Zakes Mokae films 1960s and 1970s

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

Donker Afrika directed by David Millin in Afrikaans in 1957, based on a story by Michael McNeile. Millin was also cinematographer. Mokae plays the sergeant (sersant), and is credited as Zahariah Nokae (information from imdb.com). Al Debbo, a singer, actor and comedian, stars and is quoted as saying this was his best film (info from here). I can't find much on this film, in some sites it is called a comedy. Any information is welcome.

In his programme biography for Fingernails Bright as Flowers he translates the title in English- Darkest Africa.

Tremor directed by Denis Skully in 1961. The film in English and Afrikaans (with Afrikaans title As Die Aarde Skeur). The film is about the Coalbrook Mining Disaster (from the BFI website here). The film features actress Marijke Mann who like Mokae would then act in Dilemma. Any information on the film is welcome.

Dilemma, also called A World of Strangers directed by Henning Carlsen in 1962 based on the novel by Nadine Gordimer.

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.

The film makes use of amatuer actors. A white man Toby Hood (Ivan Jackson in his only film) comes to South Africa to work at a local publisher. He meets Steven Sitole (Zake Mokae) 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.

The stunning cinematography is by Henning Kristiansen with Arne Lagercrantz as camera operator. Director Henning Carlsen was also the editor. The music includes Triptych by Max Roach.

On the DVD commentary Henning Carlsen says in order to obtain permission to film they had a cover story of making an industrial film about fridges. Film was sent by diplomatic courier to Denmark for processing. Carlsen says Zakes Mokae visited him in Denmark 27 years later and saw the film for the first time.

This title is listed in Mokae's biography in the programme notes for Fingernails Blue as Flowers. It is listed alongside Darkest Africa (Donker Afrika), Tremor and Darling. Any information is welcome.

John Schlesinger Darling

Darling directed by John Schlesinger with Dirk Bogarde and Julie Christie. 1965. A story of love and betrayal which earned Julie Christie an Oscar. The film is impressive but at over two hours does become predictable. "Although Christie won an Oscar, her performance is surprisingly wooden, and while Dirk Bogarde's heavy eyes capture Robert's dissatisfaction with life, he ultimately seems just as bored by the film"(Ewan Davidson on BFI ScreenOnline, click here).

Bogarde plays a tv arts presenter who meets and falls in love with model Julie Christie, breaking up his marriage.

Dirk Bogarde in Darling

They become a happy couple.

Dirk Bogarde and Julie Christie in Darling

Julie Christie in Darling by John Schlesinger

But she falls for the temptation of Laurence Harvey and his hedonistic lifestyle.

Laurence Harvey Darling

A party in Paris (actually Shepperton Studios) starts conventionally with Zakes Mokae as one of the guests.

Zakes Mokae in Darling

But the party turns into an orgy.

Zakes Mokae in Darling

She realises what she has lost.

Julie Christie in Darling #

There is an attack on hypocrisy as a speaker talks of "the plight of our brothers of every creed, race and colour" with the attendants looking on...

...and there is fine food and wine at a fundraiser for world hunger.

John Schlesinger Darling

The film has some good imagery and composition, with cinematography by Kenneth Higgins.

Schlesingr Darling

Schlesinger Darling

The films was highly regarded on release, but opinions are now divided- "No one need look further than Darling for a succinct guide to the reasons for the rapid decline of the British 'New Wave' in the '60s... Schlesinger's direction is a leaden rehash of ideas from Godard, Antonioni and Bergman, which nonetheless contrives to remain firmly rooted in British theatre of the Royal Court school. Excruciatingly embarrassing at the time, it now looks grotesquely pretentious and pathetically out of touch with the realities of the life-styles that it purports to represent." (Time Out, not dated, click here).

The Comedians

The Comedians directed by Peter Glenville with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor plus Alec Guinness, Lillian Gish, James Earl Jones. 1967. A too faithful adaptation of Graham Greene's novel (by Greene himself) and an early Zakes Mokae role in voodoo films.

Zakes Mokae in The Comedians

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 little dialogue (all in French), which fits the deep menace of his role, dark glasses and expressionless.

The Comedians

An early scene shows the propaganda for dictator Papa Doc Duvalier.

The boat arrives in Haiti with passengers Smith, Brown and Jones- Graham Greene deliberately chose the three commonest English names. Brown (Richard Burton) is a hotel keeper who has lost his faith in humanity, Smith and his wife are naive and Jones is bluff his way through life.

The Comedians

The cock fight is a symbol for the struggle between the dictatorship and rebels, with the winning cock being decapitated in a voodoo ceremony, just as the rebels sought a leader. In the dictatorship children are taken to view the executions.

The Comedians execution squad

Jones wanted to set up a crooked deal to supply arms to the government but when it falls through he is on the run from the Ton Ton Macoute. Because he had boasted of having military experience the rebels see him as a possible leader but he has no experience.

Harry Dansby says "While the TonTons Macoute is about as amusing as Hilter’s SS, I have to give credit to the late South African actor Zakes Mokae (of “The Serpent and the Rainbow” fame) for creating an all time great villainous screen presence in the role of the TonTons Macoute killer “Michel”. He is absolutely terrifying despite his diminutive size – his mere presence indicates murder like an angel of death and it would be worth the time of any horror film fan to check this out in spite of his relatively brief screen time." (from myblog.cl/harrydansby).

Graham Greene on set in The Comedians

The DVD also has an extra The Comedians in Africa, showing some filming in Dahomey (standing in for Haiti) and the French Riviera. The film includes some rare footage of author Graham Greene.

The Comedians

There is also a scene of curious and happy Dahomey people, with the description of the film as "a story that deals strongly of this kind of primitive people". This is for a film including Zakes Mokae and James Earl Jones. The description had nothing to do with Greene and I suspect no-one else connected with the film.

Zakes Mokae The Comedians

All images from the DVD of the film and DVD extras.

Fragment of Fear

Directed by Richard C. Sarafian in 1970, starring David Hemmings. A murder mystery starting in Pompeii. Very boring and pretentious with a poor screenplay by Paul Dehn and mediocre direction with many scenes too clearly set in a studio. There are a few good film noir shots by director of photography Oswald Morris but he cannot sustain it and most shots are predictable. Where is Zakes Mokae? He is not in the credits, but I think he appears for seconds an hour into the film leaving a club, though as his head is turned it is hard to say.

Fragment of Fear Zakes Mokae

The River Niger

The River Niger, directed by Krishna Shah, 1976. It is based on the play by Joseph A. Walker which premiered at Brooks Atkinson Theatre, NY in 1973. It was produced by the Negro Ensemble Company and ran for 280 performances.

A bad film, with poor to bad acting and a boring script. The direction is plodding and cinematography is pretty basic. The film has nothing to do with Africa, the title refers to a very trite poem by the Johnnie (James Earl Jones).

Actually it is set in middle-class black America, with a son returning from training with the USAF. But gangsterism complicates matters.

The River Niger

Cecily Tyson, playing wife Maddie, is the only person conveying emotion.

The River Niger - Cicely Tyson

There is some good music by War.

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.

Mokae and James Earl Jones would both appear in Roots The Next Generation in 1976, and on stage in Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones (1971).

The River Niger Zakes Mokae

All images from the film. Details of the play from Internet Broadway Database here.

He is absolutely terrifying despite his diminutive size – his mere presence indicates murder like an angel of death(review of The Comedians by Harry Dansby)

Fragment of Fear

He is absolutely terrifying despite his diminutive size
– his mere presence indicates murder like an angel of death
(review of The Comedians by Harry Dansby)