Another Possible Award Winner

Invictus

Even if you don't enjoy watching any sort of organized sport, you will not want to miss Invictus, the latest work of Clint Eastwood, that brings to light, the early days of Nelson Mandela's presidency and the huge issues he faced. After he took office, this long-time rugby fan realized the need to unite the disparate South African populations, many who had suffered hideous indignities during the dreadful Apartheid regimes preceding him.

He chose rugby as the path to unity and harmony and felt the nation could support their national team, the Sprinboks, in spite of the fact that their ranking was in the basement.

To accomplish this endeavor President Mandela ( Morgan Freeman) reaches out to the captain of the Springboks, Francois Peinaar ( Matt Damon,) and with gentle urging gives the captain the charge to accomplish this goal. The captain begins intense workouts, drills, and the team is sent to black neighborhoods to teach young rugby wanna be's how to play the game. A final coup, right before the international teams assembled in Johannesburg in 1995, Mandela sends the Sprinkboks to Robin Island, the terrible prison where he spent 27 years as a prisoner. They see for themselves the indignity and desperation he endured and that is possible to overcome incredible odds, misfortunes and forgive.

Huge bouquets go to Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon for the purity and intensity they put into their roles. Freeman had wide access to Mandela to study his speech, his movements and his manner. Matt Damon has really bulked up for this part and an early scene showing him eating something while wearing a tee shirt reveals massive muscle development in his arms. Plus he played many of the scenes of the Springbok team on the field.. Eastwood neatly edited parts of original footage of the 1995 World Cup and inserted his actors, leaving the audience panting as we watched player romp up and down the field.

Rugby has to be one of the most intense physical games on the planet. The players wear really short shorts, run all the time while on the field, become adept kickers and wear no protective gear. It's a wonder they don't knock out teeth and break bones after emerging from every scrum. A player must do tough physical conditioning way beyond what football players do in order to play and survive this game.

This is a quality feel-good film and should receive several nominations. Producer Clint Eastwood has done it again...earned a five star rating!

Why the title, Invictus? Mandela sends the poem to the Springbok captain. This famous sonnet by William Ernest Henley is a powerful work describing how to overcome terrible hardship and ends with the famous line, "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."