DVD Reviews

Invictus – Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll May 18, 2010, 17:35 GMT

What does Nelson Mandela do after becoming president of South Africa? He rejects revenge, forgives oppressors who jailed him 27 years for his fight against apartheid and finds hope of national unity in an unlikely place: the rugby field. Clint Eastwood (named 2009\'s Best Director by the National Board of Review) directs an uplifting film about a team and a people inspired to greatness. Morgan Freeman (NBR\'s Best Actor Award ...more

“I am the captain of my soul.”

At the beginning of Clint Eastwood’s career I doubt that Academy Award winning director was even a thought, but the iconic actor has slid into the role like a glove.  His name is now mentioned with the likes of Scorsese and Coppola. 

His latest effort is disguised as a sports film but it’s really about bringing a nation together.  

Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) was a political prisoner of South Africa for twenty-seven years.  He was finally awarded his freedom in 1990 and campaigned for free elections.  In the first free elections in his country, he was elected to the presidency in 1994 and ended apartheid (legal racial separation).  He discovers that he’s president of a country where the whites fear his government and his people are overjoyed to see him elevated. 

However, Mandela knows that a country divided cannot stand and he needs something to bring both black and white together.  He turns his attention towards the Springboks, a white rugby team with only one black player.  In fact, his government is considering disbanding the team until Mandela steps in. 

He brings in team captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) and explains that he wants the faltering team to win the World’s Cup and bring South Africa into a unified country.  Not exactly an easy task.  

Clint Eastwood is an iconic actor, but he’s also becoming a name to be reckoned with behind the camera as well.  His fast shooting style allows him to churn out pictures, but make no mistake such haste doesn’t make poor films.  He’s racked up many Oscar nominations for his breezy productions. 

His latest tells the story of the rise of Nelson Mandela to the office of president of South Africa, but it is also a story about rugby.  To be honest I know nothing about rugby and it seems a strange sport since I’m more familiar with football (the American kind).  However, sports fans shouldn’t put too much thought into the film being one just about rugby. 

Rugby is only used as an allegory to tell the story of the joining of a nation, a nation joined in sport.  Mandela knows that the people he now rules need to come together if his government is to succeed.  What he does is bring all of South Africa’s eyes onto the Springboks.  In doing so he causes Springboks captain Pienaar to bring his own eyes into his soul. 

The Bokkes, as they’re commonly called, were a team created during apartheid and still a symbol of it.  Apartheid is never so clearly defined as in the film’s opening minutes as we see Mandela going to the presidential palace.  He passes between two fields of play.  One is the well maintained white field dedicated to rugby and the other is the empty lot that the blacks have turned into a makeshift playing field.  It’s the minority haves and the majority have-nots.

The Bokkes are despised by the majority blacks when they rise to power over the minority whites, who are scared that they’ll now be treated as they treated the blacks.  The Bokkes are about to be disbanded but Mandela decides that the team will be his vehicle to bring the country together. 

What the team doesn’t realize is that they too will change their way of thinking.  Both Freeman and Damon as superb and both would secure Oscar nominations.  Freeman plays Mandela with dignity and Damon’s change of conscious and growing admiration for Mandela are also well played.  It may be seen as a sports movie, but it’s so much more.  It’s also another fine film from Eastwood.  

Invictus is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.39:1).  Special features are presented in high definition, unless noted.  “Vision, Courage, and Honor” is a picture-in-picture track exclusive to the Blu-ray that interviews both production members, including Eastwood, as well as the real men behind the story. 

The “Behind the Story” section contains the 28 minute “Mandela meets Morgan” that details making the film and the meeting of the actor and the icon.  It also has the 7 minute “Matt Damon plays rugby” shows the actor learning the sport.  The 22 minute “Eastwood Factor” (standard definition) is a short compilation of footage from Richard Schickel’s upcoming documentary. 

You also get the 3 minute theatrical trailer and the disc is BD-Live enhanced.  Disc two serves double duty as a DVD copy of the film and also as a digital copy.  

Invictus is one of the best pictures of the year and deserved more recognition than it got.  It’s a fine film and another solid work from Clint Eastwood.  It’s bolstered by some fine performances from Freeman and Damon.  Even better are some fine special features on the Blu-ray.  It’s a touchdown (or whatever rugby calls a score) on all fronts.  

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