A film review - INVICTUS

Film Review

Invictus by Clint Eastwood

The film Invictus, directed by Clint Eastwood, stars Morgan Freeman playing the main role as former South African president Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon playing the role of South Africa’s national rugby team captain as François Pienaar. The genre of the film is widely up for discussion, but it is commonly classified as sport, drama, history and even as biography. Stirring is the word that best defines the movie. Perfect if you want to watch it with your family, once it gives a pretty soft and optimistic overlook on South Africa’s situation at the time.

The film starts back then when Mandela’s first takes office as President of South Africa, after decades of apartheid regime rule and in the year of the preparation for the 1995 World Rugby Cup that would be hosted in that same country. The national rugby team called the Springboks, which had mostly whites on its players list and was still seen by blacks as an apartheid symbol, was almost loathsome and likely to be disbanded. And then comes Mandela with a solution for both Springboks and the country: to keep Springboks team of which Afrikaners felt proud and to gather prestige and international recognition for South Africa by winning the Rugby World Cup, thus reuniting both black and white South Africans.

The film was overall stirring. Here the intention of the director of the film was very clear, making it remarkably inspiring. This intention can be seen not only by the small and somehow subtle episodes that take place in the film – such as that one in which both black and white bodyguards of Mandela are playing rugby with each other and the other one which is divided into smaller ones interlaced with the final match showing a kid edging a police car, between scenes, where two policemen are listening to the match on the radio –, but obviously by the plot itself as well. With the exception of a few Freeman’s exaggerations playing Mandela with extreme happiness, the performance of the cast was very good. Yet, you might find it a little bit disappointing if, like me, you were expecting a keener insight on the social effects of the fall of the apartheid regime. But if not, then great! It might suit you just perfectly!

In conclusion: if you’re more headed to watch a film for the entertainment it provides you and the inspiration it gives you, then it’s an optimum choice; if, on the other hand, you are more headed to watch cleverer, more complex films, then you might get a little disappointed, but it’ll be fun if you just want to spend a good time with your family watching a film and, who knows, perhaps you’ll find yourself dreaming after watching it.

João Martins, nº 14 - 11º B