Films 1960s and 1970s

Mokae entered films with the sublime A World of Strangers, and then a menacing role in The Comedians.

A World of Strangers

Directed by Henning Carlsen based on a novel by Nadine Gordimer. 1962.  Also called Dilemma.  A white man comes to South Africa to work at a local publisher. He meets Mokae, playing a black intellectual in an apartheid system. A youthful Mokae gives one of his best performances, recognising the prejudice of people around him, and intelligent enough to rise above it, but still aware he can only go so far.  There was no permission to make the film, so it was filmed illegally, with hidden cameras on the streets of South Africa.  This gives a vivid realism to the photography in scenes such as the people going to work in the morning.  Recommended.

Darling

Directed by John Schlesinger with Dirk Bogarde and Julie Christie. 1965.  A bit part for Mokae as one of the party guests.

The Comedians

Directed by Peter Glenville with Burton and Taylor plus Alec Guinness, Lillian Gish, James Earl Jones. 1967.  A too faithful adaptation of Graham Greene's novel (by Greene himself) and the start of Mokae´s role in voodoo films.  Mokae is convincing as a member of the Tonton Macout, the hit squad of the ruling junta.  In a famous scene, based on a true incident, they steal the coffin at the funeral of a dissident.  Mokae´s role has virtually no dialogue, which fits the deep menace of his role, dark glasses and expressionless.

Fragment of Fear

Directed by Richard C. Sarafian, starring David Hemmings, 1970.  A murder mystery starting in Pompeii.

The River Niger

Directed by Krishna Shah, starring James Earl Jones. 1976.  A bad film, with poor to bad acting and a boring script.  It has nothing to do with Africa, the title refers to a very trite poem by the main character.  Actually it is set in middle-class black America, with a proud son returning from Vietnam.  But gangsterism complicates matters.  Mokae is credited as "Dutch", but despite many viewings (pity me- the film is so bad) I can't find him- any hints gratefully received.

One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story

Directed by Winston Graham, 1978. A true life baseball story.  Ron LeFlore as a child gets involved in crime and is soon in prison. Here things starts badly but soon (a few minutes later) he starts playing baseball and becomes the prison's star convict, eventually emerging as a famous baseball star.  This is a poorly directed film, with no flow, stilted scenes and sentimental "no mamma, no more food" type goody goody dialogue.  Mokae is a fellow prisoner, finally rooting for him in front of a prison television as LeFlore moves to baseball stardom.  In this tedious film there is only one original image: the face of a small fan reflected in LeFlore´s dark glasses.