If there was just one acting role that Morgan Freeman was born to play it would probably be Nelson Mandela, and in ‘Invictus’ he finally gets to play that very part. Of all the stories about Mandela that could have been brought to the big screen, however, Invictus – based on the novel Playing the Enemy by John Carlin – is perhaps one of the strangest. Taking its name from a short poem by English poet William Ernest Henley written in 1875 and published in 1888 – the poem was written on a scrap of paper Mandela had while he was incarcerated and in the film he gives the poem to the head of the rugby team – Invictus is a story that combines sports and politics. On paper, it doesn’t exactly sound like the most interesting of stories to tell, let alone watch, but when the director is Clint Eastwood, who has made some of the most moving and inspiring films of the last decade, you can be sure that there is going to be some genuine substance on the big screen.

After 27 years in prison Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) is elected President of the newly-democratic Republic of South Africa. But his country remains divided, with the black majority harbouring anger towards their former white oppressors. Attending an international rugby match, Mandela notes that the whites cheer for the South African team, the Springboks, while the blacks cheer for England. Realising that sport is a possible way to unite his nation, Mandela enlists the help of the Springbok captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon). As Pienaar learns from Mandela’s experiences and tries to follow his example, he is inspired to pursue and impossible dream – for the Springboks to defeat the unstoppable New Zealand All Blacks and win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Invictus shows us once again just how versatile a director Clint Eastwood really is. Here he takes a story that could potentially have made for quite a dull film – the combination of politics and rugby doesn’t exactly sound exciting on paper – and turns it into something that is not only interesting but also inspirational. He achieves this by not telling a story about politics or rugby but by telling one about the people involved in the events, a story that, thanks to a good – although not quite great – script by Anthony Peckham, is sure to inspire even the most hardened of viewers. While the film is not about rugby, there is still significant focus on it and for this reason the film probably won’t appeal to everyone, although it should be noted that the rugby scenes are extremely well shot and executed, and the fact that something is actually at stake from the outcome of the climactic World Cup game – the unity of South Africa – means that there really is something to root for, even if you don’t like the sport or can’t fully understand exactly what is going on at the end. Combining drama with well placed instances of humour, we really can care about what happens – although if you actually know the real events there will be absolutely no surprises – and this is a testament not only to Eastwood’s terrific direction but also to the film’s fantastic acting. Authenticity is a strong presence in the film. Obviously, an authentic look and feel of time and place is a given but the real area of success is in the excellent capturing of the South African accent by the film’s cast. Morgan Freeman’s accent occasionally slips but mostly sounds spot on and Matt Damon also nails it. Not only that, though, but both stars deliver performances that could possibly rank among their finest yet. Freeman perfectly captures the essence of Nelson Mandela, showing us a real man who has everyday problems yet is willing to risk everything to save his country and Damon perfectly portrays a man who is willing to do what it takes to ensure that Mandela’s vision of a united South Africa is realized. Overall, Invictus is an exceptionally well made film that is a must see for anyone who wants to be inspired or moved. The possible limitation of its appeal to due its intense focus on rugby and the not quite great writing prevents it from being a true masterpiece but it really isn’t far off.

Invictus ****½

—————————————————————————————————————————————

Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

---

We hope you're enjoying BRWC. You should check us out on our social channels, subscribe to our newsletter, and tell your friends. BRWC is short for battleroyalewithcheese.

---

Trending on BRWC:

---

Cool Posts From Around the Web:

---

---