"Gangster Thug" is a story about redemption. (After writing the film, I realized that the other name of the film is redemption.) The protagonist Tsotsi is also a microcosm of many gangsters in South Africa. We saw him take his brother to the subway to rob him at first, and he was also horrified when Butcher killed. He belongs to the category of stray teenagers, and he is not extremely vicious in his heart, but life forces him to do illegal deeds. Through flashbacks to his childhood, we learn about his tragic past. Tsotsi robbed the child, in fact, what he wanted was a home. In the process of Tsotsi's search for a home, those old scars were torn open again and again, and at the same time, the good side of his heart was touched. In the end, the protagonist raised his hands and surrendered, which is a very meaningful ending. Tsotsi surrendered like a policeman and surrendered to the good in his heart. The director's handling is relatively soft at the end. Imagine if Tsotsi brought a gun when he returned the child, and when the police surrounded him, he held the child with a gun, and finally let go, the dramatic tension in that section might be more intense. But the director deliberately avoided doing so, not wanting too many action conflicts to weaken the inner depiction of the characters. So we see that at that moment, the father of the child is actually driving the whole scene. It is he who guides the police and Tsotsi. It can be seen that he forgives Tsotsi, and finally the police also kindly persuade Tsotsi to surrender, which shows that there are still some problems in this society. Good, the director is full of sympathy for Tsotsi.
Tsotsi's final choice was actually a choice for home. Is to possess the child and give yourself a home; or return the child and let the child go home. In addition, the real reason Tsotsi killed his companion was not because he felt that he was in the way and reckless, but because he was unwilling to destroy the child's home. The really difficult choice is between good and good, between evil and evil, not between good and evil (similar to 007 save the world, there is no choice, Bond will definitely go back and kill the bad guys). And only under this difficult choice can the most natural personality of the protagonist be reflected.
About conflict. A successful film sets up perfect conflicts at the level of the individual, between people, and between people and society. "Gangster Thugs" is exactly that. Through flashbacks to Tsotsi's childhood, we see his own inner conflict. And the entanglement between him and his friend and the girl is the second layer. In the end, the conflict between him and the police and the family belongs to the third level.
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