved his country that, through his beliefs, his actions, and his example, he transformed himself into the very embodiment of its greatest hopes." (Toronto International Film Festival)
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Where to watch Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
61 %145 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
68 %22,476 reviewsAudience score rating
"Justin Chadwick's Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom aims high in trying to convey this amazing man’s life in just 140 minutes, when perhaps just a part of his story would have made for a more satisfying, less fragmented movie. Nonetheless, the strength of Mandela lies in the warts ‘n’ all humanity on display. This Nelson starts as no saint, taking up arms against a brutally oppressive regime before imprisonment transforms his violent struggle into one of peaceful resistance."
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Flicks
Flicks"For all its failings, there is one thing that can't be denied: Idris Elba gives a towering performance, a Mandela for the ages."
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Variety
Variety"Ambitious in its span and powerful in its recreation of tumultuous times, this is a skilful dramatisation and a worthy celebration."
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Total Film
Total Film"As a primer, it's respectable; as cinema, it feels like a biblical gospel, always gearing up for the next big speech or moment."
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Time Out
Time Out"Mr. Elba is completely convincing as a natural leader with a ferocious drive."
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The New York Times
The New York Times"If it is a bit stately, that is understandable: his life story really is extraordinary. The movie pays homage - in good faith."
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The Guardian
The Guardian"Great Figure filmmaking that acts more as monument than living history."
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The Dissolve
The Dissolve"The restrained intensity of Idris Elba's performance as Nelson Mandela ennobles this ambitiously sprawling biopic."
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Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood Reporter"It's vivid, substantial and works hard to be worthy, but as it ticks off the milestones of a monumental life it flickers more often than it really catches fire."
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Empire Magazine
Empire MagazineMandela: Long Walk to Freedom | Details
Award winner- Best Original Song ('Ordinary Love' by U2), Golden Globes 2014.
- Runtime
- 147
- Genre
- Drama, True Story & Biography
- Country of origin
- UK, South Africa
