MovieChat Forums > Cry Freedom (1987) Discussion > The countryside

The countryside

posted 19 years ago by mikepth
7 replies | jump to latest

Is almost identical to the Australian outback, espeically in this film.
Even flauna looked similar. Though this may have also beeen due to the fact that I didn't see any of the atypical Africa heard aniumal or more predatory wildlife running around.

It is strange how the African country side can be made to look different in different movies. I guess the Hollywood made movies do drees it up abit more. For exmaple that Kevin Bacon movie where he's a Basketball coach looking for some natural talent in the Africa tourist towns. A real Disney Flick.

Some thing I have noticed in Crocodile Dundee movies with the Australian Outback where every thing looks nicer than it actualley is.

[–] marcelle-8 19 years ago

It's quite possible this film was shot in Australia, but I don't think so, I think it was shot in Zimbabwe and Kenya.

Of course you weren't supposed to see wildlife running around, because the areas it it set in, are towns, and most wildlife nowadays are endangered, and live in protected game parks, not roaming towns!

The Kevin Bacon (i think it's called "The air up there") flick you talk about was shot in South Africa though.

What I did find funny though, was when Kevin Kline's character went to visit the Minister in "Pretoria": the place the minister lives, is DEFINATELY NOT in Pretoria, there is a spectacular view from his stoep, and the view is of a mountain range! There is no such mountain range near Pretoria (the hills surrounding the town, have buildings on, and are much lower).

Since this film was made in 1987, there is no way the government would have allowed it to be shot in SA of course....and of course they immediately banned it, so we've only recently been able to see it.

[–] dzavitz 19 years ago

I suspect it didn't look "African" because those of us who have never been there have only seen the usual National Geographic documentary (or Hollywood) shots of giraffes and gazelles. I thought parts of Cry Freedom looked as if it could have even been shot in California. California has a wide variety of terrain--mountains, deserts, redwood forests, etc.-- but what most of the world sees in movies are beaches and palm trees. It's interesting how a lot of Hollywood movies give you cliche establishing shots to remind you that you're in Africa (exotic wildlife everywhere, dust) or France (Eiffel Tower, people running around with giant loaves of bread sticking out of shopping bags, no dust) or North Africa (Indiana Jones, outdoor markets, camels, dust). Lol.

[–] anitagrave 19 years ago

Having spent my chilhood both in Australia and South Africa the scenes of the countryside did look like the central areas of S.A. since it was filmed in Zimbabwe and finished in Kenya. I even saw my favorite Jacaranda trees with the purple flowers (which are also found in California). South Africa has such a varied landscape too. Incredible wild beaches, rainforests, mountains, high plains, desert, and the wine country is spectacular. Parts of it definitely look like areas of California and Australia.

[–] marcelle-8 19 years ago

I read (right here on IMDB) that the beach scenes were filmed on lake Kariba (since Zim is a landlocked country and has no "beaches").

It's ironic that twenty years ago it was nicer to live in Zim than in SA, but now it's such a crappy place with all the Zimbabweans jumping the fences into SA on a daily basis (to be loaded into a truck and taken back over Beit Bridge, only to come back the same day)...

[–] chrisbedford 19 years ago

You can KEEP your favourite jacarandas! They are alien invaders (from South America) and are destroying our indigenous vegetation, just as the (Australian) eucalypts are. Yeah, yeah, very pretty - Pretoria turns purple in Spring, and everyone oohs and aahs over them - but it only lasts 3 weeks, then the fallen flowers turn into a horrible slimy brown slush that makes the roads slippery & dangerous; the trees, because they grow so fast, are not able to withstand strong winds once they are 20+ years old, and fall on houses, power lines, & cars; but most of all they are incredibly prolific and are taking over the little remaining native bush ("woods") we have left.

Nasty things, wish they would all be cut down. There'd be an outcry amongst the old guard, but who cares! We have lots of beautiful indigenous flora, who needs that garish tasteless purple display!

Ok, that's my rant for the day. Got that off my chest, feel better now.

[–] marcelle-8 18 years ago

Hey ChrisBedord, apparently they are not planting new Jacaranda trees in Pretoria anymore, they're letting the existing ones be, but not replacing the dead ones...Thanks Gwen!
(she is the Mayor of "Tshwane")

You forgot to mention that horrible Australian invader tree called the "Black Wattle" with it's horrible little yellow puffy "flowers".... always floating in one's pool!

What I hate about Jacarandas (I grew up in Pretoria) is that seeing the purple flowers in October/November always mean final exams are near!

But now I'm old, and it doesn't bother me that much, they're just plants trying to "make a living", they don't know they're "evil"!

[–] mvoight 17 years ago

Since the end credits thanked the government of Zimbawe, I assume this is where it was filmed.