Wacky 80s Film
Coca Cola bottle, sign of God?
Xi and his ‘San’ tribe live a peaceful life in the Kalahari Desert (in Botswana) until a Coca-Cola bottle suddenly falls from an aeroplane. Xi and his companions quickly reach a consensus: this must be a gift from the heavens. However, the artefact soon causes conflict, prompting Xi to set off on a journey to rid himself of the cursed item – the bottle must be an evil omen from God. What follows is a bizarre kind of road movie, in which Xi encounters all sorts of peculiar characters and finds himself in various slapstick adventures.
One of the most fun movies ever made on the subject of civilization
Cinema.nl, part of VPRO, describes the film, directed by South African Jamie Uys, as follows: The Gods Must Be Crazy is about crazy, insane white people, mercenaries fleeing a neighbouring country, and the impossible love story between a clumsy vet and a beautiful young teacher. One of the most enjoyable films ever made on the subject of civilisation. The pure innocence of the Bushman stands in stark contrast to the greed, corruption, and egotism of the ‘civilised’ world.”
The film became a massive success in South Africa, but oddly enough, it was also a big hit in Japan. In the US, The Gods Must Be Crazy even broke audience records, as it attracted an unprecedented number of people to a foreign film. In its American release, the scenes in !Kung and Tswana were dubbed.
A huge hit
The film about Botswana won the Grand Prize at the Chamrousse Festival of Humorous Films in 1983. It also received strong reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, where its 95% rating means it’s certified fresh. Clearly, the film was a major hit in the 80s, raking in an impressive $100 million.
An unfortunate detail – as is so often the case – is that lead actor Nǃxau reportedly received only $2,000 for his role. Before director Uys passed away, he tried to make amends by transferring $20,000 to Nǃxau, along with a monthly stipend in the period that followed. Perhaps guilt started to weigh on him towards the end of his life...
A sequel, simply titled The Gods Must Be Crazy II, was later released, set in South Africa. Several unofficial spin-offs were also made, including Jewel of the Gods, Crazy Safari, Crazy Hong Kong, There’s a Zulu on My Stoep, and The Gods Must Be Funny in China.
