Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema

2008 "Welcome to the promised land."
7.3| 2h0m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 11 February 2008 Released
Producted By: Muti Films
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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This South African movie tracks the rise of a once-petty criminal to the heights of the criminal underworld. After cutting his teeth on hijacking, before moving onto bigger game, an ambitious man hits a setback when most of his gang are shot.

Genre

Drama, Action, Crime

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Director

Ralph Ziman

Production Companies

Muti Films

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Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema Audience Reviews

Alicia I love this movie so much
Hottoceame The Age of Commercialism
Pluskylang Great Film overall
Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
technohype I don't care about who produces a movie or how old it is, for me its just about entertainment. One minute into the movie it starts with a guy in the prison talking about his past....very creative. So I realized "this is just a copycat of all the other random gangster movies". And I was damn right.There are lots of scenes that are just dull and unrealistic, without being funny or cool at all. The whole story is too predictable, boring and also kind of nonsensical.Don't watch this, if you like clever, funny or realistic gangster movies. This movie has a 2 point bonus for being from Africa. If this had been a Hollywood flick, it would have reached a 6 at max. So be warned.
JeffersonCody DIRECTOR Ralph Ziman's vivid, action-packed South African gangster epic makes for exciting big screen entertainment. Highly commercial and hardly politically correct, but reeking with authenticity, the aptly and ironically titled "Jerusalema" offers cinema-goers the same sort of tough, high-energy thrills as crime epics like "Scarface", "American Gangster" and "City of God". Unlike "Tsotsi", it's not out win awards, or to preach about the struggle. It's out to please crowds. Yet, while telling a strong, funny, gripping, well-acted story of a young gangster's rise to power, it also manages to paint a devastating picture of how and why crime has spiraled out of control in the new South Africa. Telling its tale on a broad canvas, it begins in Soweto in the early 1990s, introducing the audience to two teenage boys, Lucky Kunene (Jafta Mamabolo) and his best friend Zakes (Motlatsi Mahloko). Lucky is an intelligent, ambitious youngster from a poor single parent home who is accepted into university. He doesn't, however, get a bursary, so he tries to earn money through various legitimate schemes. None of which succeed. Eventually he and Zakes are sucked into crime though their relationship with Nazareth (a potent Jeffrey Sekele), an angry disaffected, former ANC guerilla. And soon they're hijacking cars ("affirmative repossession", says Nazareth). But, after a botched robbery and a near fatal encounter with the police, the lads must flee to the "jungles" of Hillbrow. Cut to five years later. Lucky and Zakes (now played by Rapulana Seiphemo and Ronnie Nyakale) are operating a pirate Taxi and scraping by. It's a dangerous life and when armed rivals steal their taxi, Lucky decides to return to crime. "Jeruselema" might shock some middle-class viewers, but it is riveting fare and the crowd I saw it with clapped and cheered along with the action. The charismatic Seiphemo delivers a stunning performance - turning Lucky into a surprisingly sympathetic anti-hero, and he's superbly supported by Nyakale, Sekele and a devilish Malusi Skenjana, who plays a slimy Nigerian drug dealer. Then there are the great action scenes and the powerful underlying themes. This vibrant, violent, colorful, authentic crime thriller, which pays homage to Michael Mann's classic, "Heat" heralds a new dawn in South African film-making and is highly recommended to audiences looking for top notch entertainment.
Tsepo Modise Tsotsi is nothing compared to Jerusalema. Finally a real South African movie that can hold its head up high. Totally authentic, all respect to those involved. A mirror on Jozi and what our lives are really like. I hope other film makers will take note and pull their sox up. It's time to stop being embarrassed about being South African and take pride in our local industry. I strongly recommend all South Africans and go and see it on the big screen as the producers intended. I'm gonna spread the word. And please, do not by pirated DVD's; help enable the local movie industry to grow... I loved this movie. I cannot say it enough times. I am speechless. KUDOS MZANSI.
andreas_soerensen The big problem with the local film industry is that for too long it has relied on easy-sell toilet humour or depressing AIDS and poverty epics.It's refreshing to finally see a competently made local flick that aims to entertain the locals rather than scoop awards at foreign film festivals with deeply serious afro-pessimistic themes (such as Yesterday and Tsotsi.Basically the story follows 2 male characters from their high school days into their adulthood. They get involved in lives of crime and must choose their own destinies.This is a generally good and entertaining film. Ordinarily I would point out the negatives, such as the pacing, which drags a bit, especially towards the second half, some uninspired cinematography, some poor acting (especially from the female love interest). BUT, the problem with the SA movie going public is that we compare everything local to Hollywood. I assume this was made on a very limited budget and with pretty inexperienced people so it cannot possibly come close to matching those films for production values.This film should be judged on its accomplishments taking into account the restrictions, and it does very well.Jerusalema is, taken in context, an excellent film with plenty of local content and in-jokes. I believe it is important for all South Africans (able to) to support the local film industry to allow more true SA films to be made.