DVD Review: Hansie

 I’m not a cricket fan. I’ve never gotten into it, never watched a whole match. I don’t dislike it — I just don’t know much about it. Perhaps, that might be a good thing, so I could watch Hansie without any bias or expectations.

For those like me, Hansie is a film based on the life and career of the late Wessel Johannes “Hansie” Cronje, once the face of South African cricket. Directed by Regardt van den Bergh and written and produced by Cronje’s brother, Frans Cronje, it chronicles, in particular, his involvement with Indian bookmakers in the 1990s and the subsequent events of his life, until his untimely death in 2002.

On the surface, it seems like yet another inspirational sports film. There is a difference between Hansie and other such films, however: in a movie involving a team sport, the focus weighs heavily on its eponymous character, played by Frank Rautenbach (of Faith Like Potatoes fame). There are no standout characters among Cronje’s team, no loveable sidekicks or interesting rivals, save for Bob Woolmer, the team’s coach and voice of reason. That’s not necessarily a negative, though. The audience gets to journey with Cronje as he enjoys success as captain of South Africa’s national cricket team, experience his struggle as he is approached by several Indian bookmakers and feel his pain as he publicly confesses his mistakes and tries to pick up the pieces afterwards.

First, the negative: at times, the characters seem rather two-dimensional: it is all too easy to vilify the bookmakers from the outset, to respect Woolmer and Cronje’s close friend, Peter Pollock (David Sherwood), to like his wife, Bertha (Sarah Thompson). The ending seems abrupt, such that the impact of his death is somewhat lost on the viewer.

The positive? Rautenbach’s portrayal of Cronje is anything but two-dimensional. He starts off as a likeable, talented cricketer whom I find myself rooting for, even when he is tempted by Indian bookmakers. When he accepts, the audience is likely to feel more disappointed than angry, although the relative ease (apart from the run-of-the-mill attacks of conscience) with which he gives in can be cause for much dissatisfaction. When he finally confesses, however, we see Cronje’s great fall, from international sporting hero to a dishonest, disgraced athlete. Rautenbach manages to simultaneously invoke a deep indignation at Cronje’s mistakes and sympathy for his subsequent punishment. Beyond the rampant public criticism of his actions, he struggles to piece himself together again, after his wrongdoings have destroyed his self-worth, made worse by his professed Christian faith.

No less admirable is his wife, Bertha, whose unwavering strength and love prove to be his pillar in his time of need. She encourages him, practices tough love where needed and ultimately makes him stand on his own two feet again.

Overall, Hansie is worth a watch. It may not be the best biopic ever made but at the heart of it, it is a moving tale of love, loss and God’s divine redemption.