The Silent Army (Jean Van De Velde, 2009): South Africa

Reviewed by Tamara Mamukelashvili. Viewed at the Graumans Chinese Theater as part of the AFI film festival 2009.

The Silent Army was very emotional.  As Analya said in her review, the movie is about kids taken away from their parents, and being taught to kill and hate, being monsters, against their will. We’ve seen a lot of films made about issues in Africa, I personally haven’t seen anything so close to reality, so emotional and breath taking.

We all know how things are in Africa, but this film woke people up. I really want to believe that. The film is very hard to watch, everything seems so real,  acting and great story. by hard to watch I mean its shocking, seeing how they live, how they treat each other.

I don’t know how others felt but in a way, it made me very angry, seeing innocent children becoming monsters, asked to kill their own fathers and mothers. the film very much gives visually in any possible way, how it is to live in Africa, what people go through and how they suffer.

I would say this film is more then that. the film shows no matter all the things they’re going through, they always have hope. they always fight. the film shows relationship, friendship between the boys. Black and white. I loved the fact they used the different race. shows that it doesn’t matter where you’re from, you help your friend no matter what.

It’s definitely a movie that everyone has to see. to learn different thing, things i mentioned above. it doesn’t deal only with African issues, it’s a very deep, interesting and rich movie that will wake you up, that will make you think, make you question your behavior around someone. Beautiful and very touching film.