Skin – An eOne Films’ Release

http://www.skinthemovie.net/site/

DVD Release Date: February 1st, 2010

Rated PG for coarse language and mature theme

Running time: 107 minutes

 

Anthony Fabian (dir.)

 

Helen Crawley (writer)

Jessie Keyt (writer)

Helena Kriel (writer)

 

Based on the novel, When She Was White, by Ned Judith Stone

 

Helene Muddiman (music)

 

Sophie Okonedo as Sandra Laing

Sam Neill as Abraham Laing

Alice Krige as Sannie Laing

Tony Kgoroge as Petrus Zwane

 

Our reviews below:

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Skin DVD Review By John C.

*** (out of 4)

During the apartheid era of South Africa in the 1960’s, Sandra Laing (Sophie Okonedo) was born to white parents, despite her dark skin and predominantly African features.  Shunned for various reasons in both societies, she had children with Petrus (Tony Kgoroge), who was black, but would continue to feel the painful effects of racism, even after the walls of segregation were broken down in the 1990’s.

 

Although the drama sometimes seems to be stretched a little thin over the 107-minute running time, Skin is ultimately an interesting film that tells a powerful true story about the dangers of racism and segregation.  Also serving as a showcase for several strong performances, this one is worth a look on DVD and will surely prove a good choice for Black History Month.

 

The DVD includes ‘behind the scenes’ featurettes and script development workshops, as well as outtakes and deleted scenes.

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Skin DVD Review By Erin V.

***1/2 (out of 4)

Skin tells the true story of Sandra Laing (Sophie Okonedo), a girl with darker skin born to two parents who appeared completely white, during the apartheid era of South Africa.  By the age of 10, she was shunned by white society, and kicked out of the school her brother who had lighter skin attended.  Through this all, her parents struggled with people’s suspicion she was not biologically both of theirs, and with the legalities of trying to get her classed as white again.  By 18, Sandra fell in love with and married Petrus (Tony Kgoroge), who was black.  This ultimately tore the family apart.

 

A lot of what is shown here is important to think about, and I would say 12+ could watch this one.  Slightly off-topic, while I was watching it I noted that there was a scene here where a village is destroyed, that reminded me of last year’s Oscar nominated District 9, which told the story of the apartheid with a sci-fi twist.  It made me think how accuarately that film managed to tell it’s story as well.

 

But back on track, Skin is a film that is a moving and important look at racism and the ridiculous ideas it places in society.  With good performances and production values, during February (Black History Month), this is one you will definitely want to check out.  The fact that it’s based on a true story makes it all the more powerful.

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Skin DVD Review By Nicole

*** (out of 4)

Imagine a world where you didn’t belong simply because of your appearance.  That was the real experience of one woman during the apartheid of South Africa.  Sandra Laing (Sophie Okonedo) was born to white parents (Sam Neil and Alice Krige), but much to their surprise, she had caramel coloured skin and African features.  Her parents insisted she was white, due to her genealogy, which lead to a legal battle to keep her in a white school.  But when Sandra has an affair with Petrus (Tony Kgoroge), a black man, both her father and society reject her, since she was legally declared white.  Only more recently do things get better, once the apartheid ends.

 

Skin is a moving, shocking, and really interesting film.  One can only be appalled by the degrading and offensive ways that apartheid era South Africa treated its black residents.  Skin really captures both the horror and foolish absurdity of the black vs. white laws and definitions.  The acting is believable, capturing each emotion perfectly.

 

Skin is a must see for anyone interested in history or human rights.  This is a perfect film for Black History Month, but is also worth watching any time of the year.

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Skin DVD Review By Maureen

*** (out of 4)

It’s hard to imagine the pain and humiliation Sandra Laing had to endure growing up in South Africa during the apartheid years.  Sandra was born with brown skin and African features, but this seemed impossible since her parents (played by Sam Neil and Alice Krige) were obviously white Afrikaners.  The legal system was at a loss as to whether Sandra should be classified as white or colored.  The all-white boarding school she attended did everything they could to get her removed.

 

Skin is based on the book and true story ‘When She Was White’ by Judith Stone.  The story follows the life of Sandra Laing (played beautifully by Sophie Okonedo) from her teenage years to her forties as a single mother.  This is a powerful story about racial intolerance and family bonds, that is well-told with performances that are genuine and believable.  The ageing of the actors is also done really well.

 

Skin does justice to Sandra Laing’s true story, and this is a really good movie to watch in honour of Black History Month.  The DVD extras are also worth checking out.

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Skin DVD Review By Tony

***1/2 (out of 4)

Skin is based on the life of Sandra Laing (Ella Ramangwane/Sophie Okonedo), born in 1955 in rural apartheid South Africa, who couldn’t pass for white despite her two white Boer parents (Sam Neill & Alice Krige). When she was expelled from a white school and reclassified “coloured” (mixed race), her father went all the way to the supreme court to have her white status reinstated. The international notoriety of her case, plus new research showing that most Boers had some distant African ancestry, caused the legal basis of race classification to be changed from physical characteristics (such as whether a pencil stuck in the hair would fall out) to parentage.

As an adolescent, finding that no white man would ever respect let alone marry her, Sandra eloped to Swaziland with a local black man, Petrus Zwane (Tony Kgoroge). Her father had always encouraged her to “never give up,” but only as long as she acted white, and he disowned her for taking up with a “kaffer” (the South African counterpart to the American “N word”), forbidding any future contact with  her family. Years later, having taken their two kids away from her abusive spouse, Sandra sought her parents for reconciliation. She found her mother in a nursing home, but her father had died.

 

The story of Sandra Laing personalizes the tragedy of apartheid. We can draw comfort from the fact that it is now history, taught to every South African schoolchild. It is too easy to be smug here in Canada, forgetting our own historical mistreatment of natives and other minorities, though it can be argued that apartheid was particularly egregious, subjugating the indigenous majority with ridiculous race laws justified by religious fundamentalism. Its persistence was due largely to South Africa’s isolation from the outside world, not least by the Afrikaans language, the Dutch-based dialect actually spoken by the Laings.

 

Skin is a sensitive account of this tragic story, with a good script and cast. The people are generally decent–it is the society that was perverted. Sandra’s character in particular is beautifully played, both by  Ella Ramangwane as a child and later by Sophie Okonedo. As a mixed-race child growing up in white British society, the distinguished actress Okonedo experienced some of the same racist attitudes, if not the official sanctions, as Sandra Laing. Sam Neill and Alice Krige also handle their roles brilliantly as conflicted parents.  Finally, I was impressed by the makeup artists, convincingly aging 38 year old Okonedo from 16 to 45 and 53 year old Alice Krige from 35 to 80.

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Consensus: With excellent leading work from Sophie Okonedo, and a strong supporting cast, Skin tells a powerful and shocking true story about the dangers of racism and segregation. ***1/4 (Out of 4)