Nelson Mandela called Francois Pienaar, captain of the national rugby team, into his office. President Mandela had a plan. He asked Pienaar, “What is your leadership style?” Pienaar answered him, “I like to lead by example.” These words rang out to me when I heard them in the film Invictus. They resonated with me for one simple reason. If I could pick the names of three men in Hollywood that were emblematic of hard work, social consciousness, and a modest lifestyle, those names would belong to Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. For many years these three men have made quality films within the industry while making responsible environmental, social and political statements without. It is only right that they should make this film.
Invictus tells the story of Nelson Mandela’s first year as president of South Africa. After serving almost three decades in prison as a political prisoner, he now had the undaunting task of uniting a racially divided country. His plan was to lead by example and to encourage others to do so as well. The white population was afraid of reprisals and losing their way of life. And the black population was bitter, desiring of a comeuppance and distrustful of the whites. Mandela wanted desperately to put the past behind and forgiveness was his weapon. He saw sports as a unifier and asked Francois Pienaar for his help. These two men plotted to win the hearts of a nation and to unite their country through a common goal, the winning of a world cup championship. This film tells their story and it is magnificent.
Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon are heroic in their portrayals. Clint Eastwood spares the manipulation and goes for a straight forward mode of storytelling. Seeing and experiencing what Nelson Mandela had to go through for the love of his country is awe inspiring. I now have a greater appreciation of what he achieved. And as for Francois Piennar, it took a lot of courage to stand up and lead the way out of fear and hatred. He lead by example and was a true hero in every way. This is truly an inspiring film.
Rating: First Run An inspiring portrait of two leaders
About Me
- Melanie Wilson
- My Reviewer's Philosophy: I believe that every film has its audience. One man’s Citizen Kane is another man’s Texas Chain Saw Massacre. My purpose is to help you spend your entertainment dollars wisely. A bad review never kept me from going to a film I wanted to see, but a good review will sometimes get me to a film I never considered. As a movie lover I want you to go to the movies. When more people go to the movies, the more movies get made. But, I also believe that if you enjoy the films you see, you naturally will be inclined to go more often. So join me in supporting our film industry by going to a movie today. Hopefully I can steer you towards a good one. See you at the movies. Melanie Wilson
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