A Divided Nation Unites Over Rugby

"Invictus", the latest film from the great Clint Eastwood, seems to have all the trappings of just another formulaic sports picture. After all, this film tells the story of the plucky underdog who prevails against all odds, achieving greatness in dramatic, last-second fashion in the championship game. Thus, this film should have been nothing more than a bland, conventional exercise. In the hands of Eastwood, however, "Invictus" is something much more than that. On the surface, this movie is about the improbable championship season of the South Africa Springbok rugby team. More importantly, however, "Invictus" is an uncommonly moving film about racial reconciliation in post-apartheid South Africa.

"Invictus" focuses on the South Africa Springbok rugby team in post-apartheid South Africa. The green and gold colors of the Springbok, and their predominantly white roster, made them a symbol of the hated apartheid system. When Nelson Mandela was elected president in 1994, he was receiving intense pressure by the black South African community to ban the colors of the Springbok. Mandela, aware that he was making an unpopular decision, ignored this populist discontent and instead threw his complete support behind the Springbok rugby team. Mandela, who spent twenty-seven years as a prisoner due to his anti-apartheid protestations, expressed an incredible willingness to forgive the people who put him in prison in the first place. Mandela argued that racial reconciliation was far more important than petty revenge, and he felt strongly that a victory for the Springbok in the World Cup would unite and lift the spirits of a divided nation. He formed a special relationship with the captain of the Springbok, Francois Pienaar, who became inspired by Mandela's support. Buoyed by Mandela's unwavering support, the Springbok went on to win the World Cup, a small but undeniably significant step toward racial healing in South Africa.

This story could have easily turned into a sappy, sanitized misfire, but Eastwood handles the material with effortless grace. "Invictus" occasionally veers into the realm of sports movie formula in its final act, but for the most part Eastwood tells the story in a surprisingly moving and novel fashion. He is helped in large part by the strength of the two leads, Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. The great Morgan Freeman gives another brilliant performance as Nelson Mandela, the role he was born to play. Freeman utters Mandela's words with such poetic beauty that he elevates the film's sometimes preachy dialogue. Freeman deserves an Oscar nomination for his performance. Matt Damon is also terrific as Francois Pienaar, convincing as a man who feels he owes it to his country to win the World Cup.

"Invictus" is a rousing crowd pleaser, one of the most inspirational films of the year. Most of all, "Invictus" is a tribute to the heroism and courage of Nelson Mandela, a man who risked his own reputation for the betterment of his nation.