Review of Invictus (2009) by Christer 2 — 19 Jan 2011

Sports as such don't tend to be good material for films. Although the exciting last seconds of a final might make you gasp at home, or you devote dozens or hundreds of hours of your life to follow the season of your favourite team, cinema may not be the right venue for those particular emotions. Excitement is difficult to transfer, it's context-bound.

Therefore film-makers often add plot elements external to sports in sports films. Let's mix a lonely athlete's personal devotion with romance and some intrigue, a bit of action, interesting characters and occasional comedy. Can't go wrong? Well, most of the time it does. Sports films are not known for their high quality or numerous Academy Awards (exceptions include "Rocky", "Raging Bull" and "Million Dollar Baby").

In "Invictus" the director Clint Eastwood tries in principle something different. He takes a huge social and political theme, South Africa's apartheid legacy and transition to democracy, which is seen through the lens of the national team's march towards the 1995 World Cup for rugby union. This theme alone would secure a couple of stars from me!

"Invictus" is an even and balanced performance. It doesn't qualify as exceptional or surprising, but actors are excellent and the story runs smoothly. Towards the end, however, some excitement starts to loose grip, and the final match doesn't feel like the kind of climax one would have expected. The story line, all in all, is quite conventional, but the SA team is not to be blamed for their surprise victory, almost like from the pages of a fairy tale book!

This film gives a bit two-sided picture of Mandela. On the other hand he's an embodiment of reconciliation, a man of immense wisdom and political vision for the emerging country. On the other hand, he interrupts cabinet meetings to check rugby results and shows child-like excitement for the sport. I'd allow for that. This is a sports film after all.