Windprints (1990)

Very well executed

That was an excellent one.

One of my all time favorites.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

This is early Sean Bean and Prime John Hurt. The Photography and Direction are very reminiscent of Michelangelo Antonionini, but not as "out there". The similarity was clearest in the use of silence, particularly during grand, panoramas of windswept desolation. Whether in the American deserts or London parks, Antonionini gave us a sense of presence which is seldom found. He had us sitting, and viewing, and listening. Here, we also hear the wind and watch the dust devils forming and moving in their dance. We feel. This seemed to be an intimate "behind the scenes" look at Africa during Apartheid, with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Many cultural beliefs and daily lifestyles shown in an extremely believable manner. I'm not sure how, but I felt that I was there.There was a simple plot, but with enough twists to maintain interest. Without a needlessly complex web, the focus was on authentically portrayed lifestyles and location. One could felt the heat, the dust and the people. I could easily picture several of my African friends in the scenes. This was an undiscovered gem.

On how to make a good film. This was shot on location, the locals giving it an authenticity that few films, at least those out of Hollywood, can achieve anymore. Sean Bean played his character brilliantly, no histrionics, no speeches, just real life, at least a facsimile of it, captured on film and through the seamless acting of Bean and John Hurt. An excellent murder mystery wrapped up in the politics of an apartheid South Africa. PoSSIBLE SPOILER: The actions of the SA police officer tracking the killer and the white farmer seemed, at times, intertwined and almost conspiratorial. The plot unfolded slowly, giving us potential setups for targets for the killer, that were not taken. In the end, it's revealed, maybe, why he was killing. I am lucky I caught it on Movieplex this evening, otherwise I would have missed a true gem.

This moody, mystery (of a sort) is a real gem. I enjoyed it from beginning to end and my only complaint is that it ended too quickly! Sean Bean has an amazing facility with accents and demonstrates his wonderful acting ability in the von heerdon character - showing the embarrasment,anger and angst that an elightened afrikaaner feels about the apartheid-bound stupidities in his world. John Hurt also does a good job with the older journalist who condemns but in effect condones because he wont question the system. All this is wrapped up in the search for a killer - a killer that becomes more to von heerden than a story. Without giving anything away, the end of the movie, while totally predictable, is so angst-filled that i ended up crying for von heerden. Oh, and catch the music at the end of the film - great stuff!

This movie was beautifully done. Although it is paced slowly, the suspense kept me glued to the screen. The ending was a bit too abrupt, however.