The landscape of South Africa had been fraught with social injustice in the form of Apartheid for almost 50 years before finally ending in 1994.

Like so many revolutions throughout history, people that tried to stand up when oppression bore its heaviest load were usually jailed, if not killed, by their oppressors.

Those fortunate enough to survive the changing of the tide returned as heroes, like Nelson Mandela did after his release from 27 years in prison.

Phillip Noyce (“Rabbit-Proof Fence” and “Patriot Games”) uses these themes to direct his newest political thriller, “Catch a Fire.”

The film is based on the life of political prisoner Patrick Chamusso and follows one man’s journey through and transcendence above the hate that was the turbulent 1980s in South Africa.

Shawn Slovo, the daughter of Joe Slovo, an anti-apartheid activist portrayed in the film, wrote the screenplay.

She titled “Catch a Fire” after The Wailers’ (Bob Marley’s) debut album. Its militant and socially aware lyrics are consciously seeded throughout the film.

Derek Luke (“Friday Night Lights”) gives a heartfelt performance as Patrick, who begins the film as a non-activist just trying to provide for his family.

The story details his everyday life as a foreman, a father and soccer coach. It spends so much time on this that you begin to wonder if the story will ever get off the ground.

Unfortunately, this lull provides disconnect in a film that should otherwise be quite engaging.

Enter Nic Vos, played by Tim Robbins (“Mystic River”), who is a colonel in the government’s antiterrorist branch of the police.

His performance feels de-clawed as he never conveys the evil that we know happened during apartheid.

Vos crosses paths with Patrick during his investigation of an attempt to blow up the oil refinery where Patrick works.

We quickly learn, as Patrick does, that you can no longer be neutral when fate (in the form of armed police) comes knocking at your door and violently turns your world upside down.

One important sub-textual nuance that Noyce conveys in “Catch a Fire” is that this oppressive government was helping to create its own enemy. Patrick was an innocent man who, only after being spiritually broken by Vos, joins the African National Congress, who were the resistance terrorists that Vos was hunting in the beginning.

You could also make the argument that the filmmakers were using this as a possible parallel and commentary on today’s climate of terrorism.

Noyce, who has done some interesting political films in the past couple of years, falters in this recent attempt.

“Catch a Fire” unfortunately lacked the edge and punch to connect with audiences the way it felt like it should… the way “Hotel Rwanda” was able to do.