''Proteus'' is a film by Canadian director

John Greyson John Greyson (born March 13, 1960) is a Canadian director, writer, video artist, producer, and political activist, whose work frequently deals with queer characters and themes. He was part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge in ...

. The film, based on an early 18th century court record from

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, explores the romantic relationship between two prisoners, one black and one white, at

Robben Island Robben Island ( af, Robbeneiland) is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrik ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

in the 18th century. Although the film premiered at the

2003 Toronto International Film Festival The 28th Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 4 to September 13, 2003. A total of 336 films (252 feature length and 84 short films) from 55 countries were screened during the festival. Of the feature films, 73% were world, inte ...

, it did not have a general theatrical release until 2005.

Plot

Set in 18th-century

, the film dramatizes the true story of Claas Blank ( Rouxnet Brown) and Rijkhaart Jacobsz (

Neil Sandilands Neil Joseph William Sandilands (born May 1st, 1975) is a South African actor and filmmaker, known for roles in both film and television and for his versatility in filmmaking. In 2016, he had recurring roles on Sundance TV's ''Hap and Leonard'' a ...

), two prisoners on

. Herder Claas Blank was serving 10 years for "insulting a Dutch citizen" and Rijkhaart was a Dutch sailor convicted of committing "unnatural acts" with another man. The two men, initially hostile to each other, form a secret relationship, using trips to a private water tank to bond. Their relationship had a racial component, as Jacobsz was a Dutchman, while Blank was a

Khoi Khoekhoen (singular Khoekhoe) (or Khoikhoi in the former orthography; formerly also '' Hottentots''"Hottentot, n. and adj." ''OED Online'', Oxford University Press, March 2018, www.oed.com/view/Entry/88829. Accessed 13 May 2018. Citing G. S. ...

. Virgil Niven (

Shawn Smyth Shawn may refer to: *Shawn (given name) *Shawn (surname) See also * Sean * Shaun Shaun is an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternative spellings include Shawn, Sean and Shawne. Notable persons with the given name include: Peop ...

), a Scottish

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

, befriends Blank for his knowledge of South African

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...

, including the

protea ''Protea'' () is a genus of South African flowering plants, also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: ''suikerbos''). Etymology The genus ''Protea'' was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus, possibly after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form a ...

. It is suggested that he may have had a sexual interest in Blank. In 1735, Blank and Jacobsz were executed for

sodomy Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sodo ...

by drowning, after jealousy by other inmates caused problems. The film ends with an extract from the speech

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

made at his sentencing hearing in 1964, before he was imprisoned on Robben Island.Gary M. Kramer

Analysis

The film explores unanswered questions, such as why prison officials tolerated the relationship for a full decade before Blank and Jacobsz were executed. In an interview packaged with the DVD release, John Greyson notes the real Blank and Jacobsz began their relationship when they were both teenagers—Blank having been imprisoned on Robben Island at age 16—and were actually known to be a couple for twenty years before they were charged with sodomy and executed, when they were both nearly 40. Intentional

anachronism An anachronism (from the Ancient Greek, Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronology, chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time per ...

s, such as transistor

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

s, electric

typewriter A typewriter is a mechanical or electromechanical machine for typing characters. Typically, a typewriter has an array of keys, and each one causes a different single character to be produced on paper by striking an inked ribbon selectivel ...

s and

jeep Jeep is an American automobile marque, now owned by multi-national corporation Stellantis. Jeep has been part of Chrysler since 1987, when Chrysler acquired the Jeep brand, along with remaining assets, from its previous owner American Moto ...

s, are used in the film to illustrate Greyson's larger theme that

homophobia Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitude (psychology), attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, h ...

and

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...

of the type that led to Blank's and Jacobsz' executions remain very much present in the world. These twentieth-century objects, including contemporary (c. 1964) dress on many occasions, appear in juxtaposition with eighteenth-century items. The eighteenth-century prison commandant, for example, is replaced by a former subordinate who wears a twentieth-century guard's uniform and is often accompanied by a fierce-looking Alsatian on a short lead. A

wet bag Waterboarding is a form of torture in which water is poured over a cloth covering the face and breathing passages of an immobilized captive, causing the person to experience the sensation of drowning. In the most common method of waterboardi ...

, a torture devise from Apartheid South Africa, is seen.

Cast

* Rouxnet Brown as Claas Blank *

Shaun Smyth Shaun is an anglicized spelling of the Irish name Seán. Alternative spellings include Shawn, Sean and Shawne. Notable persons with the given name include: People *Shaun (musician) (born 1990), South Korean musician *Shaun (YouTuber), British vid ...

as Virgil Niven *

as Rijkhaart Jacobz *

Kristen Thomson Kristen Thomson (born 1966) is a Canadian actress and playwright. Thomson was born in Toronto, Ontario. She is known for her one-woman play ''I, Claudia'', which was adapted to film in 2004. In that play and film, Thomson plays all of the roles ...

as Kate *

Tessa Jubber Tessa is a feminine given name, sometimes a shortened form of Theresa. It may refer to: People * Tessa Albertson (born 1996), American actress * Tessa Balfour, Countess of Balfour (born 1950), British aristocrat * Tessa Blanchard (born 1994), Ame ...

as Elize *

Terry Norton Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), A ...

as Betsy *

Adrienne Pearce Adrienne Pearce (sometimes credited as Pierce or Pearse) is a South African actress, dancer, and voiceover artist. Her films include ''Proteus'', '' The Bone Snatcher'', ''Van der Merwe'', ''Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell'', and ''Glasshouse (film ...

as Tinnie *

Grant Swanby Grant or Grants may refer to: Places * Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, ...

as Willer *

Brett Goldin Brett Goldin (21 October 1977 – 16 April 2006) was a South African actor and part of the Crazy Monkey comedy troupe. Goldin was murdered in Cape Town in 2006 alongside friend Richard Bloom, a fashion designer who was a label manager for the M ...

as Lourens * A.J. van der Merwe as Settler *

Deon Lotz Deon Lotz (born 20 July 1964)"Deon Lotz"
''TVSA: The South African TV Authority.'' Retrieved 20 ...

as Governor * Jeroen Kranenburg as Scholz * Andre Samuels as !Nanseb * Johan Jacobs as Nama Prisoner *

Katrina Kaffer Katrina or Katrine may refer to: People * Katrina (given name) * Katrine (given name) Meteorology *List of storms named Katrina, a list of tropical cyclones designated as Katrina ** Hurricane Katrina, an exceptionally powerful Atlantic hurricane ...

as Kaness * Kwanda Malunga as Claas (when age 10) * Illias Moseko as Claas's Grandfather * Andre Lindveldt as Minstrel * Peter van Heerden as Soldier * Jane Rademeyer as Niven's Wife * Andre Odendaal as Floris *

Lola Dollimore Lola may refer to: Places * Lolá, a or subdistrict of Panama * Lola Township, Cherokee County, Kansas, United States * Lola Prefecture, Guinea * Lola, Guinea, a town in Lola Prefecture * Lola Island, in the Solomon Islands People * Lola ...

as Niven's Daughter * Robin Smith as Munster * Colin le Roux as Hendrik * Andre Rousseau as De Mepesche * Edwin Angless as Hangman

Reception

Dennis Harvey of ''Variety'' stated that the "film has enough erotic and exotic content to win arthouse viewers" but it "lacks lush aesthetics and impassioned complexity, ending up a tad remote". Giving the film 3 out of 4 stars, Ken Fox of

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

said "the postmodern touches never detract from what is at heart a deeply moving love story". Dave Kehr of ''The New York Times'' stated "a heavy, pretentious, and derivative film" and it had been "gussied it up with fantasy sequences and formal games that distract from the dramatic core".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Proteus (2003 Film) 2003 films Films set in South Africa 2000s English-language films English-language South African films English-language Canadian films Afrikaans-language films 2000s Dutch-language films Canadian drama films LGBT-related films based on actual events Films directed by John Greyson Canadian LGBT-related films South African LGBT-related films LGBT-related drama films 2003 LGBT-related films South African drama films 2003 multilingual films Canadian multilingual films South African multilingual films 2000s Canadian films