Cry, the Beloved Country (1951 film)
6.4 /10 5 Votes
Country United Kingdom | 7.1/10 Genre Drama Duration Language English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Release date January 23, 1952 (US)April 25, 1952 (UK) Screenplay Alan Paton, John Howard Lawson Cast (Stephen Kumalo), (James Jarvis), (Reverend Msimangu), (Margaret Jarvis) Similar movies Related Zoltan Korda movies Tagline Filmed in Africa...Where It Was Lived! |
Cry the beloved country the end
Cry, the Beloved Country is a 1951 British drama film directed by Zoltán Korda. Based on the novel of the same name by Alan Paton, it stars Canada Lee, Sidney Poitier, and Charles Carson. This film was Canada Lee's last film.
Contents
- Cry the beloved country the end
- Cry the beloved country trailer
- Plot
- Cast
- Production
- Critical response
- Awards
- References

Cry the beloved country trailer
Plot

In the back country of South Africa, black minister Stephen Kumalo (Canada Lee) journeys to the city to search for his missing son, Absolom, only to find his people living in squalor and Absolom a criminal after committing murder. Kumalo's friend and fellow minister, Reverend Misimangu (Sidney Poitier), is a young South African clergyman who helps find Kumalo's sons and sister-turned-prostitute in the slums of Johannesburg. Both work together to confront the harsh reality of apartheid and what it is doing to both white and black South Africans.
Cast

Cast and characters are in order as listed by the British Film Institute.
Production
Zoltan Korda's acclaimed smash film was shot entirely in South Africa. Since the country was ruled by strict apartheid (enforced racial separation) laws, stars Sidney Poitier and Canada Lee and producer/director Korda cooked up a scheme where they told the South African immigration authorities that Poitier and Lee were not actors but were Korda's indentured servants; otherwise, the two black actors and the white director could have been arrested, and jailed without trial. It marked the first time a major film was shot in the racially divided country, leading to serious exposure of the terrible conditions there. After the making of this film, Canada Lee planned to make a full report about life in South Africa: he was then called to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee to explain his actions, but died of heart failure before he could testify.
Critical response
The film was well received by critics, and currently hold a 100% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Those praising the film included Bosley Crowther in the New York Times who stated "It is difficult to do proper justice to the fine qualities of this film or to the courage and skill of Mr. Korda in transmitting such a difficult and sobering theme."
Awards
References
Cry, the Beloved Country (1951 film) WikipediaCry, the Beloved Country (1951 film) IMDbCry, the Beloved Country (1951 film) themoviedb.org