I must admit I was puzzled by the title Invictus, a new movie about Nelson Mandela. What does this word mean, I wondered, and why was it chosen as the picture’s name? I did some research and learned that Invictus is the name of a short poem written by English poet William Earnest Henley in 1875 from his hospital bed. The word means “unconquerable.” Here are the poem’s concluding lines:
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
So why this title? Nelson Mandela had copied the poem on a scrap of paper he referred to again and again during his 27 years of imprisonment in a South African jail for opposing apartheid. It fortified him and kept him from bitterness. Just as Mandela refused to be conquered while in prison, he refused to be conquered when he became president of South Africa.
As the film opens it is 1995, and Mandela has just taken control of the South African government. A newspaper headline says, “He can win an election, but can he govern a nation?” “A legitimate question,” Mandela responds. Realizing that he must be president of all South Africans and that both blacks and whites must let bygones be bygones, he takes a controversial step: he insists that the mostly white, ineffective (and disliked by blacks) national rugby team continue to represent the country. Not only that, South Africa must win the bid to host the 1995 World Cup of Rugby. Opposed by many in his own party, Mandela reaches out to Franҫois Pienaar, the captain of the South African team, developing a personal relationship with him. He takes Pienaar to visit the prison where he spent 27 years and gives him a copy of
the poem Invictus to use as his own inspiration in team leading. After that a minor miracle takes place: All of South Africa unites behind the rugby team, and the team becomes strong.
Invictus might sound like a sports movie, but rugby is only the backdrop. What the picture is really about is forgiveness. Jesus told us that if we do not forgive our debtors, our Heavenly Father will not forgive us. Mandela exemplifies this idea, asserting that black South Africans must forgive the whites who maintained the deplorable system of apartheid. Watching this film, we see what a truly inspirational figure Mandela is.
Invictus was directed by Clint Eastwood and is certainly one of Eastwood’s best efforts. It stars Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Damon as Franҫois Pienaar, both of whom play their rules to near perfection. Eastwood, describing himself as non-religious, is nonetheless impressed by Mandela, particularly his ability to forgive. One can only hope that Eastwood might come to understand salvation.
Film Rating: PG-13
My rating: 3 ¼ stars.
Caution: The film includes a few examples of unfortunate language and misuses of the Lord’s name. Not for younger children.
After nearly half a century of apartheid, it’s almost romantic to think that rugby and a poem shared between a president and a team captain made hatred between South Africans take a backseat. Everything about this movie is so powerful. From the title and poem, to the true story behind it, and up to the characters involved, it’s something that makes you think that you can accomplish anything.
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