Silverton Siege

Silverton Siege

After a failed sabotage mission, a trio of anti-apartheid freedom fighters ends up in a tense bank hostage situation. Based on a true story.

  • Released: 2022-04-27
  • Runtime: 100 minutes
  • Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
  • Stars: Arnold Vosloo, Tumisho Masha, Thabo Rametsi, Noxolo Dlamini, Stefan Erasmus, Sarah Kozlowski, Justin Strydom, Clayton Boyd, Jacques Gombault, Elani Dekker, Shane Wellington, Michelle Mosalakae, Mariska Denysschen, Maureen Wells, Vincent Mahlape, Keaton Ditchfield, Deon Coetzee, Craig Jackson, Jacob Batalon
  • Director: Mandlakayise Walter Dube, Jr.
 Comments
  • RosemaryBlue - 18 December 2022
    It's thriller! Not a documentary!
    The film is great! The costumes, the camera work, the cast, everything. I found it enjoyable. And the length was just right. If you watch the film with the understanding that this is thriller (not a documentary), you will be sorted. You may even see the film for what it is: a well executed, well framed film that has us voicing our desires for local film and has us discussing the parameters and meaning of "inspired by actual events" in South Africa. All this is wonderful.

    Now, to some of the points other reviewers have brought up. Firstly, there is the issue of how the film's cast does not match the actual Silverton Trio. In my opinion, this is not an actual issue, especially not one as pressing and serious as it is made to seem. This film does not stop other producers from creating a more "realistic" film. And although the producers chose to add (at the end) that this film is "based on actual events" (which is debatable), the producers also added the real photographs of the real Silverton Trio at the end. If that is not enough, other producers are free to produce films that are slightly more "authentic" (as in, documentaries). This film, and any other film for that matter, does NOT change the truth of history, therefore the supposed "unrealisticness" of this film is not a threat. It is an opportunity for the local film industry to hone in on our hunger for these largely untold stories.

    Secondly, I appreciated the fact that the lead actors are *not* the same old actors we see on screen all the time. The lead actors did an amazing job. And I will definitely be looking up their other work.

    ALL (and I mean ALL) the actors had screen time (rightfully so, because that is part of their job; being on screen). And I enjoyed how human every character was written to be (even the ones who seem incredibly shallow at first glance). EVERY character had a visible internal complexity that was refreshing to see. The producers/directors/writers could have fallen into the temptation of reducing every character to rigid, cardboard cut-out politically binary stereotypes but if one looks beyond the very obvious stereotypes the characters exhibit - the actions these same characters make unlock their inner complexity. The stereotypes are not bad in this sense, they're like a key, and for this reason they are practically harmless. I can't help thinking that the film makers chose specific stereotypes for specific characters for specific (and useful) reasons. And the core reason is so we can see the complexity every character has.

    Also, about the "stereotypical characters": the film is set in a time when people would see the stereotypes of a person before the actual person. Perhaps that is also why the characters were written as they were? They did not bother me at all.

    Again, if you watch the film with the understanding that this is thriller (not a documentary), you will be alright. Down voting a film for not being a different genre is self manufactured, misplaced disappointment.
  • searchanddestroy-1 - 6 June 2022
    Spike Lee could have made it.
    And I don't speak of the near same topic of INSIDE MAN, no, you understand what I am talking about. This is not a crime movie but definitely a social political activist film, concerning Apartheid and its whereabouts, because inspired by actual events. This is not a crap, a bad feature, partly because of character depiction and obvious directing skills.
  • AnthonyKZ - 8 May 2022
    Undeserving of Bad Reviews
    Based on true events this film really captures the real life struggles for freedom around the world (in this case South Africa) and effectively showcases the emotion and meaning behind it. The acting is powerful and the story gritty. The main characters did well and the movie makes you reflect on world affairs. Thabo Rametsi did so well in this film as the lead actor. "What is the price of freedom, everything!"