Mister Johnson (1990): Cast, Box Office & Plot
Mister Johnson is a 1990 drama directed by Bruce Beresford, starring Maynard Eziashi as Mister Johnson, Pierce Brosnan and Bella Enahoro. It runs 1 hour 41 minutes and earned $1.5 million worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 41m (101 min)
- Director
- Bruce Beresford
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Mister Johnson About?
The premise of Mister Johnson without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In 1923 British‑colonial Nigeria, an educated Black man named Mister Johnson feels out of place among both his fellow Nigerians and the British officials. Employed by the local magistrate and convinced he is English despite never having visited England, he constantly schemes to advance himself, a habit that repeatedly lands him in hot water.
Mister Johnson Themes & Keywords
· 26 tags- wedding
- character name as title
- two word title
- 1920s
- nigeria
- worker
- wife beater
- tribal law
- trade
- theft
- self analysis
- road building
+14 more Show fewer
- racist
- peanut soup
- party
- killing in self defense
- hit in the face
- execution
- emir
- corruption
- buying a wife
- british colonialism
- africa
- based on novel
- independent film
- title spoken by character
Mister Johnson Cast & Characters
Maynard Eziashi leads the cast as Mister Johnson, with Pierce Brosnan as Harry Rudbeck and Bella Enahoro as Bamu. Directed by Bruce Beresford; 11 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Bruce Beresford
- Maynard Eziashi as Mister Johnson
-
Pierce Brosnan as Harry Rudbeck - Bella Enahoro as Bamu
- Femi Fatoba as Waziri
Also Starring in Mister Johnson
· 7 more- Steve James Aliu
- Beatie Edney Celia Rudbeck
- Nick Reding Tring
- Kwabena Manso Benjamin
- Edward Woodward Sargy Gollup
- Denis Quilley Bulteen
- Hubert Ogunde Brimah
More from Bruce Beresford
More films directed by Bruce Beresford, best-rated first: Ladies in Black, Driving Miss Daisy, Breaker Morant and Tender Mercies.
Mister Johnson Plot Summary
What happens in Mister Johnson from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Mister Johnson Maynard Eziashi is a Nigerian who has adopted the style of the British colonialists and works as an assistant to the colonial judge Harry Rudbeck. He marries Bamu Bella Enahoro in a Christian ceremony and promises to share his imagined “wealth” and “civilized” life with her, yet she remains steadfast in her traditional Nigerian role as wife rather than adopting English manners. Johnson’s loyalty to Great Britain is tested when Waziri Femi Fatoba offers to pay him to reveal government letters from Rudbeck’s office, a proposal Johnson refuses, underscoring his commitment to a system that has afforded him status.
Full summary
The whole story of Mister Johnson, scene by scene
Mister Johnson Box Office
Mister Johnson grossed $1.5 million worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$1.5M
- US & Canada
- $1.5M
How Well Do You Know Mister Johnson?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the Nigerian protagonist who works as an assistant to the colonial judge?
Mister Johnson Also Known As
9 alternative titles, including “Senhor Johnson” and “Soy el señor Johnson”.
- Also known as
-
- Senhor Johnson
- Soy el señor Johnson
- Pan Johnson
- Mister Johnson: No Coração da África
- Мистър Джонсън
- 开路先锋
- Мистер Джонсон
- 미스터 존스
- Містер Джонсон
Seen Mister Johnson?
Movies Like Mister Johnson
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Mister Moses, The River Niger and Nigerian Prince.
Mister Johnson FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office and post-credit scenes of Mister Johnson, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Mister Johnson?
Mister Johnson runs 1 hour 41 minutes (101 minutes).
When was Mister Johnson released?
Mister Johnson was released on September 8, 1990.
Who directed Mister Johnson?
Mister Johnson was directed by Bruce Beresford.
More films by Bruce Beresford Who is in the cast of Mister Johnson?
Mister Johnson stars Maynard Eziashi as Mister Johnson, Pierce Brosnan as Harry Rudbeck and Bella Enahoro as Bamu, among 11 credited actors.
How much did Mister Johnson make at the box office?
Mister Johnson grossed $1.5 million worldwide.
Does Mister Johnson have a post-credit scene?
No. Mister Johnson has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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