This is a glimps into how former South African President Nelson Mandela united his country after decades of racial segregation and oppression under the Afrikaner-dominated National Party. The film seemingly begins on Robben Island Prison where Mandela served eighteen years, the greater part of his twenty-seven years imprisoned. Upon his release in 1990, Mandela knew that his battles with the Apartheid were not yet over, for him or his country. He continued to lead the African National Congress towards a peaceful resolution among the black majority of South Africa and eventually grant equal voting rights in both national and local elections. And on April 27th, 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected as the country's first black president in South Africa's first multi-racial election. Eastwood's film seemingly picks up there.
Invictus is based on the book "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation" by John Carlin. He had sold the rights to Freeman, who quickly signed Eastwood on to direct. Anthony Peckham was commissioned to write the adaptation and he closely collaborated with Carlin on how to best translate his book onto the screen. “In terms of stature and stars, this certainly is one of the biggest films ever to be made in South Africa,” states the head of the Cape Town Film Commission, Laurence Mitchell.
Matt Damon was also signed onto the project very early to play the main supporting role of Francois Pienaar, the Captain of the Team. Damon began intensive training under the guidance of Chester Williams, who himself was a member of the 1995 South African Team. Scott Eastwood, Clint's son, was cast as flyhalf Joel Stransky whose paramount drop goal provided them the 3 points they needed to beat New Zealand and win the 1995 Rugby
Union World Cup in a post-apartheid South Africa. That was the last time amateur teams would compete in the World Cup; two months after South Africa's monumental victory, the International Rugby Board opened the event to professional players.
Despite its limited exposure thus far, Invictus has already prompted much buzz in the film community as being a major Oscar contender this year for Best Picture, Director, Actor and Supporting Actor categories, among various others. Warner Brothers has held up promotions until just today, but I am certain this tardiness will not hinder Academy voters in any way whatsoever. Can Eastwood add to the already 5 Academy Awards on his mantle? Although I have yet to see the movie for myself, I would definitely say so. Invictus has the stuff that Oscars are made of.
In the film, Mandela poses the questions to Pienaar, "How do we inspire ourselves to greatness, when nothing less will do? How do we inspire everyone around us?" Pienaar and the rest of the South African Springboks National Rugby Union
Team answered Mandela's question by bringing their divided nation together through their sport. Living in New York City on the eve our first World Series since the Subway Series against the Mets in 2000, there is a feeling of illustriousness in the air. You can sense it when you walk down the streets, ride the subways, and talk to anyone here, whether they are Yankees Fans or not. Imagine how that World Cup effected the people of South Africa in the midst of such a revolutionary change as the fall of the Apartheid. With the release of Eastwood's Invictus, we won't have to just imagine; we can see it and revel in it for ourselves.
Release Date: December 11, 2009
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Invictus is based on the book "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation" by John Carlin. He had sold the rights to Freeman, who quickly signed Eastwood on to direct. Anthony Peckham was commissioned to write the adaptation and he closely collaborated with Carlin on how to best translate his book onto the screen. “In terms of stature and stars, this certainly is one of the biggest films ever to be made in South Africa,” states the head of the Cape Town Film Commission, Laurence Mitchell.Matt Damon was also signed onto the project very early to play the main supporting role of Francois Pienaar, the Captain of the Team. Damon began intensive training under the guidance of Chester Williams, who himself was a member of the 1995 South African Team. Scott Eastwood, Clint's son, was cast as flyhalf Joel Stransky whose paramount drop goal provided them the 3 points they needed to beat New Zealand and win the 1995 Rugby
Union World Cup in a post-apartheid South Africa. That was the last time amateur teams would compete in the World Cup; two months after South Africa's monumental victory, the International Rugby Board opened the event to professional players.Despite its limited exposure thus far, Invictus has already prompted much buzz in the film community as being a major Oscar contender this year for Best Picture, Director, Actor and Supporting Actor categories, among various others. Warner Brothers has held up promotions until just today, but I am certain this tardiness will not hinder Academy voters in any way whatsoever. Can Eastwood add to the already 5 Academy Awards on his mantle? Although I have yet to see the movie for myself, I would definitely say so. Invictus has the stuff that Oscars are made of.
In the film, Mandela poses the questions to Pienaar, "How do we inspire ourselves to greatness, when nothing less will do? How do we inspire everyone around us?" Pienaar and the rest of the South African Springboks National Rugby Union
Team answered Mandela's question by bringing their divided nation together through their sport. Living in New York City on the eve our first World Series since the Subway Series against the Mets in 2000, there is a feeling of illustriousness in the air. You can sense it when you walk down the streets, ride the subways, and talk to anyone here, whether they are Yankees Fans or not. Imagine how that World Cup effected the people of South Africa in the midst of such a revolutionary change as the fall of the Apartheid. With the release of Eastwood's Invictus, we won't have to just imagine; we can see it and revel in it for ourselves.Release Date: December 11, 2009
More Images from the film:
Thanks for writing this. I discovered a problem, for lack of a better word, with the film. Chester Williams was the only black player that played in the final of that world cup, but I can't find his character in the cast anywhere...? I am extremely troubled over this.
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting this review, we are all anticipating that this will be a fabulous film!
ReplyDeleteWendy
Sure thing, rugby! There is not a complete cast list for the film out, yet. The studios just released the movie poster last week and the trailer just came out on Tuesday, and detailed information like the complete credits is limited. However, Chester Williams' character IS in the movie. If you take a look at the photo I posted (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8223001@N07/4057734191/), you can see a black rugby player training with the rest of the Team in the picture, second from Matt Damon's left. Now, I don't know who the actor portraying him is at this point, but considering that Williams was the ONLY black player on the Springbok squad at the time, I am pretty certain this is him.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you know, Williams was the star winger of their Team in 1995 and was nicknamed "The Black Pearl". He scored a whopping four tries against Western Samoa in the quarter finals. So depending on how much footage Eastwood covers of that match-up, I'm sure we'll catch Williams in the film. As I too play Wing, I cannot wait to see Williams' character in action in the film!