Apartheid Imagery in “A Walk in the Night” and “A Dry White Season”

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The historic period from 1948 to 1994 in South Africa witnessed rigid segregation legislature that was adopted by the National Party. Superiority of white population in the country prevented the African population from establishing fair treatment, which led to the division of the inhabitants in racial groups and residential areas in which various ethnicities lived. Non-white citizens were limited in freedom and rights.

The preconditions and consequences of apartheid are brightly illustrated in A Walk in the Night and A Dry White Season. Specifically, A Walk in the Night represents slight changes in racial power dynamics through representing a single story of Mikey Adonis whose life changes completely in a night when one event makes the hero grow angry and decide on a terrible and brutal action.

A Dry White Season also recounts a story of racial intolerance and deterrence on the part of the white-dominating government. The story focuses on a white English teacher who becomes the witness of unjust and cruel treatment of his black gardener’s son. Both movies focus on various representations of apartheid and segregation through exploring the restrictions imposed on human rights, education, and employment opportunities.

In A Dry White Season, the main heroes struggle for equality in education and employment opportunities, but the movie explicitly represents the inferior position of native African population in contrast to social dominance of White population in South Africa.

Hence, Mr. Ben du Toit is a schoolteacher; he is a highly respected person who believes that he lives in a fair, open, and equal society. However, there are no native Africans who could take such honorable positions. They all work for white people, such Mr. Gordon, Mr. Toit’s gardener.

When Mr. Gordon learns about his son’s death, he is not allowed to see the place where he was buried. In the movie, Mr. Toit expresses his confidence’ in transparency and objectivity of the government’s policy toward African people. When the teacher informs Gordon about his son’s death, the gardener angrily replies, “And I’ll find out. God is my witness, I’ll find out what had really happened and where he lies” (Palcy, 2000).

However, further events prove the cruel and unequal attitude toward black citizens and, therefore most of the police’s actions are premised on prejudices and ignorance. The official administration did not inform Mr. Gordon about his son’s death and arrested him aftermath for the unknown crime.

Mr. Adonis in the A Walk in the Night is also fired for the unknown reasons. His employer prejudices his actions and accuses him of being lazy and doing nothing just because he asked him to go out to the bathroom. By calling him “kaffir”, Mickey becomes angry and frustrated by looking at the open intolerance on the part of his white colleagues. The film, therefore, demonstrates how social and political impact can negatively influence the individual’s psychological state.

Indeed, political context of violence is represented through insult of ethnic minorities by inappropriate and offensive words. Therefore, when his Uncle Doughty explains that “it’s just a manner of speech”, Mikey becomes outraged and kills him (Dube, 1998). The feeling of justice, as well as inability to come up with his anger and rage makes Mikey come out of control. The psychological and social pressure imposed on him leads to devastating consequences.

Despite the explicit hostility expressed by the white society, the protagonists search for the truth and strive to find any hints of mercy and understanding. Even Mr. Toit in the movie does not fully realizes the extent to which the government is corrupted because he blindly believes that the attitude to all members of society is equitable and unbiased, but further investigation revealed that the demonstration organized by the black community for equal education resulted in a great number of deaths and ungrounded arrests.

So, when Mr. Toit addressed Mr. McKenzie who pervaded him in the rightfulness of actions against the rebellious demonstration. By demonstrating the brutality and horrors of the police regime, the film appeals to anti-apartheid struggle. Similar reasons for inappropriate and prejudiced treatment are highlighted in A Walk in the Night, in which the main protagonists strive for affirmation of his rights. After he kills his uncle, he decides to confess to save his girlfriend’s brother, which points to his moral awareness and reconciliation.

However, the police overtly ignore his confessions and apply to violent yet legitimate actions to solve the problem. Desperate attempts of the hero to improve the situation and rescue his friend’s life fail of Mikey’s inability to stand the corrupted authority.

Similar attempts have been made by Mr. Toit’s gardener who decides to find any information his dead son. However, the police strives to conceal the truth and, therefore, Gordon is charged and taken to the police office for the unknown reason. When Ben finds out about Gordon’s suicide, he becomes more concerned with the case, although his family does not understand his despair and frustration with the social system.

Like the Native Americans, he also feels isolation and misunderstanding on the part of the surrounding people. Melanie Bruwer seems to be the only person who understands Ben’s disappointment and suppression by telling: “This country doesn’t allow me to indulge myself. It isn’t possible to live a private life if you want to live with your conscience” (Palcy, 2000).

Becoming more conscious about the inequality and horrors surrounding Soveto’s people, Ben faces rigid opposition from the rest of his close relatives and friends. Nevertheless, he calls Soweto people to fight for their integrity and prove their dignity.

The harmony within Ben’s family and his happily life contrasts with cruel and inhuman treatment of African population, which is another representation of racial segregation existed in twentieth century. The violence of police, depiction of dead, bloody victims of the demonstration, and horrible tortures are so vividly illustrated that it is difficult for the audience to watch the scenes.

However, they are necessary for understanding the emotional and psychological stance of the movie. The highlighted contrast allows the viewers to understand the premises of apartheid and the hardships that colored people had to endure.

Both movies provide various interpretation of apartheid to prove that justice and law are represented in opposition. Pledging for justice, Mr. Ben du Toit and Mikey Adonis faced a serious confrontation on the part of the horrible political regime.

Both movies also prove that justice in South Africa is overtly disregarded as soon as it comes to race and ethnicity. Intolerance, unequal treatment, and restricted freedom separated the black community from education, job opportunities, and impartial attitude. In general, both pictures appeal to the African and White audience to understand the living conditions under which the racial groups of South Africa existed.

Works Cited

Dube, M. M. (1998). A Walk in the Night. South Africa: South African Broadcasting Corporation. DVD

Palcy, E. (1989). A Dry White Season. England, UK: Pinewood Studies. DVD.

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Apartheid Imagery in “A Walk in the Night” and “A Dry White Season”

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