May 21, 2010

Invictus (latin for “unconquered”) appears from the trailers to be about the 1995 South African Rugby team that won the Rugby World Cup. I'm not a Rugby fan so I wasn't all that enthused about watching a movie about rugby. I'm betting there are very few people in the USA that have ever been to a game, much less know the rules. But it turns out the Rugby World Cup is really just a setting to tell a bigger story.

The main story of this film is about the rise of Nelson Mandela from political prisoner to the Presidency. South Africa was still a very segregated nation in 1995. What does Nelson Mandela do after becoming President of a divided country? He looked for hope of national unity and he found it in the most unlikely place: the South Africa Rugby Team (aka the Springboks), a team of primarily white men. It is one of those stories you never hear about when it happens but only years later when a movie studio picks up the story do we get to see the hollywood-ized version.

Mandela (played wonderfully by Morgan Freeman) asks the national rugby team captain François Pienaar (played by Matt Damon) to do the impossible and win the Rugby World Cup. This is only 3 years after apartheid and Mandela is freed from prison and voted president. The country needed a symbol – a rallying point of national significance. That came in the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

But is Invictus about Rugby? No. It is about many things, but Rugby is merely the tool used to achieve greater things. How could a man imprisoned for almost 30 years come to a place where he can forgive his oppressors? How can he then lead and motivate his country to do the same? Whatever you may believe about Mandela, the events of this film serve to show that he is an extraordinary man and we need more men like him.

Filmmaking: 9
Clint Eastwood brings his own unique film style to Invictus and certainly deserves any praise and awards. Given the United States marketplace would be the primary distribution for this movie, a movie about rugby could not have been an easy sell to Warner Bros. But hey, this is Clint Eastwood and that's probably enough to get a film green lit without inquisitions.

Most of the film was shot in South Africa, which is of course as authentic as anyone could get. Even more authenticity was found when they filmed in the actual jail cell Mandela had stayed in for nearly 30 years. Eastwood really knows how to tell a story. Pacing is nearly flawless in this 2-hour, 13-minute film. Yes, the ending is predictable, but it has the added value of being true.

Visuals: 8
The somewhat drab and muted colors of Invictus help to communicate the oppression and drabness of South Africa at the time. Buildings are generally whitewashed and even the clothing is drab. The most color vibrancy comes from the rugby team. The action on the rugby pitch is very unusual. The United States audience generally won't know the rules, so the rugby games are very close up and running with the actors. Aside from scoring points there is little to understand. Each game is shot slightly different with the semi-final game being a rainy mess. But even if you don't know the rules, let the movie draw you in. It's worth it.

Sound: 7
The soundscape for Invictus is difficult to judge. The movie itself sounds very clear and heard no audio problems. The problem I did find is in the acting. Freeman and Damon used such thick accents I found it very difficult to understand them. It got to the point that I turned “on” the subtitles just so I would know what was going on. Sound is available in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround Sound, French Dolby Digital 5.1, and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1. Subtitles are also available in English, French and Spanish.

Value: 8
At face value, there is not much for extras on Invictus. However after skipping around on the disc, I found some good extras in the Picture-in-Picture technology. Not many Blu-Ray movies are taking advantage of this feature yet, but this disc does a great job in lieu of a standard commentary. Exclusive to the Blu-Ray, Vision, Courage, and Honor (feature length picture-in-picture commentary) is a wonderful way to watch the film with virtually everyone involved with the film and many in Mandela's life. Clint Eastwood is the primary speaker and he provides insights as to why he was drawn to this story. Others include the cast, writer, and actual staff from that era of Mandela's life. It's nice to be able to put a face to the voice and see their expressions when explaining some aspect of the filming process or real life events.

Behind the Story: Mandela meets Morgan (SD and HD, 28:10) is a fascinating look into what makes the man. Morgan Freeman even meets with Nelson Mandela personally and has some laughs. Freeman and others provide some interesting feedback about Mandela. Behind the Story: Matt Damon plays Rugby (HD, 6:49) features interviews with Damon, we discovered that he isn't quite crazy enough to goon it up while playing, but it is interesting to see how Damon bulked up and tried to look bigger on screen. The Eastwood Factor (SD, 22:23) is a highlight reel from an upcoming documentary and book about Clint Eastwood. He is getting up in years (he'll be 81 on May 31) so it is timely and interesting to see a retrospective on his career as an actor, director, and musician. Hopefully the actual documentary will be in high definition as some of the clips in this reel look very dated. Invictus Music Trailer (HD, 2:36) is an alternate trailer with more focus on the African music soundtrack and the Blu-Ray edition also includes a standard edition DVD, and a code to download a digital copy from iTunes.

Overall: 8.8
The movie itself was a bit of a surprise for me. I certainly expected more of a focus on the World Cup with Mandela being a minor character role for Freeman. But what I found was a movie that had a higher purpose. It is about Nelson Mandela, but it is more about the healing of a nation. It is also about the healing of a man who is “in process”. While he was in prison, Mandela memorized a short poem that characterized his inner strength, and gave the movie its title:

Invictus
by William Ernest Henley
written in 1875, published 1888M

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.