There is without a doubt many note worthy comparisons in the film "Tsotsi" to the Bible. As I was preparing for this essay on myth in world film there was a story that constantly came to mind, and although I tried to push it away for one reason or another I finally decided to use this as the center piece of my subtext. The story that came to mind time, and time again is the story of the prodigal son in the Bible.
Here is a quick recap of the story of the prodigal son, just in case you are unfamiliar with it. This is a parable spoken by Jesus as found in the gospel according to Luke (Luke 15:11-32). In the story a man has two sons. One day, his younger son demands that his father give him his inheritance; the father does so. The son runs away. While he is away he lives carelessly, he lives disconnected from the man he was brought up to be, and spends everything he has. To make things worse, a great famine strikes the land. Before he knows it, the younger son is working as a swineherd, and even envies the pigs he is looking after. He comes to his senses, and decided to return to his father's home, where he is willing to work as one of the servants.
But when he came to himself he said, "How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I'm dying with hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and will tell him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.'"
He arose, and came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran towards him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
— Luke 15:17-20
The father then sent for a feast to be made in honor of his younger son, but when the man's older son heard of everything that was going on he became angry and reproached his father.
But he answered his father, "Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this, your son, came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him." — Luke 15:29-30The father explained that it was necessary for a feast to be made in honor of his younger son's return, and as for him, everything the father owned also belonged to the older son.
"My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." - Luke 15: 31-32
Yes, I know, "Tsotsi" is not a direct illustration of this story, but if you allow me a few more minutes I may convince you that there is a relationship between the narrative, that is the film, and the parable spoken by Jesus.
One of the first things that I want to touch on is the fact that both of our main characters ran away from home at a young age. The reasons that caused protagonists to run away may be different, however this is the beginning of comparison between the two. After they both run off, they lose sight of who they are. Both, David and the younger son, begin to conduct themselves in shameful manners; they do things they would never do if they had been home. I also think that it is interesting to note that in both stories the protagonists are stripped of their names when they are away from home. In the film David is not David but Tsotsi, and in the parable the young son declares that he is not worthy to be called his father's son.
This beginning part of Tsotsi is very different from the parable found in the Bible, as the younger son in the parable ran away willingly, and because he was foolish. In the film however, David runs away from home (by home I mean his Mother's side) out of survival. His father, was a great threat to his survival.
Then something crucial happens, something that causes these young men to come to their senses. For the young son it was realizing that he was starving while his father's servants had plenty to eat. David's realization came in a mixture of events; one of those main events was Boston asking him what his real name was, as they only knew him as Tsotsi. This questioning caused him to remember his past, his family, himself. So both David, and the younger son, with repented hearts, try to return. The younger son returns home, and David returns the baby to the family. The route the film chose to take in order to get the protagonist to come to his senses is fascinating - David was forced into that part of his past he had locked away.
Here comes the part of the older resentful son: when David returns the baby he is received by the child's parents, which represent the father in the story of the prodigal son, and by the security guard and police officers, which represent the older son. The security guard and police officers, like the older son, are unable to see the good in David's return, all they can see is the mistakes he committed.
One of the first things that I want to touch on is the fact that both of our main characters ran away from home at a young age. The reasons that caused protagonists to run away may be different, however this is the beginning of comparison between the two. After they both run off, they lose sight of who they are. Both, David and the younger son, begin to conduct themselves in shameful manners; they do things they would never do if they had been home. I also think that it is interesting to note that in both stories the protagonists are stripped of their names when they are away from home. In the film David is not David but Tsotsi, and in the parable the young son declares that he is not worthy to be called his father's son.
This beginning part of Tsotsi is very different from the parable found in the Bible, as the younger son in the parable ran away willingly, and because he was foolish. In the film however, David runs away from home (by home I mean his Mother's side) out of survival. His father, was a great threat to his survival.
Then something crucial happens, something that causes these young men to come to their senses. For the young son it was realizing that he was starving while his father's servants had plenty to eat. David's realization came in a mixture of events; one of those main events was Boston asking him what his real name was, as they only knew him as Tsotsi. This questioning caused him to remember his past, his family, himself. So both David, and the younger son, with repented hearts, try to return. The younger son returns home, and David returns the baby to the family. The route the film chose to take in order to get the protagonist to come to his senses is fascinating - David was forced into that part of his past he had locked away.
Here comes the part of the older resentful son: when David returns the baby he is received by the child's parents, which represent the father in the story of the prodigal son, and by the security guard and police officers, which represent the older son. The security guard and police officers, like the older son, are unable to see the good in David's return, all they can see is the mistakes he committed.
Obviously there are many differences between the parable and the film's adaptation of it; one of the main differences lies in the time period it was set in. "Tsotsi" is set in a recent years, while the prodigal son was set in biblical times. I believe this was done so because it makes the story so much more real; it goes from being a fantasy story, as may be seen by some through the parable spoken by Jesus, to something that viewers can relate to. In my opinion, fantasies are distant, but a story told from this perspective hits home. However, the element of myth added to the film an undeniable magic that can only be found in fantasy.
