SPUD

South Africa, 2010, 103 minutes, Colour.
John Cleese, Troye Sivan.
Directed by Donovan Marsh.

Durban, 1990. Life in South Africa is about to change radically. As shown during this film, F.W. de Klerk, makes his speech in parliament and announces the release of Nelson Mandela.

This is the background to this story of a year of a young boy in boarding school. While the film does not focus so much on the politics, the situation comes to the fore in racist remarks, expressions of fears of the blacks and securing homes with barbed wire and in the place of black African boys in the school.

The film is based on a popular book by John van der Ruit. More bloggers than not are of the opinion that it is quite faithful to the book and its spirit.

The school itself is a mixture of rules and discipline yet a spirit of freedom (and getting away with what you can) on the part of the students. There is the public school look about it, but not quite as controlled as in ‘the good old days’.

John Milton’s parents (or, at least his father and his grandmother) are oddball, even noticeably eccentric. John thinks it might be better to be at boarding school than at home. He is small for his age. His voice has not broken, and he is not yet at the changes of puberty (which leads to the uncomplimentary nickname given him after his being seen in the showers, ‘Spud’). His initial way of thinking is to be one of the boys, to follow the attitudes and behaviour of his peers. We are introduced to the eight in his dormitory with all their characteristics: the bully, the head boy, the cricketer, the boy who brings in sex magazines, the small, rather intellectual boy that they pick on, Gecko. Speaking of the sex magazines, the first part of the film shares the adolescent boys’ preoccupation with and curiosity about sex.

The teachers are not always prominent, though we see the headmaster and a teacher who has had (allegedly) a mauling accident with a lion and gives sixers for the boys sneaking out for night swimming. But, the main teacher we meet is Mr Edery, ‘The Guv’, played by John Cleese. His first class on books is vintage Cleese, sarcastic, bombastic barbs. That is what we expected from him. However, as the film progresses, a more human side emerges, first comic, then quite tragic, something which Cleese communicates very well.

As the four terms go by, we follow John’s experiences (hopeless at sport), the reading that The Guv urges (Waitiing for Godot, Catch 22, The Lord of the Rings) and its effect on John, misbehaving with the peers, and his infatuation with Debbie, his parent’s neighbour’s daughter. She becomes his ideal, his fantasy. But, when he auditions for the school play, Oliver Twist, he also becomes infatuated with his leading lady, Amanda.

As the year goes by, John matures a little, is influenced by the wise suggestions of The Guv (while tackling The Guv on his red wine problem), experiences the friendship of Gecko and the sadness of his illness, moves to becoming a little more independent, has to face the situation with Debbie and Amanda, and is acclaimed by everyone for his performance as Oliver.

This is all to the credit of Troye Sivan, South African born, now living in Perth. He brings John to credible as well as interesting and often engaging life. A fine performance (including some singing as well).

Spud takes its place among the school stories like Dead Poets Society or The Emperor’s Club.
1. A school story? A boys’ school? Boarding school? 1990? A South African story? Universal?

2. The recreation of the period, Durban, the city, the Milton home?

3. The school, the countryside, the vastness of the school, the country setting, the hills, the boys going out onto the mountains? The buildings, the dormitory, the classrooms, the staff cottages? A sense of realism? The musical score?

4. The author and his memoir, adapting it to the screen? The perspective of an adolescent boy, ordinary, in the context of a changing South Africa?

5. Audiences identifying with the school, the schoolboys – or not? Schoolboys, their age, growing up, their experiences?

6. John, the voice-over? John’s perspective on the year? His oddball family, the mother and her anxiety, the father and his eccentricities, prejudices? The grandmother? Going away – and John thinking boarding school might be better? His arrival, the embarrassment of the old car, his parents’ demonstrativeness? His fears, meeting the boys, the staff, going to the dormitory, relating to the boys, the peer pressure? His decisions about how he would be at school?

7. His age, size, in the shower, the nickname, the effect? His imagining himself exposed before an audience, all laughing at him? The dormitory, the sex talk – the adolescent perspective? The boy with the magazines, everybody looking, sexual behaviour, language? Attitudes towards girls? John and his meeting Debbie, her becoming the ideal, the mermaid, the swimming? His imagining her while he was getting the six? The audition, Amanda, his infatuation, her letter, the kiss, seeing her kissing the other boy, the effect, being hurt? Debbie described as his ex, the hard decision, Amanda and his not kissing her – finding Debbie again, the kiss, all the boys watching?

8. The boys in the group, the eight, the bully and the pranks, Rambo and his behaviour, his relationship with the teacher? The champion cricketer? The boy with the magazines? Gecko, his white hair, intelligent, the outsider? Life in the dormitory, the goings-on, the night swimming?

9. Gecko and his age, ill, accident-prone, the comic touches, the bleeding ear, going to the infirmary, to hospital, John and his seeing him, their discussions, their sharing? His death and its effect?

10. The headmaster and his speech, participating in the play, the teacher with the injury, the rumour about the lion-mauling? His rules and regulations? Giving the six? The wife, her affair with Rambo? Her participation in the concert? Her class and her cleavage – and the boys watching? The drama teacher?

11. The school activities, swimming, cricket, auditions, classes?

12. The holidays, the long weekends, John going home, his grandmother, Dad and the dismissing of the servant, putting up the barbed wire, his fear of the black Africans, the change with the release of Nelson Mandela?

13. The ending of apartheid, the television interview with and the speech of F.W. De Klerk, the remarks, the boys in the school, the black African boys, leadership? The discussions, the demonstrations, the songs – and John feeling that he ought to be black, feeling guilty?

14. Debbie, nice, her attractiveness, talking, the swim, the visits – the final kiss and the tour of the school?

15. The auditions, John singing Amamzing Grace – and later singing it for Gecko as he died? The rehearsals, the wig, the boys mocking him as a sheep? Amanda, the infatuation? The performance, the acclaim – and everybody applauding?

16. The importance of The Guv? John Cleese’s performance? The English class and his barbed comments, throwing the books in the bin? The essays – and John the only one passing? The Guv’s interest, inviting him home, meeting The Guv’s wife? The Guv and his drinking red wine? Giving it to John? Recommending Waiting for Godot, The Lord of the Rings, Catch-22? John and his responses, becoming more articulate? John reading the books while the others played cricket? (And his hopelessness at cricket, hitting the wicket?) The Guv, his further drinking, his wife’s arguments, her leaving him? John and his going to The Guv, taunting him about Dickens, The Guv’s reaction, coming alive again? The Guv’s philosophy of life, the emphasis on sexuality – but going beyond? His performance in the play, his wife seeing him? The applause?

17. John as an ordinary boy, having more depth than many of the other boys, the opportunities, transcending his family – but their acclaim for him at the play? His prospects for the future?