Invictus. Great movie. I had my doubts that the movie would not capture the importance of the '95 Rugby World Cup. The social nuances depicted in the film realy told the story of a nation. Rugby is more than just a game. Clint Eastwood certainly did his homework.
I am always weary of an American recounting the history of another country that is not America. Its fact that some Americans cannot identify themselves on a world map. Don't believe me, click here. This isn't all surprising to me, after all, even freindly Canadians refer to Africa as a country. For the record. Africa is a continent not a country!!!
So the odd things I remember that day. The air of enthusiasm in the press and on the street. I arrived from a family vacation spent in Hong Kong (was then an independent state), Singapore and Thailand. Arriving the morning of the day of the World Cup Final. When Joel Stransky landed that drop goal, man, I tried to imitate his drop kick with my grandmothers cushions.I knocked out a vase filled with flowers as a result of my shabby reinactment of the most pivotal moment of the match. I'm glad to tell you that the vase did not break, it fell on a very soft carpet. I watched on tv not just a stadium of spectators singing "shosholoza," seeing a team and a captain full of delight but also the President expressing his joy on the stage for all to see. Dad driving me home, seeing people walking by, with more than just smiles on their faces.
The real stength of this movie was not just its portrayal of the World Cup, Rugby, the Team or even the stunning Morgan Freeman performance of Nelson Mandela. No. The story of a birth of new country, beginning to leave behind the shackles of a bloody and painful past. I read a review from the CBC, implying that film maybe "largely superficial" but not "dishonest." What???
Born and bread South African. I was living there at the time. Seeing events unfold before my very eyes. Beating the world's best team at the time, 15-12 was anything but a mere cliche. And yes the depictions of all rugby games are accurate. As a kid I watched the world cup final more than 30 times, thrice watching South Africa journey from the start of the tournament to the finish. A game of rugby is 80 minutes long; f.y.i.! Invictus is well worth the watch.
-Lloyd
