Analysis and synthesis of South AfricaBased on the 1995 written autobiographical account of Mandela's own life, Mandela: A Long Road Toward Freedom serves as an inspiring biopic. Filmed in South Africa, the film focuses most of its time on Mandela's early life and transition to adulthood, while devoting only a small portion to Mandela's life and political achievements after his imprisonment. Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom can be divided into three parts: Mandela's early life and coming of age, his unfortunate imprisonment, and finally the effects of his unexpected freedom. The opening scene of Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom sets the stage for the first part of not only the film, but also Mandela's early life and coming of age. The film begins with a slow-motion, atmospheric depiction of indigenous life as Xhosa children run majestically and play happily in an open field in the South African outback. These young boys seem to quickly become teenagers as the film unfolds over a Xhosa rite of passage, in which Mandela participates. From these few minutes at the beginning of the film, it is evident that Mandela is not only a native, but will also endure – and eventually overcome – the difficulties of racial inequality, apartheid and South Africa under Afrikaner control. During his promising young adult life, Mandela was a promising lawyer in Johannesburg who fought, through the courts and his speech, for the rights of indigenous South Africans. As a member and then leader of the African National Congress, the film focuses on Mandela's use of non-violent protests against the South African Afrikaner government. The film lacks depth in this period of Mandela's life,...... middle of paper ...... the activist once said: "In time we will be able to grant the South Africa's greatest potential gift – a more human face This moment is not the present moment and, based on interpretations from these films and books, it does not appear to be happening in the future. close. Biko, Steven. I Write What I Love. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2002. Gish, Steven Alfred B. Xuma: African, American, South African. Press, 2000. Mandela, Nelson. “Long Walk to Freedom.” Internet Archive, https://archive.org/stream/LongWalkToFreedom/PBI3231#page/n1/mode/2up.Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Realized. by Justin Chadwick. Troy, MI: Anchor Bay Entertainment, 2014. DVD.Plaatje, Sol. Athens: Ohio University Press., 1991.