"Son of Man" sticks to tradition

I thought "Son of Man" was a tremendous movie and as a South African myself I was able to notice a lot of things that made it stand out all the more. The language of the film was Xhosa, one of eleven languages officially spoken in South Africa. I was amazed at how they used authentic Xhosa rituals and songs in the film; for instance, at one point they showed Jesus covered in white mud, there is a Xhosa ritual where young men cover themselves in that white mud and build a hut. They stay in that hut alone together for some weeks undergoing rituals and trials and when they come out they are men. This was contrasted with Jesus' tribulations in the desert.

One of the most memorable parts of the movie for me was when Mary Magdalene was about to be set on fire. I remember the person sitting next to me seemed shocked, but if all they were going to do to her was set her on fire she would have been lucky. South Africa at that time, in the townships was an insanely violent place. The political violence was unbelievable and it did not recognize neutrality. For instance, Rastafarians represented a peaceful subgroup in South Africa that stayed out of politics; however, when one of the two parties, for there were two political parties that the white government would play off each other to keep black South Africa under control, would catch a Rastafarian they would make him eat the necklace he wore.

The film is very much an authentic record of South Africa, as well as a retelling of the gospel. As a South African I'm truly glad to get this chance to see the country again and to hear the story of its people.