Retro Film Review: Stander (2003)
Opportunity turns honest man into thief" is an Italian proverb that could be applied to the protagonist of Stander, 2003 crime drama directed by Bronwen Hughes. The plot begins in 1976 South Africa, a place where men like Andres Stander (played by Thomas Jane) had it all. As a member of privileged Boer family and son of highly respected general (played by Marcus Weyers) he rose in the ranks of South African law enforcement, became the youngest police captain in history and married beautiful Bekkie (played by Deborah Kara Unger). But this idyll is crumbling when the oppressed black majority start to demand the end of apartheid regime and Stander has to take part in bloody suppression of demonstrations in Soweto. This traumatic experience leads Stander to the idea that if the police are busy fighting demonstrators, they won't have the resources to deal with regular crime. He then begins a series of audacious armed robberies, which ultimately lead to his capture and a 75-year prison sentence.
Based on a true story largely unknown outside South Africa, Stander is a surprisingly accomplished film. Thomas Jane delivers a very good performance, successfully tackling both the complex character and South African accent. The action scenes are wonderfully directed, and the cinematography of Jess Hall, along with the effective use of a 1970s soundtrack, create a proper period atmosphere. Stander does a credible job in showing how different worlds collide in apartheid South Africa - not only the affluent whites vs. oppressed blacks, but also the highly regimented social system vs. 1970s hedonism and individualism. Hughes, who is also responsible for the utterly disappointing romantic comedy Forces of Nature, took a significant risk by entering this unfamiliar territory, and the risk paid off.
Despite deserved praise, Stander also has some flaws. The major problem lies in Bima Staggs's script, which tries too hard to put Stander's story in a broader social, historical, and political context. The film argues that Stander became a criminal because he was disgusted with the brutality of the regime whose laws he had to protect, as well as guilt-stricken about his own role in such brutality. This is explicitly presented in a surreal scene that is supposed to be moving but comes across as a Hollywood invention rather than something based on fact. The film fails to present an answer to why the protagonist chose bank robbing as a way to exercise those demons when other options - emigration, resigning from the police, or joining anti-apartheid movements - were open. Another of the film's problems is the obligatory romance, manifesting itself in a steamy but completely unnecessary sex scene.
However, despite these flaws, "Stander" deserves recommendation as a fascinating film that confirms the old adage of truth being stranger than fiction.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
(Note: Original version of the review is available here
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