Abhiroop Das
Helmed by Mandla N, Johnny Barbuzano, and Jonathan “Jono” Hall, Netflix’s ‘Umthetho‘ follows three siblings whose lives are torn apart by the world of crime, even as they try to run away from it. Mbali and Sphelele, who have not seen their eldest brother Moses since he was taken away by police more than a decade ago, are shocked to find that he is alive. Not just that, he is actually a prisoner in a high-security prison called The Palace. As they join hands with Moses’ wife, Crystal, to find a way to get him out of prison, we turn to see the events unfolding at the prison where he seems to be in the eye of the storm.
Living somewhat luxuriously as the head of the Gaz’Lam in The Palace, Moses is unceremoniously put into a torture cell and interrogated about the whereabouts of an escaped criminal. When the world inside and outside the prison collide, the South African crime thriller series confronts how love, violence, and law are merely the layers of a society that is as difficult to define as it is to live in.
Umthetho is a South African Take on an Acclaimed Brazilian Crime Series
‘Umthetho’ is an adaptation of the Brazilian series’ Brotherhood,’ also known as ‘Irmandade,’ which itself is a fictional crime saga centered around a brother-sister duo. The South African rendition of this story is penned by Jose Domingos and his team of writers, including Rami Nhlapo, Boitumelo Masemola, and Makanaka Mavengere. While not a scene-by-scene remake of ‘Brotherhood,’ ‘Umthetho’ preserves much of the narrative and its dramatic beats, and also adds its fair share of original elements. That said, the roots of the story can be traced back to the research put in by Pedro Morelli, the creator of ‘Brotherhood,’ who conducted several interviews with ex-convicts, police officers, prosecutors, and researchers to gain an extensive understanding of Brazilian criminal factions.
In a conversation with Netflix, Morelli noted, “In a country where people have grown used to appalling levels of violence, ‘The Faction’ (later changed to ‘Brotherhood’) addresses the contradictory Brazilian reality as a way of better understanding the origin of the problem.” ‘Umthetho’ expands that logic to a South African context, and it is very likely that a similar level of research was conducted on the ground level to give the story an air of realism. While most of its characters and plot beats are based on a fictional story, the attention to detail makes this show feel distinct, be it in its presentation or in the new questions it poses.
Umthetho’s Plot Might be Vaguely Referencing a Real-Life Criminal Organization
Although ‘Brotherhood’ is largely a work of fiction, there are some real-life parallels that can be traced between its plot and the rise of the First Command of the Capital, or PCC, in the 1990s. The PCC is an infamous Brazilian criminal organization that emerged in a prison in Taubaté, São Paulo state, and then spread to other parts of the nation. The organization became publicly known after coordinated rebellions across 29 São Paulo prisons in 2001 and mounting a far larger wave of prison uprisings and attacks in 2006. The latter tragedy reportedly claimed more than 500 lives across nine days, making it one of the most violent events in Brazilian history.
The PCC remains an active organization as of writing, and many viewers have pointed out the vague similarities between it and the fictional Brotherhood in the show. However, Pedro Morelli has clarified across numerous interviews that the PCC is not the direct source of inspiration for the eponymous Brotherhood in the show. Actor Seu Jorge, who plays Edson in the show, stated that the series draws from Brazil’s sociopolitical context before the PCC, and it was done to ensure that no event in the narrative feels unfounded. That said, it is possible that he researched their history and took vague references from it. While the criminal factions in ‘Umthetho’ might not have much in common with the real-life PCC, the broader similarities speak to the creative decisions made by the writing team as a whole.
Read More: Umthetho Ending Explained: Will Mbali Get Caught? Is Crystal Dead or Alive?
