The Power of One

I really liked the move, The Power of One. It was really moving to watch. I have to admit I knew absolutely nothing about South Africa, the apartheid, Afrikaners, or any of that. I was shocked watching PK live in the Afrikaner school, absolutely appalled. I had no idea that children could be so mean to other kids. I studied World War II a lot when I was in the fourth grade. It was a topic I had really enjoyed learning about. But I hadn’t ever known that the war traveled down to the tip of Africa. That, I never knew. It was interesting to see Hitler’s work in a different perspective, being portrayed through a young teenager. Just a young kid preaching Hitler’s words to littler children; and then that preaching taken into action. Even though I knew PK couldn’t die—he was the main character and it was the beginning of the movie--I still gripped Ally’s arm and closed my eyes, thinking he would.

I was sort of inspired, at how he still tried. He still woke up every day and “fought off the lonely birds” as he said. After losing his dad, his mom, and then his chicken (which was really cool how that helped him, I really didn’t know anything about African traditions either. I really found that scene interesting. I really didn’t like when the chicken died though…that was sad.) I expected him to be on his own, a mess. But he wasn’t—he had Doc. Doc was one of my favorite characters. He cared so much about PK and cared about him, and even though he had lost everything too, he was still a happy and cheery man. He loved PK like he was his own son. I really liked how he was in tune with nature. That he told PK, “every question you have will can be answered in nature.” He taught PK out of the classroom, not just things like chemistry, and math—which he did—but about the life, about Africa. He taught PK things that he would need later on.

I thought it was cool that PK learned to box by Giel Piet because later on in the city when Morrie took PK to a boxing center and he asked, “Where did you learn to box?” PK answered, “In prison”. I thought that was pretty funny and sarcastic of PK.

I had learned almost nothing ever before this about apartheid and I was amazed to see Alexander, where the blacks lived. I was amazed when he said there was one toilet for two hundred people. I can barley share the bathroom with my sister; I couldn’t imagine having to wait in line all day just to use a toilet! Their homes were nothing but shacks. It reminds me of when I went to the Holocaust Memorial Center, and learned about the Poland ghettos. It was much like this.

I was a little depressed by the time Marie died because then it was like, jeese! Does everyone die in this movie? PK’s mom, his dad, his chicken, Giel Piet, Doc leaves, Marie dies too… I kind of wondered if anyone was going to live! It was so sad. I love though that the very last scene was him walking into the sunset with his friend Duma and said something like, “Even though the one’s I loved died, I still have their voices to guide me”. I think that was a good way to end the movie.