A small time gangster from the Johannesburg townships falls out with his gang after a robbery went wrong resulting in a man's death. Tsotsi goes off to Jo'burg to do a job on his own. He robs a woman of her car, shooting her and crippling her in the process. What he doesn't realise is that the woman's child is in her car. His first instinct is to abandon the child with the car, but he decides to take the baby home. Completely unable to care for him, he enlists the help of a recently widowed neighbour who also has a young baby.
This film is grim and hard hitting. It does tell an interesting tale of Tsotsi's character arc. The hopelessness of the situation he has put himself in is infuriating however. No leave the baby in the car! No don't leave the baby in a bag under your bed whilst you go out. Let Miriam keep the baby! AARGH!
Top performances from the cast and it is stunningly shot on location. You can see the difference in the township accommodations and how they reflect the characters who live there. Tsotsi's shack is decrepit and over run with lice, whereas Miriam has made the best of her situation and her house is positively lovely and bijou. At least that is what it said in the estate agents!
The film won the 2006 Oscar for best foreign language film and I expect it is thoroughly deserved. Not sure what it is doing on this list though. Apparently it is breaking new ground for South African films, but is that reason enough? Not really. Worthy of a view? Yes.
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