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Cast: |
| Nigel Hawthorne |
| Eric Stoltz |
Louis Gossett Jr.
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Director: |
Arthur Penn
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Inside is a politically explosive drama that is set in a secret police prison where torture is inflicted and confessions extracted, and it exposes the excesses of the South African police state under apartheid.
Synopsis:
The film tells the story of a country torn apart by the atrocities committed against political prisoners and how the new government has effected a plan to make amends for those who suffered. Stoltz plays Marty Strydom, a young Afrikaaner university professor from a reputable
upper-class family who finds himself charged with treason, terrorism and sabotage after attending a concert in Zimbabwe in 1986.
Hawthorne is Colonel Kruger, a career police officer dedicated to enforcing the rules of apartheid, even to the point of twisting the facts to suit his purposes.Gossett is a fellow political prisoner, bearing witness to Strydom's demise under Kruger's harsh mental and physical torture, who vows to avenge his wrongful death.
The drama is staged as a series of two-character confrontations where the music is spare, the lighting unsparing, the fadeouts many, the lies thick, the ironies vicious and the plot reversals sweet.
Ten years after Strydom's suicide, it is the political prisoner's turn to cross-examine the Colonel. Kruger's colleagues in the secret police had thoughtfully destroyed most of the files that documented his crimes of physical and mental abuse against inmates during the turbulent 80s; however, Strydom's file happens to be one of the very few to escape the net and can incriminate Kruger if the right questions are asked.
Glowing words for Penn's direction:
"Penn's greatest gift is his love for actors and his
ability to draw treasures from them. Indeed, you
can see something brighten in the eyes of Stoltz,
Hawthorne and Gossett, as if, freed from the
monotony of formula movies, they were glad to
have something to chew on -- and thrilled to make
themselves putty in Penn's knowing hands."
-San Francisco Chronicle
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"With the ending of apartheid, I wanted to go back to South Africa for work and Inside provided that opportunity. Besides, I really liked the fact that the story is almost true to life in the context of today's current political situation."
- Nigel Hawthorne
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"When this script came in, that was a relevant story of South Africa today, I wanted to do it. I had made a promise to myself that I would help enhance the film industry in South Africa, and this project fits the bill,
so I also became an executive producer."
- Louis Gossett Jr. |
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"A Story Of Visceral And Visual Power"
- New York Times
INSIDE premiered at the 1996 San Francisco International Film Festival where acclaimed director, Arthur Penn was honoured with a special citation for film making. INSIDE was also an official selection of the 1996 Cannes Film Festival and Toronto Film Festival.
Reviews:
LA Times
Chicago Tribune
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