‘Invictus’ review

‘Invictus’ is the newest film from director Clint Eastwood. In the past 6 years Eastwood has given us not only his finest performances as an actor (Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby) but also directed some of the decades’ best films (Letters From Iwo Jima, Mystic River). ‘Invictus’ is somewhat unique in that it has a very well-known subject, Nelson Mandela, but it’s not a traditional rise-and-fall biopic of Mandela, like other filmmakers would make. Instead, ‘Invictus’ focuses on one of his greatest achievements, uniting the racially-divided nation of South Africa through the game of rugby.

The year is 1995. South Africa is sharply divided into whites and blacks, following the apartheid debacle. Nelson Mandela is released from prison and is elected the President of South Africa. Mandela intends to unite the country, using a nationally-adored activity: rugby. Mandela teams up with the South African rugby captain, Francois Pienaar, to try and win the World Cup and inspire a nation.

Morgan Freeman is fantastic as Mandela. He is warm and charming when the scene calls for it, vulnerable in some, but always commands the screen, and thrilling to watch. Having seen little footage of Mandela himself, I can’t really judge how well Freeman emulates his mannerisms, but Freeman speaks a flawless South African accent here. Matt Damon plays rugby captain Francois Pienaar, and despite all the praise he has received for this role Damon doesn’t really have anything to do. He plays a vital role in the plot, for sure, but the role demands very little of him. He has two modes: “Inspired by Mandela” mode, and “Playing rugby” mode.

The film itself has excellent production values. Cinematography is expertly framed, the script is tight and witty, and the musical score is minimalist, yet unmistakably beautiful. There’s a scene where Pienaar visits Mandela’s jail cell (which is actually used in the film) that is fantastic. The final rugby match itself is tight and tense, although most people probably know the outcome.

‘Invictus’ is a very well-made film, sporting a fantastic performance from Freeman, great cinematography and a great script. The problem with the film lies in that it plays it safe far too often: It consistently portrays the characters as saints, Matt Damon is way under-used, and at its core it’s basically a traditional Cinderella-story sports movie. Not particularly memorable; however very entertaining.

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