Long before he was Tony Soprano’s consigliere Silvio Dante, Little Steven Van Zandt made music. His major claim to fame still is as guitarist of Bruce Springsteen’s immortal E-Street Band. In the mid ’80s, however, Little Steven, took center stage and co-founded Artists United Against Apartheid. The average American had no idea what Steven was singing about with the single “(I Ain’t Gonna Play) Sun City,” but it served to shed light on a grave injustice. Some 25 years later, Director Clint Eastwood has picked up this tale with his release “Invictus.”
Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) languished in a South African prison for more than 27 years due to his fight against Apartheid. Apartheid is defined as “separateness between Afrikaans” and was essentially a legal system of racial segregation. After decades under this system, Mandela was released from prison in 1990, and following election reform, he became the first black president of South Africa in 1994.
Mandela set forth to heal the country and wisely chose rugby as a cornerstone of that plan. By utilizing South Africa’s hosting of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Mandela sought out a way to bring all elements of his country together under one banner: The Springbok. The issue at stake went much deeper than team loyalty, it was race loyalty. The Springbok signified everything Apartheid represented. The green and gold colors reminded South Africa’s black population of years spent under the terrifying and unjust rule of South Africa’s ruling parties. No small undertaking for a newly elected president tasked with fixing all of his country’s unimaginable ills.
Freeman, according to the television ads for “Invictus,” was born to play Mandela. While the question of destiny is debatable, Freeman’s performance is not. Freeman adds another stellar performance to his already impressive resume, and one should not be surprised to hear his name on Oscar night.
Joining Freeman in “Invictus” is Matt Damon. Damon once again shows why he is in the upper 1 percent of actors working today. He quietly exudes a sense of strength and character as the captain of the South African team, Francois Pienaar. A very humble, hardworking bloke, Pienaar would become a most unlikely partner with Mandela in utilizing this unique opportunity in South Africa’s history. If the Springbok could make a good showing, they could unite the country and in the process help wash away some of the past’s dark residue.
Eastwood has shown time and again that his quiet strength translates clearly on either side of the camera. His acting is best remembered for the silent “Man with No Name” and the originator of the action one-liner “Dirty Harry.” As a director, he has catapulted himself into a league with the finest ever behind a lens. Once again, he has created a very stirring work that delights the viewer with its camera work, moving score and the performances brought forth from his crew of actors. He deftly straddles the line between sports film and political docudrama, giving the viewer a realistic portrait of South Africa during that turbulent period. And more important, the story of two very different men uniting in the hope that they could help their country bridge an age old chasm on the road to true unity. Once again, Eastwood has shown that he still knows how to make our day.
Rating: W W W W
