MovieChat Forums > Searching for Sugar Man (2012) Discussion > Clueless South Africans.

Clueless South Africans.

posted 9 years ago by Bobby Briggs Briganza
5 replies | jump to latest

A bunch of White hippies in South African love some random recording artist from America…could have been any random singer from Stax or Motown or whatever, but it was one guy that had a hippie Bob Dylan vibe. Then they think they are the only ones that know anything, so much that they don’t even know how to look for the guy properly.

They make statements like “Everybody” had his record, when they mean everybody in the White minority. Then they get Rodriguez to performa and its like a huge White People’s Convention, the like of which has never been seen in South Africa.

The start is only “amazing” from the perspective of those people, like it would be amazing to a 6 yr old boy who thought girls don’t poop to find out that they, in fact, do. It wouldn’t be amazing to anyone else. Well, it was be trivially interesting for a moment to learn that this 6 yr old boy thinks girls don’t poop. “Hey, isn’t that quaint.” But after that, nothing.

And to have this film come out 14-15 years after they “found Sugarman” is just bizarre. It’s trying to dupe Rolling Stone types into putting themselves into such a romantic, clueless position as the S.A. hippies.

Your film gods: Lee Van Cleef and Laura Gemser
http://tinyurl.com/pa4ud44

[–] Jennahesstalent 9 years ago

In all due respect, you are an absolute idiot with a cold heart. The premise of the film is to bring to light that Rodriguez, like many other prodigy genius artists have gone undiscovered and unappreciated. It is an amazing film that evokes pure emotion, as he has positively impacted millions of people in this world. His lyrics aren't of today's music "Shake that ass hoe" etc, it is of substance and depth. If
you aren't moved by this film, I feel you may be missing out on the magic of life and for that I feel sorry for you.

[–] luiga 9 years ago

Since the movie never claims to be anothing else than the perspective of those people (the origin is the record shop owner and his kin) and not everyone else, who cares what the rest of the world thought? It's like complaining on standards in a National Geographic documentary about the life of jungle tribes.

[–] savanna-2 9 years ago

I son't see what happened in S.A. to be any different than people in the US adopting "God Save the Queen" as an anti-establishment anthem, even though, we obviously have no queen.

[–] fitley8 9 years ago

That is the whole point of this documentary. It shines a light on how extremely cut off white South Africans were from the rest of the world.

They make statements like “Everybody” had his record, when they mean everybody in the White minority.

Exactly. Again, this is a documentary about white South Africans and from their point of view. All the non-white groups had their own "Freedom fighters" and icons (which are known to the rest of the world), but white South Africans were denied that by the Apartheid government.

Ironically Apartheid was justified by the government as a means to protect white culture, but it was white musicians, poets and other artists who began the anti-Apartheid movement amongst white South Africans. And this documentary shows how those artists were influenced by this "mystery singer". While Rodriguez was known in places like Australia, South Africans knew next to nothing about this man.

Then they get Rodriguez to perform and its like a huge White People’s Convention, the like of which has never been seen in South Africa.

When South Africa "opened up" to the rest of the world in the mid 90's, suddenly they could learn about him. So, when he came to South Africa it was really quite a big deal to white South Africans. Rodriguez was the living manifestation of white South Africans dreams of the outside world.

[–] bsharporflat 9 years ago

Apparently the OP thinks white South Africans are worthless and have no right to any storytelling license and no right to make a documentary about something important to them.