Funny, sad and bold
● Coming-of-age musical war drama is uniquely South African but still universal
FILM (8) KANARIE Directed by: Christiaan Olwagen Starring: Schalk Bezuidenhout, Hannes Otto, Germandt Geldenhuys, Gerard Rudolf, Jacques Bessenger The 1980s have a nostalgia around bright colours, big fashion and free-spirited fun. While SA’s complicated history diffuses the pop culture of the day, this is where we find Kanarie ,a film about an army conscript searching for his true identity.
Set in 1984, it tracks the journey and sexual awakening of a small-town boy who is conscripted to serve two years of military training in the “Kanaries” – the SA Defence Force concert choir.
Kanarie is a coming-of-age musical war drama from writer-director Christiaan Olwagen, and was inspired by cowriter and composer CharlJohan Lingenfelder.
Olwagen has delivered yet another impressive and spirited zeitgeist film after Johnny is Nie Dood Nie. Armed with a great sense of style, he knows how to leverage contrasts and create brave new worlds.
Olwagen is constantly pushing the limits, bringing flair and an independent spirit to Kanarie.
While the directorial choices are bold, they all add up in a similar burst of joy and melancholy you could describe as a blend of Full Metal Jacket and Sing Street. Not unlike Full Metal Jacket, the film comes with the standard tough-as-nails drill sergeant, humiliation, bullying, and breaking of the spirit one associates with machismo and military training.
Having Kanarie focus on the choir section does lighten things as the recruits are ultimately under the authority of reverends rather than battlescarred colonels.
Then, it has a similar ebband-flow to Sing Street, where a boy struggles through a rough religious school, searches for love and nurtures his passion for 1980s music. Olwagen has assembled a strong ensemble of actors, almost as if Kanarie was written with them in mind.
Schalk Bezuidenhout is an inspired choice as the lead, almost unrecognisable as Johan, and does a remarkable job of tightrope-balancing through the character’s seasons.
He is supported by Hannes Otto and Germandt Geldenhuys, with a fully committed Otto playing his doting best friend, Wolfgang, and Geldenhuys providing much of the comic relief with his charming and effervescent turn as stocky songbird Ludolf.
Bristling with strong performances, Kanarie is anchored by more seasoned actors Gerard Rudolf and Jaques Bessenger as we become locked into Johan’s anxious and secretive world.
The film focuses on single shot scenes, essentially a series of precise short plays, and you don’t really get a chance to blink as the camera cleverly reframes scenes and performances become as real as liveaction theatre.
The detailed production design and wardrobe add to the ’80s nostalgia and musical appeal with props and tributes.
In this world of mandatory military training, racist regimes and homophobia, we relive many classic pop tunes from the ’80s with a special interest in Culture Club and Boy George.
Kanarie is an original, compelling, provocative and powerful coming-of-age, fish-out-ofwater and coming-out drama.
Dexterous shot composition, strong performances, good casting, timely themes and bold direction pull together to create a film that is uniquely South African but still universal.
Bold, contentious in terms of its sexual politics within the framework of the church and Afrikaans male identity, the film is sure to get mixed reactions.
While somewhat throttled by its budget, Kanarie serves as a brilliant showcase for Olwagen, Bezuidenhout and the abundance of talent in the local industry. – www.spling.co.za