Evening star., 1952-09-25

Theater Just as richly as they did
The result is a singularly m
stituteS pity and poignance for t
Of race tension usually is dealt
with.
Patton, writing of the seething
situation in South Africa, has
pfobed his subject deeply and
written Of it revealingly. His
screen interpreters. including
cast headed by the late Canada
Lee in his last and best role, have
kept faith with the spirit Of the
original.
Zoltan Korda's S direction of "Cry,
the Beloved Country is excellent.
It covers not merely the personal
tragedy with which the story
deals but captures the whole an
guished climate of its setting. IT
leaves little doubt that in teem-
ing johannesburg, actual scene
Of the films major action. the
ghaStly ghettos and gardened
homes Of the whites are equally
haunted by their common prob
lem.
As author of the screenplay at
the Dupont. Patton has followed
precisely the pattern of his orig
inal story.
He tells it now, as he did several
years ago when it was a long time,
best-seller. through the heart
breaking experience of Rev.
Stephen Kumalo. This wistful fig
ure. played by Actor Lee, is an
up-country pastor to a small, i'm
poveriShed flock composed mostly
OF the very young and the quite
old.
The young adults who might be
expected in such a group have
been driven by economic condi-
tions to the city. Among these is
Kumalo's own son, Absalom. He
has deserted the land which, offers
so little for the city which Offers
less, except for the dubious re-
wards of crime and violence.
These Absalom embraces, forget
full Of his fathers teaching. He
goes from misadventure to mis-
adventure until he ends up ac-
cused Of the murder of the young
white man who is doing most to
ease the lot of Johannesburg's
suffering native population.
Compromising this tragedy is
the fact that the murder victim
is the son of the Kumalo's decent
white neighbor in the up-country.
It is a major dramatic point of
the story that the slain man and
his slayer grew up together. sep
arated only by the race barrier, in
the upland homes both left.
4 X
In following Stephen Kumalo
In his tragic search for the son
buried In the economic morass of
johannesburg. Korda's cameras
cover an unfailingly dramatic
vista.
The incredible squalor Of the
city's native ghettoS and the aura
Of terror that pervades the city's
glistening white mans areas have
the essence of authenticity in the
film. But what the screenplay
seeks is the drama of the lives
lived here, of the irrational vi0-
lence that men cannot resist.
The force with which Stephen
Kumalo undertakes to resist it is
his simple Christianity. It is this
that energies his heartbreaking
search. not only for his missing
son. but for his sister who has
turned to harlotry, and for the
sons defenselessly innocent wife.
Lee makes a poignant figure Of
Paton's simple hero. He is man
shattered by the discovery that
each object of his narrowing
search is beyond redemption
when found.
Yet even this succession OF
tragedies is not unalloyed. There
are others, black and white. who
are equally concerned with Ku-
malo's problem, even If not as
personally involved in it. The
clerical group which gives him
shelter and it's affectionate pity
offers him the comfort Of its COM
mon concern with the problem
He learns there are whites, lay
men and those in official posts
who are sympathetic and aware
Of the need to work out some
degree of integration between the
races.
And last, and best Of all. it /!
the dramatic climax Of Patton!
story that the Kumalo and Jarvis
families are united in their com
mon tragedy.
"Cry, the Beloved Country" is {
pursuit Aim, its quarry some form
of common>attack upon the prob
lem of race SeparatenesS. Ever!
one concerned with it is aware tina
this is q quest of extraordinar.
dramatic impact, an impact tina
is intensified by the fact that tn
story is quietly played. Korda ant
his cast. like Patton in writing tn
original story, are content to le
an apparent fact speak for itself
Lee brings this off superbly il
his role of the anquished father
This is a simple, deeply faithful
man who asks a minimum of tn
divine providence in which he be
lieves. Lee makes Of it an ex
tremely touching portrait and tn
films dominant force.
His skill in this achievement
Is reinforced by superb acting fror
q number of others such 9
Charles Carson, as father of tn
slain man: Sidney Potter as
young priest; Joyce Carey as tn