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Invictus – Movie Review

10 December, 2009 04:33:00 Brenda Daniels

It’s here – Invictus - the much-anticipated film that tells the story of South Africa’s historic 1995 Rugby World Cup victory.

Replete with big name actors – Morgan Freeman (as former president Nelson Mandela), Matt Damon (as rugby captain Francois Pienaar) and Clint Eastwood (who directed) – Invictus also stars a host of South African actors, including Tony Kgoroge, Patrick Mofokeng, Leleti Khumalo and Adjoa Andoh.

Uniting SA through sport

It’s a South African story, but one that teaches reconciliation and achievement against all odds – something from which people across the world can benefit.

The story begins with Nelson Mandela taking office for the first time at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

Dealing immediately with the entrenched racial divide in the country, Mandela leads by example by inexplicably reaching out to his former enemies – the white people of South Africa.

One of those ‘enemies’ is the springbok rugby team – a team and its emblem that represents white oppression and that is therefore hated by black South Africans.

Mandela makes contact with the rugby captain, Francois Pienaar, and inspires him to lead his struggling team to unexpected victory. In doing so, Mandela leads the country to victory by uniting its divided people through sport.

Although any story about South Africa will inevitably involve politics, Invictus (which is a Latin term meaning ‘unconquered’) simply uses the vehicle of politics to tell a very human story.

Based on book by John Carlin

Based on the book by John Carlin, Invictus highlights prejudice on both sides of the racial divide and shows how both blacks and whites can learn to forgive and respect each other.

And it showcases Mandela’s exceptional human qualities of personal victory, despite 27 years’ imprisonment, and how that, coupled with his principle of leadership by example, can lead to victory for all.

I think Freeman and Damon do a fine job of our difficult South African accents.

And Eastwood excellently portrays this country’s complex cultures and history. Freeman, especially, shines as the honourable ‘Madiba’ – leaving me wishing that Mandela could have been in office a little longer….

Invictus opens at Nu Metro cinemas on Friday 11 December.

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Author info: Brenda Daniels

Brenda Daniels is a freelance journalist who works from her home office in Durban. She writes, edits and proofreads for different local publications, is a member of Safrea (South African Freelancers’ Association) and KZN Women in Business, and enjoys reading and reviewing books and movies. She and husband, Bruce, have been married for 17 years and have two teenage daughters.

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