SCREEN

Catch a Fire is based on the life of Patrick Chamusso, who begins and ends the movie as a simple family man. In between, some unforgivable injustices are visited upon him, and he eventually responds by inflicting his own brand of justice. It's unclear, however, whether we're supposed to be celebrating his standing up for the right cause, or hoping he's learned from his mistakes. That's life, I guess.

Chamusso is played by Derek Luke in a performance of both tenderness and authority. When we first meet him, it is South Africa, circa 1980, and apartheid is still very much in effect. Not an ideal situation, but by working hard and following the rules, Patrick has built a life for himself and his family. At least until he is arrested and tortured for the terrorist bombing of the oil refinery where he works. Needless to say, at this point in his life, Patrick isn't the sort to be interested in blowing up the only means of support for his family.

The film is directed by Phillip Noyce, who spent most of the '90s helming slick action thrillers but has recently trended toward more personal and political pictures. Catch a Fire is sort of a combination of the two, for after Chamusso is released he runs off to join the military wing of the outlawed African National Congress, and the story turns into a sort of cat-and-mouse chase. The politics of the whole thing are perhaps questionable, but it should be noted that this is the story of one man, not an all-encompassing history of South Africa.

At the end of the film we meet the real Chamusso, still living in South Africa and once again a man of peace. Is he a hero for acting out against his oppressors, or has he learned that violence is not the answer? I guess real life isn't as simple as the movies.