Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema - A South African Crime Epic
If you are a fan of crime movies, you might want to check out Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema, a 2008 South African film written and directed by Ralph Ziman. The film is based on the true story of Lucky Kunene, a young man who rises from poverty to become a powerful slumlord in Johannesburg. The film is gritty, action-packed, and full of twists and turns. It also explores the social and political issues of post-apartheid South Africa, such as corruption, violence, racism, and inequality.
What is the movie about?
Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema is a crime drama that follows the life of Lucky Kunene, a charismatic and ambitious character who dreams of escaping his harsh reality in Soweto. He gets involved in car-jacking and other criminal activities with his friend Zakes and their mentor Nazareth, a former freedom fighter. After a botched robbery, they flee to Hillbrow, a notorious neighborhood in Johannesburg. There, Lucky devises a scheme to take over the apartment buildings by offering cheap rent to the tenants and negotiating with the landlords. He becomes known as "The Hoodlum of Hillbrow" and builds his own empire. However, he also faces many enemies and challenges, such as a ruthless drug lord named Tony Ngu, a determined police detective named Blakkie Swart, and his own moral dilemmas.
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The plot summary
The film begins with Lucky lying on a bed, covered in blood. He is arrested for murder charges and taken to an interrogation room. He agrees to tell his full story to the police. The film then flashes back to his childhood in Soweto, where he struggles with poverty, violence, and lack of opportunities. He tries to get a scholarship to study law, but fails. He meets Nazareth, who introduces him to car-jacking and other crimes. He also meets Leah Friedlander, a white woman who becomes his love interest. He and Zakes move to Hillbrow after escaping from the police. There, he starts his housing scheme and becomes successful. He also faces many dangers and conflicts from his rivals, his allies, and his conscience. The film ends with Lucky being shot by Tony Ngu's men in his house. He survives and is arrested by Blakkie Swart. He claims that he is innocent of the murder charge and that he was framed by Tony Ngu.
The main characters
Lucky Kunene (played by Rapulana Seiphemo) - The protagonist of the film. He is a smart, charismatic, and ambitious young man who wants to make a better life for himself and his family. He becomes a slumlord in Hillbrow after starting his housing scheme. He is also involved in car-jacking, drug dealing, money laundering, and other crimes. He has a relationship with Leah Friedlander, a white woman who supports him.
Zakes Mbolelo (played by Ronnie Nyakale) - Lucky's best friend and partner in crime. He is loyal, funny, and brave. He helps Lucky with his housing scheme and other criminal activities. He also has a crush on Nomsa, Lucky's sister.
Nazareth (played by Jeffrey Zekele) - Lucky's mentor and boss in Soweto. He is a former freedom fighter who turned to crime after the end of apartheid. He teaches Lucky and Zakes how to car-jack and rob people. The themes and messages
Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema is not just a crime movie, but also a social commentary on the post-apartheid South Africa. The film explores the themes and messages of poverty, inequality, corruption, violence, racism, identity, morality, and survival. Some of the questions that the film raises are:
How does the legacy of apartheid affect the lives of the black majority in South Africa?
What are the challenges and opportunities for the young generation in the new democracy?
What are the ethical and moral implications of choosing a criminal lifestyle?
How does crime affect the society and the individuals involved?
What are the consequences of greed, ambition, and power?
What are the values and beliefs that guide the characters in their decisions and actions?
What are the roles and responsibilities of the law enforcement and the justice system?
What are the hopes and dreams of the people in South Africa?
The film does not provide easy answers or judgments, but rather invites the viewers to reflect on their own perspectives and experiences. The film also shows the complexity and diversity of South Africa, as well as its beauty and potential.
How to watch the movie online?
If you are interested in watching Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema online, you have several options to choose from. Here are some of them:
Netflix
Netflix is one of the most popular streaming platforms in the world, offering a wide range of movies and shows for a monthly subscription fee. You can watch Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema on Netflix in several countries, including South Africa, Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and more. You can check if the movie is available in your region by visiting [Netflix](^7^) and searching for the title. You can also use a VPN service to access Netflix from other regions.
Other streaming platforms
Besides Netflix, there are other streaming platforms that offer Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema online. Some of them are:
[Amazon Prime Video] - You can rent or buy the movie on Amazon Prime Video in several countries, such as United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, India, and more.
[YouTube] - You can rent or buy the movie on YouTube in several countries, such as United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and more.
[Google Play Movies & TV] - You can rent or buy the movie on Google Play Movies & TV in several countries, such as United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and more.
[iTunes] - You can rent or buy the movie on iTunes in several countries, such as United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, and more.
Download options
If you prefer to download Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema to watch offline or keep a copy for yourself, you can do so from some of the streaming platforms mentioned above. However, you should be aware of the legal and ethical issues involved in downloading movies online. Downloading movies from unauthorized sources may violate the intellectual property rights of the creators and distributors of the movie. It may also expose you to malware and viruses that can harm your device or compromise your personal information. Therefore, it is advisable to download movies only from legitimate sources that respect the rights of the filmmakers and offer high-quality and safe downloads.
What are the critics and audiences saying?
Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema received mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. The film has a score of 53 out of 100 on [Metacritic](^10^), based on 8 critic reviews. The film also has a rating of 7.7 out of 10 on [IMDb](^11^), based on 4 user ratings. Here are some of the positive and negative comments from critics and audiences:
The reviews and ratings
Positive comments:
"The results are startlingly original... This is Tsotsi without the feel-good glow." - Joe Morgenstern ([The Wall Street Journal])
"It's easy to overlook the formulas and just enjoy the ride." - Mike Hale ([The New York Times](^ Negative comments:
"The film is too long, too violent, too clichéd and too self-important." - Peter Bradshaw ([The Guardian])
"The movie is a mess, a jumble of incidents and motivations that never coheres into a compelling story." - Stephen Holden ([The New York Times])
"It's hard to care about any of the characters, who are either stereotypes or cardboard cutouts." - User review on [IMDb]
The awards and nominations
Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema received several awards and nominations from various film festivals and organizations. Some of them are:
Award
Category
Result
African Movie Academy Awards
Best Film
Nominated
African Movie Academy Awards
Best Director
Nominated
African Movie Academy Awards
Best Actor in a Leading Role
Nominated (Rapulana Seiphemo)
African Movie Academy Awards
Best Editing
Won
African Movie Academy Awards
Best Soundtrack
Won
South African Film and Television Awards
Best Feature Film
Nominated
South African Film and Television Awards
Best Director
Nominated (Ralph Ziman)
South African Film and Television Awards
Best Actor in a Lead Role
Nominated (Rapulana Seiphemo)
South African Film and Television Awards
Best Cinematography
Won
South African Film and Television Awards
Best Editing
Won
South African Film and Television Awards
Best Sound Design
Won
Fantasia International Film Festival
Best International Film
Nominated
Fantasia International Film Festival
Audience Award for Best International Feature Film
Nominated
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