Lost in the Stars

I waited a long time for AFT to release their films from the early 70s, and this one was one of the best I've seen so far. It is truly one of the best screen musicals of all time, the songs being more operatic in that they are so charged emotionally and delivered with great feeling. You will not be humming a catchy ditty after the movie ends, but in its place will be a sense of sadness as well as buoyant nobility. As an indictment of apartheid, it stands supreme in film, with the possible exception of "Amandla!" which of course was made later and gets to have the happy ending of the long struggle.

I have also long been a fan of Brock Peters, who died last summer, and watching "Lost in the Stars" only emphasized how much I missed him in film after his career started with such great roles in "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Pawnbroker," and "Porgy and Bess." He did have a long and consistent career in TV and voice-over work (one of the greatest voices ever!) but film roles were few and far between. His singing and acting here are nothing short of grand.