Film Review: ‘The White Line’- Beautiful Story, Poor Editing – Namib Insider!
The film is important. The story is beautiful. The editing sucks.
The White Line has a message to share and sure as hell cannot wait to get it done and over with.
Filled with all the right ingredients for a colonial romantic drama, The White Line could’ve easily been a great film, if it weren’t for the way the writing, editing, acting and cinematography came together.
The editing really ruins this beautiful love story, cutting from scene to scene, often introducing trivial information which has little effect on the main storyline. The apartheid era, (which the film is set in), is painful for many Namibians and the idea of a forbidden love story blooming during that time easily has an appealing effect. However, a few kiss scenes here and there does not really make a tearjerker- which is something The White Line evidently tried to achieve but failed in.
Casting Girley Jazama as the anguished domestic worker, Sylvia Kamutjemo, was expertly done. Jazama really sells pain and grief. Whether she’s just a good cry-on-cue actress or it’s the result of the director’s torture, Jazama makes one sympathize with her. You really get into the feels.
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