The film centers on a married couple Themba and Nokthula who take us through difficult time in their life with emotional depth. Their lives are completely shattered when their son gets killed in a hit-and-run accident. We would hope that this emotional turmoil would bring them together but instead it further pushes them apart. Grief exposes the different ways they process loss. While Nokthula desperately clings onto memories of their son, longing to mourn together. Themba wants to erase every reminder, believing that emotional distance is the only way to heal.
The couples conflict begins almost immediately after their son’s funeral, when Themba refuses to tell Nokthula what the cause of death of their son was. We begin to see different images and sequences of Themba actively showing emotional restraint. He struggles to express grief and keeps his emotions and the cause of death to himself for a while.
Almost immediately after the funeral, he begins to order their child’s bedroom to be cleaned out. Meanwhile Nokthula orders him to stop. Nokthula tries to mourn together, she attempts to make Themba go into counselling, but he refuses. This decision becomes a devastating emotional rupture between the couple. The actors of this screenplay Mbalenhle Mavimbela and Ntando Mncube do an excellent job in portraying loss and sadness throughout the film. Themba cuts to the very heart of human emotion but it is not just a film about loss it is also a film about redemption and healing. Themba represents a traditional view of masculinity, who believes that he must deal with his grief on his own. This is made clear when he tells Nokuthula, “I am a man, I will deal with this the way I want to” His words reflect the belief that men should carry their pain in silence and remain emotionally strong. Throughout the narrative this mindset prevents him from healing. He actively tries to remove every reminder of his son by throwing away his son art drawings. When Nokthula invites the pastor to visit he doesn’t welcome the pastor and refuses to engage. Nokthula’s attempts go in vain, when she encourages him to seek help by giving him therapy pamflets he tears them up and throws them in his wife’s face. He later agrees to attend therapy Themba is unwilling to open up, instead he lies about how he feels. His behaviour shows how difficult it is for him to face his loss choosing silence.
The flashbacks interrupt the painful present with memories of happier times. They show the family as loving and complete before tragedy struck. This strategy makes the audience feel the loss more deeply because we see what has been taken away. The flashbacks provide brief moments of warmth and happiness. Remembering moments that can never be lived again. The present day scenes use of desaturated colours to reflect sadness and emotional emptiness. The aesthetic of the film uses muted colours in the present to reflect the heaviness of grief while the warmer tones in the flshbacks create a sense of comfort. This contrast allows the audience to feel the emotional difference between the family’s joyful past and painful present. The choice of costume design also plays a role. Themba is often dressed in dark, plain clothing tht mirrors his emotional isolation and refusal to confront his grief. While Nokuthula’s softer wardrobe reflects her openness to healing and her determination to preserve the memory of their son.
Themba’s unresolved grief is revealed through the recurring visions of his late brother. At night, he is haunted by dreams of his brother falling and slipping into a river and drowning, waking up drenched in sweat. These nightmares continue into his daily routine. While he jogs, he experiences disturbing flashbacks of the same tragic moment. This event shows that the memory continues to follow him. These repeated flashbacks suggest that Themba has never come to terms with losing his brother. Instead of speaking about his guilt or asking for help. He continues to bury his emotions and carries the pain alone. The film shows that unprocessed grief does not disappear as it continues to resurface until it is finally confronted. Eventually Themba reaches a breaking point and finally opens up to Nokuthula about the pain he has been carrying for years. He admits that ever since their son’s death, he has been haunted by flashback and visions of his late brother. The loss of his son has reopened a wound that never truly healed, forcing him to relive the trauma of losing his brother. He explains that his brother’s death was an accident, but he has spent many years blaming himself for it.
The film reinforces this guilt through a flashback in which a younger Themba is confronted by his aunt after his brother drowns. He is blamed for not putting the toys away, leaving him to believe that he was responsible for the tragedy. This painful memory stays with him into adulthood, shaping the way he deals with loss. By keeping these feelings to himself, he allows the guilt to grow until it affects his marriage and his ability to grieve his son. His confession marks a turning point in the film. His confession marks a turning point in the film, showing that healing can only begin once he confronts the pain he has hidden for so long. Ultimately, “Themba” is a powerful reflection on grief, love and the emotional weight many men carry in silence. The film challenges the belief that strength means hiding pain. Instead, it shows that healing begins with honesty, vulnerability and accepting support from those closest to us.
This review emanates from the Talent Press programme, an initiative of Talents Durban in collaboration with the Durban FilmMart Institute and FIPRESCI. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author (Hlumela Luvuno) and cannot be considered as constituting an official position of the organisers.