The Gods Must Be Crazy (1981)
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The story
In the Kalahari Desert, a San tribe discovers a glass Coca-Cola bottle dropped from an airplane, believing it to be a gift from their gods. The object causes conflict within the peaceful tribe as members demand its use. Xi, a hunter-gatherer, decides to make a pilgrimage to the edge of the world to dispose of the divisive bottle. Meanwhile, a biologist named Andrew Steyn is tasked with transporting a new village school teacher, Kate Thompson, to Botswana. Their journey is complicated by a malfunctioning Land Rover and various mishaps, while a band of fugitive guerrillas creates chaos in the neighboring state of Biryani.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Xi and his San tribe live in the Kalahari Desert. When a glass Coca-Cola bottle falls from a plane, the tribe views it as a divine gift. The bottle's presence causes internal strife, prompting Xi to travel to the world's edge to discard it. Simultaneously, biologist Andrew Steyn struggles to transport schoolteacher Kate Thompson to a village in Botswana in a broken-down Land Rover. After a series of comedic mishaps, including getting stuck in a tree and being attacked by a wild boar, they are joined by a safari guide. In the nearby state of Biryani, guerrillas led by Sam Boga are fleeing the military. Xi is briefly imprisoned for shooting a goat but is hired by Andrew and M'Pudi as a tracker. The group eventually encounters the guerrillas, who have taken Kate and her students hostage. Xi uses tranquilizer darts to neutralize most of the terrorists, allowing the group to escape. Hind takes credit for the rescue. Later, Andrew explains his social awkwardness to Kate, and they share a kiss. Xi reaches a cliff, throws the bottle into the clouds, and returns home.
- First release year
- 1980
- Runtime (minutes)
- 109
- Production countries
- South Africa; Botswana
- Original languages
- English; Afrikaans; Juǀʼhoan
- Directors
- Jamie Uys
- Writers
- Jamie Uys · writer
- Cast and characters
- Nǃxau ǂToma · Xi; Sandra Prinsloo · Kate Thompson; Marius Weyers · Andrew Steyn; Michael Thys · M'Pudi; Louw Verwey · Jack Hind; Ken Gampu · Sam Boga; Simon Sabela · null
- Genres
- comedy; adventure
- Themes
- Culture clash; Modernity vs. Tradition; Apartheid; Patronization
- Tone and mood
- Comedy; Farce; Educational
- Premise and plot tags
- Adventure; Comedy; Cultural Conflict; Road Movie
- Franchise connections
- The Gods Must Be Crazy series
- Reception
- The film was a commercial and critical success in most countries, breaking box office records in South Africa and becoming a high-grossing foreign film in the United States. However, it faced controversy and accusations of being patronizing or perpetuating racial stereotypes.
- Production trivia
- The character of Andrew Steyn was modeled after the director, Jamie Uys.; A scene involving a rhinoceros stomping out a fire is based on a Burmese legend.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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