Invictus – How One Man Helped to Unite a Nation

Directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon, Invictus is a movie about newly elected South Africa President Nelson Mandela uniting the blacks and whites of South Africa. Based upon historical events, the film shows South Africans’ struggle to accept their fellow citizen’s obvious difference. Morgan Freeman plays President Mandela, the first black president of South Africa, who is faced with difficult choices. On one end, he empathizes with his fellow blacks in remembering the hatred, racism, and injustices of the past; and on the other end he sympathizes with the white South Africans and their fears of losing the things they love the most, rugby.  Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team to help unite their country. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa’s rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.

The movie takes its title Invictus from the famous poem written by William Ernest Henley, in which Morgan Freeman recites from time to time reinforcing the struggles that he went through while in prison. This poem is the running theme throughout the film, giving hope and raising the expectations of those trying to achieve greatness—in this case Coach Francois Pienaar played by Matt Damon.  Mandela’s staff silently questions his tactics, and Coach Pienaar’s efforts are met with equal resistance.

I really enjoyed this movie. Having been around when we (USA) were protesting against Apartheid, I was a little disappointed that more of the prior struggles South Africa had not really been addressed, but alas, the movie is not about that. Invictus is an uplifting film, well-casted, beautifully shot and acted. Invictus offers hope and does a good job of showing how people can change regardless of the past circumstances.