Review of film: “INVICTUS” + INFO About RUGBY

2009, 12-07:

Review of film:  “INVICTUS”   + INFO about RUGBY

Director: 

Clint Eastwood

Writers: 

John Carlin (book)

Anthony Peckham (screenplay)

Starring: 

Morgan Freeman

Matt Damon

Matt Stern

Julian Lewis Jones

Adjoa Andoh

Marguerite Wheatley

Leleti Khumalo

Patrick Lyster

Penny Downie

Sibongile Nojila

Bonnie Henna

Shakes Myeko

Louis Minnaar.

MPAA: 

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Quotes: 

“ The… nation starts here. ”

“ He said, he rested enough in PRISON. ”

“ [The] ‘Springboks’ still represent Apartheid. ”

“ Smile! ”

“ I had to know my energy. ”

“ They are our FUTURE South Africa. ”

“ You must tell him, the BUS service is very bad! ”

“ We must all EXCEED our own expectations. ”

“ I need to be ANGRY tomorrow! ”

“ When I look at you, I ENVY my father. ”

“ No, thank YOU, Mr. President! ”

MY Rating: 

8 of 10 stars (based on an advance screening of the 134-minute film opening 12-11-09).

One man CAN make a Worthwhile DIFFERENCE!

“Invictus”’ is the title of a poem which was a favorite of Nelson Mandela, the former South African president and first black to hold that title (which he won after spending like 27 years in prison on Robben Island for his anti-apartheid activities)…  The most famous lines in the poem are:  “ I am the Captain of my Fate, / The Master of my Soul. ”…

…  This film (based on TRUE incidents) stars MORGAN FREEMAN as Mandela--  a man he first met in the 1990’s & always wanted to play in a film.  As the movie begins, Mandela is about to move into the official Presidential offices--  & startles the white employees who are packing up to leave, by encouraging them to STAY ON in their jobs…

…  Many of the employees were stunned at what they heard, particularly the white Presidential SECURITY GUARDS (such as Hendrick Booyens, played my MATT STERN) & also the newly-hired BLACK Guards including Jason Tshabalala (played by TONY KGOROGE) & Linga Moonsamy (PATRICK MOFOKENG)…

…  Morgan explains his actions by saying, he wants & NEEDS the people to remain in order to help him build up the country based on RECONCILIATION (between the black majority & the previous white Afrikaaner rulers of the nation)…

…  One of the biggest examples of the previous white control of the country was South Africa’s national RUGBY team, the “Springboks” (named after a jumping antelope native to the country): 

…  They were mainly watched and supported by the English- & Afrikaaner-speaking white population, & many of the fans continued to bring OLD symbols of white power to the matches--  the orange and white flag of the previous form of the country, supporting the nearly all-white team members (--  only 1 player on the squad was black, a man named Chester--  played here by MCNEIL HENDRICKS), etc…

…  In general, Mandela felt that, if he could expand a widespread INTEREST in the team by the general population, it could help bring the country “TOGETHER” more (both blacks & whites + mixed races)…

…  That necessitated having a better, more MOTIVATED team, &, to help accomplish that, he calls in the Captain of the team, Francois Pienaar (MATT DAMON).  He’s initially skeptical of Mandela’s intentions, but (unlike his usually-closed-minded parents), he’s willing to give Mandela a “CHANCE”, & carefully listens to what he has to say…

…  Little by little, Matt works to try to win over the attitudes of his white TEAM-members.  Altho Morgan’s secretary Brenda Mazibuko (ADJOA ANDOH) is herself somewhat doubtful that Morgan’s efforts are worth the time, she works to support his wishes and helps arrange things like sending the team members out to meet with poor BLACK kids to help teach THEM the game... 

…  Things like that are publicized on the TV NEWS, & that starts to bring added interest in the team across many racial lines…

…  Seeing the enthusiasm of the kids & the added interest by people around the country, bit-by-bit, the white team members (who were VISITED by Mandela at a practice) start to “SIGN ONTO” the overall effort…  That attitude is extended by their going on a tour of the Robben Island PRISON complex where Mandela was forced to live for so many years…

…  Altho it’s not specifically stated “OUT LOUD”, in essence, they start to feel, if Mandela could work so hard to try for RECONCILIATION with those who'd treated him so horribly, then THEY should be willing to make their OWN efforts for the overall health of the newly-reconstituted country… 

…  (It’s that reconciliation between the various races & factions in the country that’s really the CORE & “MESSAGE” of this movie…)

…  The “Springbok” team starts to get better & better, & reaches the point that they start playing for a goal of being in the 1995 WORLD CUP FINALS of playing the game--  which are happily ATTENDED by Mandela & various government ministers and employees, & avidly followed on TV by the general citizenry…    

…  The movie spends a lot of time on the practice & playing of the Rugby games.  No matter how many scenes I watched of the work by the team members, I still didn’t really “UNDERSTAND” the game being portrayed on screen.  Thus, hoping it might prove HELPFUL to people, FOLLOWING this Review, I’ll give you some “background” I researched on the rules of the game of Rugby…

…  Like most of the audience, I was quite IMPRESSED with the movie overall, particularly the work of Morgan Freeman (who was also an executive producer on the film, & who – along with director CLINT EASTWOOD -- might well get an Oscar nomination for his efforts). .. 

…  [As an aside:  later, for the OSCARs, Morgan was nominated as Best Lead Actor, & Matt was nominated for Best Supporting Actor… ]

…  To me, the film is “MANDELA’S” story (with the direct “contact” between him & Matt’s character considerably “limited” compared to what the trailers might lead you to expect)… 

…  A friend (who gave the film only 2 of 4 stars) complained that, he felt it didn’t say “ENOUGH” of what Mandela accomplished in his life.  But, as I pointed out, the movie is NOT designed to be a wide-ranging “BIOGRAPHY”: 

…  It concentrates mainly on ONE specific incident, namely, the efforts at helping the RECONCILIATION between the main races in South Africa thru getting the country “behind” the efforts of its RUGBY team…

…  It does show OTHER efforts by Mandela to help expand the “acceptance” of once-“outlawed” South Africa thru meetings with, and trips to, people from other countries (such as England, the U.S., Taiwan, etc.)— but those are “incidental” to the main “Springbok” story here…

…  Since that account is told very EFFECTIVELY, I thus rated the movie accordingly, as an UPLIFTING story of a rare man and how “one” person can make a “DIFFERENCE” in this often-discouraging world…

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       Here’s the promised partial info on the RULES & play of Rugby:

…  Rugby (which is sometimes called the “father” of American FOOTBALL, in that it started 70 years before football was begun & has some similar rules) is played at a fast pace, with continuous changes of possession & few stoppages. ..

…   All the players on the field ( = 15 for each team) must be able to run, pass, catch, and kick the ball.  Also, they all must also be able to defend & tackle, thus making each position both offensive and defensive. There is NO blocking of the opponents (unlike in football), and each team is only allowed five substitutions in a game. A rugby match consists of two 40-minute halves.

…  In rugby, each team is numbered so the number indicates that player's position. Those players numbered 1-8 are forwards, whose main job is to win possession of the ball (which they can do because they’re usually the larger, stronger players, like American football linebackers and lineman)…

…  Those Players numbered 9-15 are backs (tending to be the smaller, faster and more agile players), whose main role is to exploit possession of the ball won by the forwards (thus making them similar to quarterbacks, wide receivers & running backs in American football)…

…  Rugby has NO blocking or “downs” (as football does), and play is like soccer in that it’s continuous. The person carrying the ball leads the attack, &, when he’s tackled, he must release the ball & roll out of the way so that those players still on their feet can continue to play the ball in attempting to get to the opponent's goal line…

…  A player holding the ball keeps running unless they are tackled, step out of bounds or run beyond the goal line…  The ball can be PASSED to another open player on the team--  as long as the pass goes backwards or sideways (laterally) rather than directly forward… 

…  Any player can KICK the ball forward at any time--  but that allows any player of either team to get possession of it (whether or not it hits the ground).  Naturally, it’s best to try to kick the ball to either an open teammate (in hopes of advancing it to the goal line) or to avoid a temporarily-poor field position by sending it to the opposing team…

…  A “RUCK” occurs when players converge over the ball on the ground & work to push the opposing players backwards (similar to a “scrum”).  A player can’t pick up the ball until it emerges from the “ruck” pileup, at which point play continues...  

…  Being in a “ruck” causes “offside” lines, & players must get back “onsides” in order to rejoin the play (which thus opens up space into which an attacking team can try to move the ball forward towards the opposing goal)…

…  A “MAUL” occurs when the player in possession of the ball is NOT tackled & brought to the ground, but is instead held UP by an opponent and one his own players converges on him.  This creates “offside” lines thru the feet of the last players on each side, & players have to RETREAT behind these offside lines if they want to take part in any ensuing play…  When the ball emerges, the “maul” ends…

…  Info on the 4 ways to SCORE points:  A “TRY” awards 5 points if a team touches the ball down in the other team's “goal” area (thus being similar to a “touchdown” in football)...  After a “Try”, you can get 2 points for a “CONVERSION” by kicking the ball through the upright goal posts from a line point at least 10 meters (30 feet) straight out from where the ball was touched down (thus, like an extra point in football)...

…  If there’s a major law violation, if in range, the kicking team can get 3 PENALTY “KICK for points", awarded for a successful kick from the point of the foul or anywhere on a line straight behind that point. If the kick fails, the ball can be played… 

…  A “DROP GOAL” (similar to football’s field goal) awards 3 points for a successful drop kick from anywhere on the field made at any time during the course of normal play. If the kick fails, the ball is still alive… 

…  As the movie shows, you have to rely on the JUDGES (referees) to determine where things “stand” at any given point during play (because things can easily get really confusing & in “dispute”)…

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