I feel very lucky to be old enough to remember (clearly) the release of Nelson Mandela and his subsequent success at the Presidential poll in South Africa. I also feel lucky to be a member of the Cameo Cinema and to get a free preview screening of Invictus, an account of the 1995 Rugby World Cup tournament that helped to bring the divided black and white South Africans together to begin reconciliation.
It wouldn't be exaggeration to describe this film as inspiring and magnificent, not least for the close-up shots of rugby in play (as an occasional rugby watcher it was pretty thrilling). The depiction of the uneasy relationship between black South Africans and Afrikaaners post-apartheid was wholly believable, with Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon both doing brilliant jobs in the title roles. I think we all felt what François Pienaar (Damon) felt when the team was taken on a tour of Robben Island — where Mandela was incarcerated for over two decades.
The Invictus of the title is a Victorian-era poem by William Ernest Henley, and hearing it in the context of the film could really bring tears to one's eyes. The film is, in essence, a love letter to the spirit and wisdom that makes Nelson Mandela a great man.
In the end, we can see the road to reconciliation clearing for post-Apartheid South Africa. While the country still has problems to overcome, Nelson Mandela's role in bringing South Africans together through the Rugby World Cup should not be forgotten.
