Beat the Drum (2003) User Reviews

Bang the drum slowly

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 22 November 2008]

This endearing film was shown recently on a cable channel. We had no idea what to expect, but decided to give it a chance. In many ways, this South African film paid off big time. Despite its somber theme, the AIDS epidemic in Africa, this is without a doubt, one of the most positive films dealing with the problem, so endemic in that continent. Director David Hickson, gives an excellent account of a young orphan in the midst of turbulent times. Based on the screenplay of David McBryer, the film turned out to be a surprise.

Young Masa has seen tragedy in his young life. His family has been decimated by the AIDS epidemic. He decides to go to Johannesburg to try to make a living that will help him support his family back home. His encounter with Nobe, the truck driver, is not a happy one. In the big city, Masa has to face all kinds of dangers in order to survive. Meeting Letti, another street kid, is about the only good thing that occurs to the boy. Together they feel invincible.

When Letti disappears, Masa must form a new strategy in order to survive. He encounters Nobe again, but things change between them as the older man realizes the goodness in the young lad. Nobe also decides to awaken their township into doing something to combat the terrible disease by dealing with the ignorance that is the root of the problem.

The director gets good performances all around from his mostly unprofessional crew. Best of all is Owen Sejake, who plays Nobe. Junior Singo makes an effective Masa, and Nolatandu Maleke is also good as Letti.

A small film that will win the viewer's heart.

Movie about the AIDS epidemic in South Africa

[NobleGMan · 8/10 · 3 January 2007]

Saw the movie the other night and I rather enjoyed it. The movie told a story without getting too preachy or syrupy! The kid that plays the lead actor was rather good and the old guy that befriends him looks familiar but I could be wrong. The plot is straightforward and simple. The kid's Dad dies and he's left a drum. He needs to search for his uncle and this elderly guy befriends him and allows him to work with him. He soon realizes that this great "unspoken evil" (AIDS) is killing all these people and leaving kids like himself as orphans. He and his friend make a decision to try and inform as many people as possible about AIDS. All in all, a decent movie. Worth a look, especially since it's on Showtime now...

Excellent Movie with great impact and true message.

[sfcministry · 10/10 · 29 November 2006]

The movie "Beat The Drum" was one of the best films that we have seen in a long time. It told a story that touched your heart with what is really happening in Africa with the AIDS killing so many people everyday and leaving the children alone and all by themselves to survive in this world. It made you feel happy and sad at the same time. Sad with what the AIDS is doing to the people in Africa and the people dieing for lack of knowledge and happy because films like "Beat The Drum" is telling the real story, making people aware. This film can be used to bring such an awareness to all of the millions of people with AIDS and truly change Africa. It was a Great Movie!

Amazing movie!

[arrowblanc · 10/10 · 21 November 2006]

I saw Beat the Drum at a festival and talked with the producer and writer David McBrayer about this movie. He is the one who actually created the movie and it was his brainchild. The audience asked questions and he explained how he came up with the idea for the script and that it took him several years to produce because it is an inde film. Everyone loved it and applauded at the end, it was the best movie in the festival. I still think about this amazing movie and look forward to when it will be in theaters and on DVD. Why isn't it out there already? If you know anybody in the movie distribution business tell them to check it out. Beat the Drum is an amazing and moving movie experience and I highly recommend it.

Great Movie, a powerhouse

[writersreview · 10/10 · 29 November 2006]

This is a really great movie, the kind that you have no expectations about and it surprises you. Everything about it is excellent. The the acting, the writing, the directing, the look of the film, even the music. It is a powerhouse and has an emotional punch that surprises you. It is written and shot so naturally that I thought I was watching a documentary instead of a feature except it looks so beautiful you know it's a major production. The primary actor, Junior Singo was excellent, a real talent. Hollywood should get behind this movie in a big way, it needs to get out to as many theaters as possible. The story is that important and you walk away from this movie with a new understanding of the world.

I love this move!!!!!

[treetopperch · 10/10 · 3 December 2006]

I just watched this incredible movie on Showtime on HD and then again on Showtime OnDemand. At the end it made me cry and feel happy at the same time. It had such an impact on me I can't believe it. I don't usually get emotionally involved with a movie but boy this one got me hooked. I won't give the plot away but it took me on a journey with this boy Musa and it never let up. It was stunning on high def, and the music was so moving. The subtitles were a little small but they only last for a few minutes at the very beginning and then it's all in English. The ensemble cast was great, the guy who played the truck drive was wonderful and the boy was fantastic. The movie made me feel sad and happy at the same time and now I want to tell other people to watch this movie. Watch this movie!! Watch this movie!!!

A bad movie with a good message is still a bad movie

[rfb0650 · 3/10 · 2 December 2006]

Young Musa sees his mother, then father die. His young cousin is raped because South African men believe sex with a virgin cures AIDS.

This is a movie that wants to make a good point. It is at times touching, but is almost always downbeat, with an improbable end to make up for the suffering the audience must endure to get there. By the end of the movie, perhaps we have a better appreciation of the problem of AIDS in Africa. But is it accurate? If so, then Africa is already doomed.

Overall the acting in the movie is stilted, and the movement is far too slow, though character development is good. I wanted to see some drumming, but it was never delivered. A bad movie with a good message is still a bad movie.

A GREAT Movie!

[laynat · 10/10 · 27 September 2007]

What a little jewel this movie is.

Shame on the US distributors for not picking up this movie, reportedly due to the lack of a "name" US actor in the cast. If anything, it was MORE effective due to the lack of recognizable faces. It made the story the most important thing. And you CARED about these people, because they felt like the real thing, not actors playing roles.

Great cast, beautifully filmed, important story. If you aren't lucky enough to find it in a theater near you (and you probably won't) the DVD comes out in, I think, November. Run, don't walk, to buy it. You will not be disappointed.

Excellent, great acting and a good story.

[buccanearsfan · 9/10 · 16 February 2005]

What a discovery. Saw this film at the Pan-African Film festival and was really moved by it. The little boy who plays Musa is a discovery! This kid will be in many movies in the future and is adorable.

The cast is excellent across the board, the look of the film is wonderful. I can't say enough good things about the film. My only drawback.. it's a tad long. The film is an art-house film, but I think can be enjoyed by all audiences if you give it a chance.

The story deals with AIDS in Africa, a much overlooked epidemic. This film fills in some answers without preaching. f you get a chance to check this film out, do so. It's great.

Beat The Drum can't be beat!

[RobertVaughanJr · 10/10 · 30 November 2006]

"Beat The Drum" can't be beat! The movie has won many top awards; the actual count, based on what I've just read, is now at 29! I've seen the movie and only wish they could bottle the effect it has on folks. Kudos to Junior Singo and Owen Sejake for such great performances!

There's nothing small about little Junior Singo, he's big in this movie! Klaus Badelt doesn't disappoint - as the music is memorable and truly compliments the movie. Congratulations are certainly in order for the two Davids ... Screenwriter & Producer David McBrayer and Director David Hickson ... who did themselves proud!

I think the movie is about making a difference, against overwhelming odds. David McBrayer's Little Musa has certainly influenced a lot of folks ... and he will you too! It's a wonderful movie with an important message, made by people with an obvious passion for doing the right things and doing them right!

We can all see it on Showtime in December, starting on the 1st at 8:00 p.m. ... I'm certainly going to watch it again ... join me, you'll be glad you did!

excellent true movie, the message and the movie itself

[le0nard0 · 10/10 · 23 December 2006]

This is not just a very good movie, the story is absolutely true. I am from Europe and i'm now for 5 months in Tanzania. Tanzania is one of the worst countries when it comes to HIV. Especially near lake Victoria. I also experience a lot of the same issues and problems. I didn't know the cast before, so i didn't expect anything before, just watched it. But i didn't expected the movie would be this good. The players were excellent just as the shots. I think the message is very important and true, and should be seen by everybody, maybe also for teaching/information purposes. The HIV/AIDS problem is in real life a lot worser then you thought. In summary: The movie is never boring and also enjoyable to watch. Including it's message.

Magnificent! One of the best of the very best.

[joeenglish25 · 10/10 · 12 October 2005]

It is not surprising that Chicago audiences at the Gene Siskel Film Center awarded "Beat The Drum" the sole award given at the Black Harvest Film Festival (2005). Filmed on location in South Africa, "Beat The Drum" tells the story of an eleven year old AIDS orphan by the name of Musa. Musa leaves his remote village to go to Johannesburg in search of his uncle and to earn money to buy his grandmother a cow. The film has a profound effect on audiences because of the universality it brings to the most human of stories, that the poet had in mind when reminding us that "We must love one another or die." It is impossible for me to adequately praise this magnificent film. Technically flawless, the film's story-telling, cinematography, acting and sound track combine to reach deep into our souls and bring joy to our hearts.

--Joe English, Executive Producer, "Runt"

Three thumbs up

[DaveinNYC · 9/10 · 30 December 2006]

Powerful and touching are two descriptors that come to mind. I felt drawn in from the opening scene in a small village in KwaZulu-Natal, and the movie just kept delivering from start to end. I don't want to spoil any of it for anyone so I won't go into any plot detail. Just watch this one. I'm so glad I did. The cinematography (I love the colors of Africa), the acting, the dialogue, and the story line are all superb. The movie deals with a subject of global importance and does it with finesse - I was expecting something preachy because of the subject matter but at no time did I feel that was the case. Absolutely riveting. I'm glad I have Showtime On Demand because that's how I stumbled upon it - it's not available at Netflix or Blockbuster.

This is an outstanding film!

[emilieamanda · 10/10 · 4 March 2007]

With gratitude that Showtime featured this movie today. I highly recommend it to all. As the other poster commented, it is exquisite on many levels. I will now post and describe this film on all the lists that I am a part of. I would only wish that that everyone in this world could see and be moved by this film. Kindness lives in this film. I wish that I could say more. The BEST I can do is to say, please see this film. Amongst other things, you will come away knowing about the culture of another part of the world that we all inhabit, more about the devastation that AIDS is causing in this world,and the plight of children who are left without parents to raise and guide them.

Do NOT miss this film

[jon-859 · 10/10 · 7 April 2008]

I was lucky enough to see this film in the movie catalogue on a long haul flight from Bangkok to Abu Dhabi last year and, on my return to England, was disappointed to find that it wasn't available on DVD. Just been searching for it now after forgetting the title and am delighted to see it got a DVD release in the US so I can finally order it.

This film was the most realistic and moving story I have ever had the pleasure to witness, it touched me more than I thought was possible for any piece of fiction. The difficult subject matter of children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic, and struggling to survive in a country in denial, is dealt with sensitively yet realistically and the performances are so delicate and convincing that it is easy to forgive the occasional lapses towards melodrama, as the plot unfolds, and to instead just sit back and enjoy the ride as it takes you back and forth between sorrow, pain and joy.

Anyone out there who saw the unedifying sight of a big Mancunian bloke in a Man City footie cap crying his eyes out on a flight from Bangkok then that was me and this unexpected gem was the cause! My advice is to do whatever you have to do to get a copy and quickly, but if you value your pride don't watch it alone in front of 500 complete strangers...