FilmSkool — a free film school
Invictus
Newly elected President Nelson Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby union team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.
2009 · Directed by Clint Eastwood · 134 min · Drama · History · Screenplay in the scene database · 4 frames
Tagline
His people needed a leader. He gave them a champion.
Plot
On 11 February 1990, Nelson Mandela is released from Victor Verster Prison after 27 years in captivity. Four years later, he is elected President of South Africa at a time of enormous challenges in the post-apartheid era, including rampant poverty and crime, with Mandela particularly concerned about racial divisions between black and white South Africans. Within his own party, significant cultural changes replacing those of the National Party rule, such as changing the national flag, national anthem and iconography are very popular, but he is also aware that these changes will alienate white South Africans, who still control the country's economy, the police and the military. Mandela attempts to foster better relations beginning with his own security detail, employing established white officers previously employed by previous Presidents and the ANC security officers, though the two share a mutual distrust.
While attending a rugby union match between South Africa and England, Mandela sees that some black South Africans are supporting England rather than the mostly-white Springboks due to the legacy of apartheid; he remarks that he did the same while imprisoned on Robben Island. Knowing that South Africa is set to host the 1995 Rugby World Cup in one year's time, Mandela persuades the newly black-dominated South African Sports Committee to support the Springboks. He meets with the captain of the Springboks, Francois Pienaar, implying that victory for South Africa in the World Cup will unite and inspire the nation. Mandela also recites to Pienaar William Ernest Henley's poem "Invictus" that inspired him during his time in prison.
During the Springboks' preparations many South Africans, black and white, doubt that rugby union will unite a nation torn apart by 46 years of apartheid, especially considering the image of the Springboks to many in the black community. Both Mandela and Pienaar, however, stand firm in their belief that the game can successfully unite South Africans. After the players begin interacting with the majority black fans at the request of Mandela, during the preparation matches support for the Springboks begins to grow among the black population. Mandela's security team also grows closer as the racially diverse officers come to respect their comrades' professionalism and dedication, in addition to bonding over the game of rugby union, a sport which previously appealed primarily to the white team members while being disdained by their black counterparts.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Anthony Peckham
- Cinematography: Tom Stern
- Edited by: Joel Cox, Gary D. Roach
- Music: Michael Stevens, Kyle Eastwood
- Production design: James J. Murakami
- Produced by: Lori McCreary, Robert Lorenz, Mace Neufeld, Clint Eastwood
Cast
- Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela
- Matt Damon as Francois Pienaar
- Tony Kgoroge as Jason Tshabalala
- Patrick Mofokeng as Linga Moonsamy
- Matt Stern as Hendrick Booyens
- Julian Lewis Jones as Etienne Feyder
- Adjoa Andoh as Brenda Mazibuko
- Marguerite Wheatley as Nerine
- Leleti Khumalo as Mary
- Patrick Lyster as Mr. Pienaar
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Warner Bros. Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, Revelations Entertainment, Malpaso Productions
- Budget: $60,000,000
- Box office: $122,400,000
- Themes: sports, stadium, south africa, apartheid, idealism, nelson mandela, based on true story, idealist, rugby, president
Own the film
FilmSkool earns a small commission from qualifying Amazon purchases, at no cost to you.
More by Clint Eastwood
On this film
This is the plain index, shown because JavaScript is off. Every lesson here is a free video published by the channel credited on it and plays through that channel's own embed — FilmSkool hosts nothing.