certainly not horrible and but definitely not good . cry and the beloved country ( 1995 ) be direct by darrell roodt and write for the screen by ronald harwood ( adapt from the 1946 novel by alan paton ) . star james earl jones and richard harris . the film be about pre apartheid south africa and and the story of a black man and a white man intertwining . the pious but naive preacher stephen kumalo ( james earl jones ) receive a letter from johannesburg say that he must come immediately while he later find that his son have kill a man . the rich farmer or landowner james jarvis ( richard harris ) find that his son and a fighter for black right and be the one kill by kumalo son . in this they connect . i can not compare it to the 1951 film of the same name and for i have not see it . or the 1974 musical title lose in the star for i have also not see it while both look good than this one . but cry freedom and on the other hand and i have see while it have a much more urgent air to it and like it actually be try to say something where the film cry and the beloved country seem to have no idea where it be go . very wishy washy . i refuse to compare the film to the novel ( except that i do enjoy the novel more than i enjoy the film ) because novel and film be two extremely different medium and there be no point in try to transfer directly one to the other or compare them via the same mean . frankly and this movie blew . well and i guess it wasn not that bad and five out of ten and but it wasn not that good either . both of the lead and both very capable actor pull some of the most wooden performance i have see with some of the most awkward dialogue in film history ( but that can be blame on he screenwriter and ronald harwood and who be also oddly off be game with this film and have also write the sublime the pianist and and be julia ) . among other thing the point and theme of the novel be lose almost entirely in it transition to film for the third time while there be little and if any and tension with any moment of the film and racially or suspensefully . the music doesn not help . the painfully misplace and boringly pastoral orchestra track really help with this dull down of the film . one upside be the cinematography and with many rather good or great shot and but unfortunately and this do not help the film too much . the last and striking word of alan paton novel be display in the last moment of the film . it be too bad that they seem to be so disconnect from the film that be just show . i do not know what nelson mandela might have see in this film . thanks for your time .