An emotional journey into the heart and soul of South Africa
By Daniel Dercksen

It sometimes helps to see your own familiar world through someone else's eyes.

It is a rewarding experience to see the birth of a New South Africa through the eyes of filmmaker Clint Eastwood, who's remarkable Invictus offers an emotional journey into the heart and soul of a country that stood divided and was united by Nelson Mandela.

"Forgiveness liberates the soul. It removes fear," states Mandela as portrayed by Morgan Freeman, and that's exactly what the film achieves.

It poignantly shows the power of forgiveness and is a liberating observation that breaks the chains of pre-conceptual ideals, and brings to the surface the true nature of reconciliation.

For South Africans who take the words 'Rainbow Nation', 'New South Africa' and 'Truth and Reconciliation' for granted without really understanding its true meaning and the tremendous impact is has had on the outside world, Invictus is a truthful portrait of South Africa's transformation since the release of Mandela from prison to the Springboks conquering the Rugby World Cup in 1995.

Eastwood's heartfelt glimpse into our past offers an insightful retrospection of the current state of South Africa and our nation.

Although the title of the film is never explained, Invictus is the title of a poem by William Ernest Henley, which Mandela shared with Springbok Rugby captain Francois Pienaar as a source of inspiration.

The title is translated to mean "unconquered," which, Eastwood says, "doesn't represent any one character element of the story.  It takes on a broader meaning over the course of the film."

It relates to the overall theme of the film, as captured in the words: 'I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul."

In the film, when the National Sports Council decide to change the name of the Springbok Rugby team and discard the green and gold, Mandela stands up to his people and the nation and makes it clear that there is no time "to celebrate petty revenge", and that it is important to realise that there is no longer a divide between the oppressed masses and those in power, but that "we are South Africans".

"To build a nation we have to exceed all our expectations," states Mandela. "This country is hungry for greatness!"

Invictus is told from three different points of view:

It is the story of Nelson Mandela, with Morgan Freeman delivering a soulful performance that is bound to be crowned with an Oscar nomination.

It also tells the story of Francois Pienaar and the Springbok Rugby team, with Matt Damon in top form as Pienaar.

Then there's the story of Mandela's security team, with noteworthy performances by Tony Kgoroge and Patrick Mofokeng who play Jason Tshabalala and Linga Moonsamy, respectively; with Matt Stern and Julian Lewis Jones as Hendrick Booyens and Etienne Feyder, the onetime members of the Special Branch with whom Jason and Linga had to form a working trust in order to keep Mandela safe.

Invictus is also the story of a country that stands divided.

Eastwood and South-African born screenwriter Anthony Peckham perfectly bring John Carlin's book Playing the Enemy to life - Carlin was bureau chief of the London Independent newspaper in South Africa between 1989 and 1995; Peckham grew up in South Africa, and went on to earn a degree in Political Science, Classical History and English at the University of Cape Town.

The film adequately captures the political, social and sport climate of the early 90s in South Africa.

Some of the most powerful moments in Invictus are delivered through its visuals.

During the opening scene Mandela's entourage glides through the streets of Cape Town with a group of black kids playing soccer in a dusty field on one side of the road, and a group of white teenagers playing rugby on the luscious green lawns on the opposite side of the road. The scene ends with the boys watching the entourage and staring at each other through the fences that separate their different worlds.

In another scene Mandela watches his security team, who once were heavily opposed to working together, play rugby on the lawns outside his office.

Then there's the glorious moment when Francois Pienaar stands in Mandela's prison cell and views the isolation that Mandela endured during his 27 years imprisonment.

These powerful sequences contribute to the overall visual impact of the film and are skillfully intercut with gritty documentary footage, and spectacular scenes featuring 62 000 rowdy rugby supporters.

An interesting aspect of the fictionalised documentary footage, is that Eastwood chose to include Freeman as Mandela in the dramatised historical footage, allowing the audience to identify with the character from the outset.

Invictus is primarily not a film about politics or sport or a 'South African sports film'.

Ultimately, it deals with how people from different cultures unite through one common goal and the importance of not allowing prejudice to fuel an ignorance that can easily burn the fabric of society.

It is a reminder of how humanity will remain 'unconquered' if people do not reconcile.

It shows that it really is not that difficult to overcome adversary and find peace.

That is the power filmmakers such as Eastwood have, to mirror our fears and allow us to embrace the differences that separate and divide.

READ MORE ABOUT INVICTUS


Copyright © 2009 Daniel Dercksen/ The Writing Studio