The Power of One

This evening, quite by accident, the guy I live with clicked on a movie called THE POWER OF ONE. I groaned when I saw the actor Steven Dorff was in it. For some reason he just bugs me. Despite this handicap, the movie grabbed our attention and we couldn't stop watching it.

The movie was made in 1992 and is about apartheid. It is a narrative of one person's life from boy to man from the mid 1930s to early 1950s. Other than wondering when Mr. Dorff was going to show up, I found myself so involved with the story that by the time Mr. Dorff made his appearance, it didn't matter any more. In fact I was pleasantly surprised at how well he did in the part and he certainly nailed the South African accent. Luckily we caught the movie from the very beginning so we could understand and accept the events and experiences that shaped the main character and his beliefs.

Another surprise was the appearance of Morgan Freeman in a small supporting roll that was not even noted in the program notes. He was excellent as usual.

It is always hard for me to explain how ashamed of the human race I am when I either watch or read about the atrocities and inhumane treatment of one human being to another. Man's inhumanity to man. I can't think of anything more perverse or inexplicable. Conversely, I'm astonished at the resiliency of the human spirit and the courage and determination it takes to live and struggle to make a change. Inspiring to say the least.

THE POWER OF ONE is definitely a movie worth watching. It is a reminder of the injustices still going on around the world today. It reminded me to never get lazy or complacent about my personal responsibility to stay informed, to make my voice heard with my vote and most importantly to watch, listen, and witness what is taking place in the world. It reminded me to never, ever forget.