Globalization is termed as a process that fosters the interconnectedness of the world by its people and places by way of the convergence of their politics, economies as well as their cultural activities (Rowntree, Lewis, Price, & Wyckoff 4). Far flung areas have become increasingly connected thanks to the modern technologies that have been developed in recent years. Globalization has often helped change the mindset of different societies depending on the issues at hand. In the context of The Long Walk to Freedom, a movie depicting the issues affecting apartheid South Africa; the viewer is drawn into the intrigues that characterized the South African society and more specifically its former president and freedom fighter Nelson Mandela. But more importantly, globalization shapes the characters, events and places throughout the film to be out the true picture of the happenings in the South African society of that era. More importantly, the movie presents the one man Nelson Mandela, who is laden with the weight of responsibility from one stage to another as the movie progresses.
It is fascinating how Mandela uses public forums to address the freedom issues, thus capturing the attention of not only the South Africans but the world. The audience first meets him as a young lawyer who takes the court’s platform to defend a domestic worker who has been accused of stealing knickers from her mistress (Chadwick 4). As the film progresses, he becomes more involved in the struggles of the ANC. Develops from being a civilized lawyer to an aggrieved citizen who even burns his identity papers. One could have expected to be a morally straight and responsible man, but the opposite is true because he is depicted as an abusive husband who cheats on his wife, who has neglected his infant children and a terrible smoker. But in the end, he becomes a celebrated statesman despite his inadequacies.
The South African space, the context in which the movie is set undergoes a total transformation from a largely traditional African setup to a society that swims in the depths of globalization. For instance, a typical African society of the era the film represents and previous ones may never have featured a discotheque where men and women mingle freely and dance to music. At one point, the viewer is drawn to the real African context of a disco where men and women dance to modern era music that transcends the traditional African boundaries. The Boers, on the other hand, represent the west, western ideals and culture because they are depicted as different from the Africans. The two races, the Boers and blacks are at war with each other. The war escalates and catches the attention of the world considering that Mandela calls for a foreign journalist to tell his side of the story. Globalization comes into play because the international media is depicted as the channel through which the rest of the world would be allowed to see the real situation in South Africa.
As globalization becomes widely accepted, it is highly likely that the world will become more uniform and homogenized because it promotes a universal global culture that unites all humankind making them a single world culture or community. The movie shows just how much an issue affecting only black South Africans could become a global concern, making the world join hands with the leaders of South Africa to call for the release of Nelson Mandela and that South Africans receive independence. When his daughter visits him in prison, she categorically tells Mandela that the people from around the world will get involved in the campaign, “Free Nelson Mandela Now.” That is a good example of how globalization made it possible for the world to see the plight of the black South Africans. In the end, it bore fruits because indeed the world came together and called for the minority white community to recognize that it was about time South Africa became democratic.
The different nationalities represented in this film are represented differently in such a way that their uniqueness is brought out very well. The blacks come out as the aggrieved parties going on their demonstrations and spirit of pursuing change. The wedding of Nelson Mandela and his wife Evelyn get married traditionally, and the culture of the African people is well projected through the way the Africans do it. The Boer’s ethnic values are also brought out in a different way because they are depicted as the superior race. History provides the fact that confirms there was a desire to partition and acquire Africa by European nations, and that led to a global organization that usurped Africa and made it part of the wider evolving world (Rowntree, Lewis, Price, & Wyckoff 6). These actions eventually led to what was witnessed in South Africa and other nations of the world. What’s more, the political and social conflicts brought out show a repressive regime of the Boers that wanted to be in total control of this country. More importantly, globalization led to the opening up of opportunities for the South Africans to share their story with the wider world. That helped them achieve their freedom and end apartheid.
Works Cited
Chadwick, Justin, dir. Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. Twentieth Century Fox, 2013. Film
Rowntree, Lester., Lewis, Martin., Price, Marie & Wyckoff, William. Globalization and Diversity: Geography of a Changing World. 4/e. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2013. Print
