The Power of One (1992)

39% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
87% of users liked it
(9,257 ratings)

John G. Avildsen, director of Rocky and The Karate Kid, adapts Bryce Courtenay's compassionate novel about the coming of age of a white anti-apartheid activist during the years of World War II in South Africa. Avildsen cumbersomely grafts Courtenay's tale of fighting apartheid onto a Hollywood-style… More John G. Avildsen, director of Rocky and The Karate Kid, adapts Bryce Courtenay's compassionate novel about the coming of age of a white anti-apartheid activist during the years of World War II in South Africa. Avildsen cumbersomely grafts Courtenay's tale of fighting apartheid onto a Hollywood-style fight-for-the-championship bout. Seven-year-old P.K. (Guy Witcher) is a white South African raised on his family's farm by his Zulu nanny. When his mother takes ill, he is sent away to an Afrikaner boarding school, where he is picked on and nearly killed by the school bully during a pep rally for Hitler. P.K. survives and is sent to live with his grandfather. He befriends Doc (Armin Mueller-Stahl), a jailed German musician, and a black inmate (Morgan Freeman), who teaches P.K. how to use his fists for some quick boxing moves. At 12, P.K. (now played by Simon Fenton), witnesses black inmates being cruelly humiliated by their racist white jailers. Taking note of P.K.'s fluidity for languages, his black mentor spreads the word that P.K. is the incarnation of the mythic Rain Maker, a messianic liberator who is destined to unite all the African tribes. By the time he's 18 years old, P.K. (now played by Stephen Dorff) is becoming the Great White Hope for the black Africans, boxing his way into their hearts and minds. He joins up with an old boxing foe (Alois Moyo), who is now a township activist, and takes up the apartheid struggle. But things get confusing when P.K. falls in love with the daughter (Fay Masterson) of an apartheid leader. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 6 min.
Directed By: John G. Avildsen
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International

In Theaters: Mar 1, 1992 Wide
On DVD: Jun 22, 1999
Studio: Warner Home Video

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Beautifully produced and gorgeously shot on location in Zimbabwe by lenser Dean Semler, picture has depth, dimension and first-rate casting.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
The film's facile treatment of racial issues may be enough to bring back the practice of throwing tomatoes at the screen.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
A violent cartoon that trivializes apartheid. If there's any justice, the birds of loneliness will be circling the box office.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
It's resounding bunk, candied over with the lush music of Johnny Clegg and hyped to death by director John ("Rocky") Avildsen.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
Though rife with worthy intentions and great notions, this populist safari manages to be both patronizing and manipulative.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"The Power of One" begins with a canvas that involves all of the modern South African dilemma, and ends as a boxing movie. Somewhere in between, it loses its way.
Derek Adams, Time Out
Avildsen draws good performances from the three actors who play PK, as well as from the ever-reliable Freeman and Müller-Stahl, but subtlety is abandoned when he focuses on the ring and teen romance.
John Esther, Pasadena Weekly
Mushy
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A startling film about a young South African boy's coming of age under the tutelage of three spiritual elders.
, Film4
This is patronizing, offensive garbage, bought to you by the director of The Karate Kid.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
Mostly, it's a long, heavy-handed narrative about the personal costs of South Africa's system of apartheid, set in the removed safety of bygone decades and mixed with generous helpings of Chariots of Fire and Rocky.

Read all 11 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

AJ V

Another movie I had to watch in school about apartheid in South Africa. This is one of the best of the bunch, I think. It's exciting and dramatic and has a lot of good actors. If you want to see a movie on the subject, I'd recommend this one.
Jacob E

Ladies and gentlemen, here is an example of a very rare type of film, a mediocre one. Truly mediocre, equal parts bad and good, one of the worst kind of movies to watch. Why are they so bad to watch? A good film, well, you enjoy it, and a bad film can be made fun of for a good laugh.… More
Ladies and gentlemen, here is an example of a very rare type of film, a mediocre one. Truly mediocre, equal parts bad and good, one of the worst kind of movies to watch. Why are they so bad to watch? A good film, well, you enjoy it, and a bad film can be made fun of for a good laugh. But The Power of One has some great performances (Morgan Freeman, and a very young Daniel Craig), but the absolutely shoddy writing hurts it. The movie is decent up until the last 20 minutes in which (SLIGHT SPOILERS) a main character is killed in a borderline hilarious fashion (felt like it was part of a Monty Python skit, not a serious dramatic death). The last 20 minutes try to end the movie as quickly as it can, so the ending feels rushed and to top if all off, has NO closure to speak of. NONE. Don't recommend this one, only if you're desperate to watch Morgan Freeman or Daniel Craig.
Anthony L

Great story, shame it isn?t true in a way! (even though it pretends to be!)
EightThirty .

Great movie...Good soundtrack...Nice ^_^
Lady D

Just a powerfiuly fantastic film, watched it several times
Curtis L

Awesome film about the power that one person can have in trying to change the world, but how he keeps meeting defeat. Victory is achieved, but he has nothing left.
Dean M

Excellent emotional and passion story of a young English boy in his life. I love it!
Leo L

Great movie!
Miriam K

I do not know what happend to Dorf man...

Read all 9 featured audience ratings

Cast

            Stephen Dorff as P.K. at age 18

            Morgan Freeman as Geel Piet

            Armin Mueller-Stahl as Doc

            John Gielgud as Headmaster St. John

            Maria Marais as Fay Masterson

            Simon Fenton as P.K. Age 12

            Guy Witcher as P.K. Age 7

            Daniel Craig as Sgt. Jaape Botha

            Alois Moyo as Gideon Duma

            Ian Roberts as Hoppie Gruenwald

            Marius Weyers as Professor Daniel Marais

            Christien Anholt as Date at Dinner

            Robin Annison as Anita

            Gordon Arnell as Minister at Mother's Funeral

            Raymond Barreto as Indian Referee

            Ed Beeten as Prison Commissioner

            Michael Brunner as Kommandant Van Zyl

            Robbie Bulloch as Jaapie Bother

            Rod Campbell as 2nd Van Cop

            Jon Cartwright as Jacob

            Clare Cobbold as 1st Maria's Friend

            Marcia Coleman as Woman Guest

            Brendan Deary as P.K. Infant

            Tony Denham as Boxing Partner

            Faith Edwards as Miriam Sisulu

            Adam Fogerty as Andreas Malan

            Roy Francis as Referee

            David Guwaza as Student

            Agatha Hurle as Midwife

            Nigel Ivy as P.K. Newborn

            Edward Jordan as 2nd City Cop

            David Khabo as Student

            Stan Leih as 1st Van Cop

            Dominic Makuwachuma as Joshua

            Cecil Zilla Mamanzi as Ranch Foreman

            Winston Mangwarara as Tonderai Infant

            Tonderai Masenda as Tonderai

            Fay Masterson as Maria Marais

            Jeremiah Mnisi as Dabula Manzi

            Natalie Morse as 2nd Maria's Friend

            Banele Dala Moyo as Boy Who Reads

            Peggy Moyo as Student

            Liz Ngwenya as Nganga Ancient Woman

            Eric Nobbs as 1st City Cop

            Winston Ntshona as Mlungisi

            Brian O'Shaughnessy as Colonel Bretyn

            Nigel Pegram as 1st Man Guest

            Joel Phiri as Student

            Clive Russell as Sgt. Bormann

            Simon Shumba as Man Without Pass

            Lungani Sibanda as Student

            Tracy Brooks Swope as Mother

            Paul Tingay as Grandfather

            John Turner as Afrikaner Minister

            Bart Van Niekerk as Lieutenant Smit

            Reverend Peter Van Vuuren as Minister at Maria's Funeral

            Dominic Walker as Morrie Guilbert

            Andrew Whaley as Ticket Taker

            Hywel Williams as Captain

            Nomadlozi Zubheka as Nanny

            Caro Jones
            
            Robert Reed as School Fight Opponent

            John Osborne as Guard

            Nomadlozi Kubheka
            
See full cast

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