'Masterpiece' begins season with 'Endgame'
Sometimes, words speak louder than actions.
So it was at the secret mid-1980s rendezvous that put the end of apartheid in motion. Had those talks at an estate in England failed, the result could have been a literal war between races then separated legally in South Africa. The meeting is dramatized with intensity in "Endgame," the season premiere of "Masterpiece Contemporary" that marks David Tennant's ("Doctor Who") debut as the PBS anthology's new host at 9 p.m. Sunday on Channel 13.
In an unusual move for one of the series' presentations, "Endgame" will get a theatrical release the following Friday, justified by its talent. Written by Paula Milne ("The Politician's Wife") and directed by Pete Travis ("Vantage Point"), the piece stars Oscar winner William Hurt and Chiwetel Ejiofor ("American Gangster") as the principals on the opposite sides of the negotiation table.
Professor Will Esterhuyse (Hurt) represented white South Africa opposite Thabo Mbeki (Ejiofor), Nelson Mandela's eventual successor as that nation's president, who bargained on behalf of African National Congress exiles. They were brought together by British communications expert Michael Young (Jonny Lee Miller, "Eli Stone"), whose mediation attempt was prompted by his concern that apartheid eventually would lead South Africa into complete disarray.
"The actual specifics of this story were unknown to me," allows Ejiofor, born in London but of Nigerian heritage. "The nature of what was happening in South Africa, of course, I was pretty aware of. Obviously, the political movements to release (the then-imprisoned) Nelson Mandela, to bring democracy to South Africa and to bring into power the ANC ... everybody knew about that."
"That's the nature of secret talks, I guess," adds "Endgame" co-star Miller. "The main thing everyone says is, 'I had no idea about that.' I think the major attraction of the piece is that you are reliving a time you remember. You remember these events, but you have no idea how they came about."
Miller's real-life "Endgame" counterpart knows how, however. The chief of public affairs and communications for the British mining firm Consolidated Goldfields when he brokered the historic meeting, Young recalls, "The one condition I had for bringing this exercise together was that it should be a silent process. You can imagine how easy it would be to (wreck) something if it was in the glare of the public spotlight, and had prancing politicians who had political cycles to follow and media appetites to satisfy.
"We were lucky, because we operated from 1985 to 1990. That was how long the process took, and the news of its existence occurred via a leak in about 1994. (Then came) Robert Harvey's excellent book 'The Fall of Apartheid'; even then, that book was rather an academic piece than an up-front thriller. It was only when a movie was talked about that there was a public awareness that this process had, in fact, taken place. We worked at it to try and keep this silent for as long as we did."
Nelson Mandela's 1990 release from prison also figures into "Endgame," in famous footage that shows the anti-apartheid activist being freed after 27 years. "I remember seeing it on television with my family," Ejiofor says. "I think what I really remember about that time is that everything seemed to happen so quickly, from this situation that seemed intractable. People were talking about it as if it was going to be a reality forever, (as if) apartheid was going to be a part of people's lives always."
Young reflects that he was determined not to let that happen. "I personally found apartheid morally repugnant and offensive," he states, "but that in itself isn't sufficient. We can all shout and demonstrate, and that's all to the good because it creates a climate, but I think there was a more specific question: 'What could I do about it?'
"I was in a unique position with this large mining company, as their — as it were — licensed liberal, to see if we could use their resources to effect the substantive change I thought was necessary. It wasn't about building up a cadre of black excellence or a black middle class. It was about addressing the substantive issue ... what have you got to do to change the status quo, in an ordered fashion, to one which reflects universal suffrage?"
Ejiofor confirms "it was very intense, because so much of the drama is around a table. There's a danger that there's going to be sort of a 'talking heads' scenario. I think Paula (Milne) did an excellent job with creating the drama of the time, then Pete (Travis) did a terrific job of really focusing the performances to give it its edge.
"I think this is both informative and a very sustained dramatic piece," he said.
