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What it's about:
Set in 1901, this period epic follows Willem Morkel, a Boer family man whose wife and son are murdered during the Anglo-Boer War. Captured as a prisoner of war, Willem must survive incarceration in the notorious St. Helena concentration camp and defeat the ruthless Colonel Swannell, at his own game—Rugby.
What we thought:
I have to be honest. When I was asked to go watch Modder en Bloed I dreaded having to sit through a period film about war and rugby.
I just couldn’t imagine it being something I would enjoy watching. I mean I can hardly force myself to watch a rugby game on TV, let alone sit through a movie about it.
But life has a beautiful way of surprising you when you least expect it. I not only sat through the whole film, I actually thoroughly enjoyed watching it.
Set in 1901 the film follows Willem Morkel whose family is murdered during the Anglo-Boer War and the horror that unfolds after it.
Modder en Bloed, with both English and Afrikaans dialogue and subtitles, boasts a star-studded cast that includes some of our top local acting talent as well as international stars.
British actress Charlotte Salt brings grace and international flair to her spot-on portrayal of Katherine Sterndale, while a pensive Stian Bam as Willem Morkel stuns with his heart wrenching performance.
The film is truly packed with some of SA’s top acting talent – each giving one great performance after another.
Apart from the talented cast the cinematography and costume design in the film each effortlessly shows off the skills and expertise of the South African film industry.
We’ve played host to many a Hollywood flick and we’re finally channeling those top class skills into our very own films.
Modder en Bloed is a gripping piece of local cinema that beautifully shows off SA’s cinematic talent.
Director Sean Else did a great job at steering clear of the clichés and the melodrama and instead served up a captivating film that’s undoubtedly worth the watch.
