Morgan Freeman playing Nelson Mandela in ‘Invictus’ (2009)
‘Invictus’: Freeman was born to play his friend Mandela in Eastwood’s inspiring movie
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Written by: Anthony Peckham, based on the book by John Carlin
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Adjoa Andoh, Tony Kgoroge, and Julian Lewis Jones
“Invictus” (2009) – “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers.” - Nelson Mandela
Apartheid, a system of institutional segregation, ruled South Africa like a cold, calculating, and cruel referee that ushered whites into localities of privilege and shoved blacks into regions of poverty and distress.
In “Invictus”, director Clint Eastwood lucidly captures this dishonorable socio-economic existence from the get-go. In the opening scene, a group of white teens - wearing sparkling, striped uniforms – partake in an organized rugby practice on a lush, green turf. Just across the road, black kids – wearing the clothes on their backs – play soccer on a grayish-brown meadow that has four net-less, crossbar-less metal poles standing in as two goals on either side of the makeshift field. Still, these youngsters share a collective enthusiasm for playing the beautiful game.
On this particular day – Feb. 11, 1990 – the young football competitors have a grander motive for elation. South African President F.W. de Klerk released Nelson Mandela from prison (after 27 years), and a caravan of vehicles (with one containing the said freeman) roared on this dividing street. One side explodes with jubilation, while the other stares at the scene like cavemen pondering the uses for an iPhone 11. The Caucasian teenagers couldn’t quite process the event, but their coach warns them, “It is that terrorist Mandela. They let him out. Remember this day, boys. This is the day our country went to the dogs.”
From 1990 to 1994, The National Party and the African National Congress worked to end Apartheid, and Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s president. This movie bypasses these milestone happenings, but picks up in 1994 as President Mandela (Morgan Freeman) presides over a theoretically-unified nation. Muscle memories of separation, however, still linger for every South African, regardless of race.
President Mandela - nicknamed Madiba - walks a political tightrope thinner than an eyelash because he attempts to lead a nation filled with “black aspirations and white fears.”
Anthony Peckham’s script addresses some mechanics of the new administration and mentions housing, jobs, crime, and currency challenges, but Mandela pours notable amounts of time into South Africa’s national rugby team: the Springboks. With good reason, because South Africa will host the 1995 Rugby World Cup! Although the team has recently played poorly, if the Green-and-Gold wins this massive tournament, everything could change, both in worldwide perceptions and nationwide outlooks.
Madiba is not making a political bet, but – as he puts it – “a human calculation.”
Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman on the set ‘Invictus’ in Johannesburg, South Africa.
It’s not hard to compute that Eastwood, Freeman, and the cast and crew have a flat-out inspirational sports movie on their hands. “Invictus” does not disappoint, and like Mandela’s real-life balancing act, Eastwood and Peckham had to choose from an infinite number of storylines to deliver 1995’s timely convergence of sports, politics, and revolutionary change into 134 on-screen minutes.
Of course, the movie centers around Nelson Mandela, and Freeman truly is the obvious choice to play the man. Look, Freeman has enough clout to play God (“Bruce Almighty” (2003)), and he was friends with Mandela as well.
Freeman writes in a Dec. 5, 2013 “Time” article, published on the day of Mandela’s passing: “During a press conference, (Mandela) was asked whom he would want to portray him in a film. To my everlasting honor, he mentioned me, and thus began our 20-year relationship.”
During Freeman’s first few on-screen minutes, comparisons between the two are impossible to avoid, but after a short while, Freeman disappears and reappears as Mandela. He offers the president’s warm smile and gentle demeanor, and also commands respect in one-on-one conversations and speeches in large rooms. For instance, Mandela walks into a National Sports Council’s meeting and implores its members to keep the Springboks team because the Green and Gold is a cultural lifeline for the white communities. To dismiss the team would escalate tensions.
Admittedly, the only other time that Freeman reappeared – for this critic – is during a flashback scene at Robben Island, as memories of “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994) pseudo-materialized. Still, that’s on me.
To convey the stark racial divides for over 40 million people, Eastwood picks smaller, individual conflicts, such as the inherent distrust between Mandela’s black and white bodyguards. Jason (Tony Kgoroge) and Etienne (Julian Lewis Jones) are the designated alpha males from opposing societal sides, and their resentments aren’t easily amputated.
On a larger scale, Springboks Rugby represents the ugliness of Apartheid to black communities. Generally speaking, most don’t claim it or the sport, because it’s the whites’ team, but as the World Cup gets closer and finally arrives, the film finds individual moments of unity. For example, a young black boy listens to a rugby match with two white police officers. In a heartwarming sequence, the Springboks players enjoy a sports clinic with a large group of children who didn’t know the game.
If you’re not a knowledgeable rugby fan, don’t fret. Complete understanding is not necessary to follow along, and yes, Eastwood includes plenty of rugby with bright, gorgeous cinematic colors. Snippets of about four matches – with little exposition or explanation - splash grueling scrums, passes, dropkicks, line-outs, tackles, and don’t forget the blood, sweat, and tears.
Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon on the set of ‘Invictus’ at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park Stadium.
Rugby is rough, and 39-year-old Matt Damon competently plays the South African captain Francois Pienaar, who develops a meaningful connection with President Mandela. Damon looks the part, and he put on some weight to take and deliver beatings on the pitch, along with other actors and former rugby players. Although some native South Africans might nitpick at Damon’s accent, it seems fine to an untrained ear.
Eastwood filmed all the matches in Johannesburg’s Ellis Park Stadium, a beautiful locale that somewhat resembles the Miami Dolphins’ Hard Rock Stadium. A special effects team may or may not have engineered computerized fans, but the screaming, flag-waving capacity crowds seem as genuine as your cousin Jimmy accidentally splattering a mustard packet or spilling a beer on your shirt.
The rugby scenes transpire at ground level rather than at wild, more challenging angles from above, but the blocky men rumble and collide at thunderous speeds within 20 yards or 20 inches from the camera. The movie concludes with an epic match that lasts about 30 minutes of screen time. It carries twists and turns, large masses of athletic movements, and roaring fans in the stadium, pubs, homes, and various other locations all over (the) Mzansi.
Will the Springboks carry a victory? A quick Google search will provide the answer, but sitting down for 2 hours and 14 minutes to watch “Invictus” is a much better choice. If nothing else, South Africa’s positive, connected energy provides a proud contrast to Nelson Mandela’s 27 years in prison.
(3.5/4 stars - Tomato)
Jeff – a member of the Phoenix Critics Circle – has penned film reviews since 2008, graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, and is a certified Rotten Tomatoes critic. Follow Jeff and the Phoenix Film Festival on Twitter @MitchFilmCritic and @PhoenixFilmFest, respectively.
