In 1950 a young white South African (Freddie Highmore) is upset that his alcoholic father is returning home. He confides in Sam (Ving Rhames) and Willie (Patrick Mofokeng), the two black waiters at his mother's restaurant, who have done more to raise him than his father. Yet the realities of apartheid rear their ugly head as the day progresses. Based on the award-winning play by Athol Fugard, Master Harold… and the Boys features solid performances and good period detail, and the script does a fine job of opening up the play for the screen, but Lonny Price's direction suffers from stylistic overindulgence that somewhat diminishes its potency as a drama. Image has released the film to Blu-Ray with excellent picture and sound quality but no extras besides a trailer.
Master Harold… and the Boys (2010)
Studio: Image Entertainment (Produced by Focus Films)
Year: 2010
Rated: PG-13
Length: 87 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Resolution: 1080p
Languages: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
MSRP: $29.97
Film Release Date: March 17, 2010
Disc Release Date: October 11, 2011
Review Date: November 29, 2011
The Movie:
3/5
Apartheid was a policy of racial segregation in South Africa that gave preferential treatment to the white minority at the expense of the black majority. Racism was so entrenched in the culture that the country banned several works of art critical of apartheid; one of those was Athol Fugard’s play Master Harold… and the Boys, which opened on May 4, 1982 on Broadway and ran for 344 performances, winning a Drama Desk award for Outstanding Play. It was made into a TV production in 1985 with Matthew Broderick in the title role; it was also revived on Broadway in 2003. Now it has been brought to the screen in a stylistically flawed but well-acted adaptation that, apparently, has been unable to get a theatrical release in the United States.
Set in 1950, “Master Harold” is Harold “Hally” Ballard (Freddie Highmore), a white teenager with a strong sense of intellectual curiosity and a chip on his shoulder. His mother owns a whites-only restaurant in Port Elizabeth where its two black waiters Sam (Ving Rhames) and Willie (Patrick Mofokeng) are rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition. Hally’s alcoholic father is coming home from the hospital after an embarrassing accident, which does not please Hally one bit. Having known him from a very young age, Sam and Willie have done more to raise Hally than his father ever did; flashbacks reveal that as a child, Hally was blind to the prejudice they received, but as a young man he has cast aside the idea that blacks and whites can ever be considered equals in any way, despite Sam’s intelligence and knowledge. As the day goes on and Sam and Willie describe the dancing contest, Hally’s anger over his father manifests itself in an ugly way.
Master Harold… and the Boys was originally a three-person, one set play; the script has opened it up skillfully, showing Hally’s parents and Sam and Willie’s respective wives, while the production does an admirable job of showing the difference in the worlds in which they live—though the less said about the CGI kite animation, the better. However, this “opening up” is a double-edged sword. The three principal cast members handle their roles well, with Freddie Highmore’s performance as Hally standing out; as Sam, Ving Rhames keeps a stoic demeanor at all times, never letting himself get carried away with his emotions; without his cool temperament, the film could easily become heavy-handed. What keeps the film from reaching its full potential is its director’s self-conscious style. Director Lonnie Price, who originated the role of Hally in the Original Broadway Cast, frames every shot so artfully and carefully that the individual shots threaten to overwhelm the scenes; there are so many close-ups with the shallowest depth of field since Barry Lyndon that it almost never feels like the actors are in the same room. This diminishes the emotional intimacy of the piece and therefore the full impact of the rift between Hally and Sam. Nevertheless, thanks to the performances it still shines through the film’s flashy façade.
The Video:
4.5/5
Presented at its aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and AVC-encoded, the film sports a clean, grainless image with noticeable fine detail, a subdued, cool color scheme and a dark picture overall. Contrast is average, but shadow detail is present and not crushed. Any softness is a result of cinematographer Lance Gewer’s use of shallow depth of field in the majority of shots.
The Audio:
5/5
The film features a 5.1 DTS-HD MA track that features a strong surround presence in the exterior scenes and any scene featuring the musical score. In addition, it features accurate reproduction of dialogue and a good balance of frequencies. There's really nothing to complain about with this track.
The Extras:
0.5/5
The sole extra is the film’s theatrical trailer (2:11), which is SD and 4x3.
Final Score:
3/5
Though the strengths of the film are often overshadowed by its obvious attempt to break as far away from its theatrical origins as possible, Master Harold… and the Boys is a worthwhile endeavor with commendable performances. While it lacks in the extras department, the presentation couldn’t be better, though the MSRP is a bit much for a bare-bones disc.
Studio: Image Entertainment (Produced by Focus Films)
Year: 2010
Rated: PG-13
Length: 87 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Resolution: 1080p
Languages: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
MSRP: $29.97
Film Release Date: March 17, 2010
Disc Release Date: October 11, 2011
Review Date: November 29, 2011
The Movie:
3/5
Apartheid was a policy of racial segregation in South Africa that gave preferential treatment to the white minority at the expense of the black majority. Racism was so entrenched in the culture that the country banned several works of art critical of apartheid; one of those was Athol Fugard’s play Master Harold… and the Boys, which opened on May 4, 1982 on Broadway and ran for 344 performances, winning a Drama Desk award for Outstanding Play. It was made into a TV production in 1985 with Matthew Broderick in the title role; it was also revived on Broadway in 2003. Now it has been brought to the screen in a stylistically flawed but well-acted adaptation that, apparently, has been unable to get a theatrical release in the United States.
Set in 1950, “Master Harold” is Harold “Hally” Ballard (Freddie Highmore), a white teenager with a strong sense of intellectual curiosity and a chip on his shoulder. His mother owns a whites-only restaurant in Port Elizabeth where its two black waiters Sam (Ving Rhames) and Willie (Patrick Mofokeng) are rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition. Hally’s alcoholic father is coming home from the hospital after an embarrassing accident, which does not please Hally one bit. Having known him from a very young age, Sam and Willie have done more to raise Hally than his father ever did; flashbacks reveal that as a child, Hally was blind to the prejudice they received, but as a young man he has cast aside the idea that blacks and whites can ever be considered equals in any way, despite Sam’s intelligence and knowledge. As the day goes on and Sam and Willie describe the dancing contest, Hally’s anger over his father manifests itself in an ugly way.
Master Harold… and the Boys was originally a three-person, one set play; the script has opened it up skillfully, showing Hally’s parents and Sam and Willie’s respective wives, while the production does an admirable job of showing the difference in the worlds in which they live—though the less said about the CGI kite animation, the better. However, this “opening up” is a double-edged sword. The three principal cast members handle their roles well, with Freddie Highmore’s performance as Hally standing out; as Sam, Ving Rhames keeps a stoic demeanor at all times, never letting himself get carried away with his emotions; without his cool temperament, the film could easily become heavy-handed. What keeps the film from reaching its full potential is its director’s self-conscious style. Director Lonnie Price, who originated the role of Hally in the Original Broadway Cast, frames every shot so artfully and carefully that the individual shots threaten to overwhelm the scenes; there are so many close-ups with the shallowest depth of field since Barry Lyndon that it almost never feels like the actors are in the same room. This diminishes the emotional intimacy of the piece and therefore the full impact of the rift between Hally and Sam. Nevertheless, thanks to the performances it still shines through the film’s flashy façade.
The Video:
4.5/5
Presented at its aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and AVC-encoded, the film sports a clean, grainless image with noticeable fine detail, a subdued, cool color scheme and a dark picture overall. Contrast is average, but shadow detail is present and not crushed. Any softness is a result of cinematographer Lance Gewer’s use of shallow depth of field in the majority of shots.
The Audio:
5/5
The film features a 5.1 DTS-HD MA track that features a strong surround presence in the exterior scenes and any scene featuring the musical score. In addition, it features accurate reproduction of dialogue and a good balance of frequencies. There's really nothing to complain about with this track.
The Extras:
0.5/5
The sole extra is the film’s theatrical trailer (2:11), which is SD and 4x3.
Final Score:
3/5
Though the strengths of the film are often overshadowed by its obvious attempt to break as far away from its theatrical origins as possible, Master Harold… and the Boys is a worthwhile endeavor with commendable performances. While it lacks in the extras department, the presentation couldn’t be better, though the MSRP is a bit much for a bare-bones disc.
