The Gods Must Be Crazy (South Africa, 1980) *****

The Gods Must Be CrazyI get a chance to see this pearl of a movie every few years and I totally enjoy it anew. It goes to show again that good films don’t age, even if their subjects do... This film has just about everything right – a smart story made of 4 plots that intertwine into one adventure, a touch of an educational documentary about wild-life in Africa, social and environmental commentary with a political flair, some romance and plenty of native charm... If you’ve never seen this film, you are in for a treat. If you’ve seen it and don’t remember, it means it’s been too long and you should take it out again... The DVD includes a short 2003 documentary called Journey to Nyae Nyae which depicts the real life of the Bushmen today and even already at the time The Gods Must Be Crazy was made. Unfortunately, the Bushmen story seems a lot like a replica of the history of the Native Americans encounter with the White Man: relocations followed by rapid social changes which pretty much destroyed their society and culture. Still, The Gods Must Be Crazy, even if only a fantasy, preserves something beautiful even if utopian and maybe it’s better that way.