Determined To Succeed

Like the Poem “Invictus” is Inspiring

Three-and-a-Half Buckets of Popcorn out of Four

What inspires us all towards success? What would inspire you? And, more to the point, what would inspire you to win despite all the odds stacked against you?

The answers are different for all of us and are different depending on the aspect of life to which they’re applied. But winning no matter how hard the challenge is a universal theme in which we can all share and admire.

This is the theme of Clint Eastwood’s latest film, “Invictus.” The film tells the true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa’s rugby team to help unite their country. Newly elected President 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 team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.

I have seen many uplifting sports films in my day (“Rocky,” “The Rookie,” “Miracle,” the list goes on) and this does fit into that genre. But what makes this film so great is the performance given by Morgan Freeman, an actor of such stature and excellence he really makes you believe he IS Mandela. His movements, speech and mannerisms – everything. He deserves a Best Actor nod from the Academy for this performance.  It is, in a word, great.

Clint Eastwood is a brilliant director. That much is certain. But I love that he loves Freeman. The two just fit. They seem to understand each other and, therefore, give that back to the audience with films and characters that are amazing to watch and hard to forget.

I do not know if you are familiar with the story of Mandela and the South Africa rugby team but in reality President Mandela gave South African national rugby team captain Francois Pienaar an extract from Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena” speech from 1910 before the start of the Rugby World Cup. The name of the movie “Invictus” comes from the poem Mandela carried with him inside his jail cell under apartheid to help him get through, and Freeman gives it to Matt Damon (as team captain Pienaar) for inspiration.

Below is the poem in its entirety. See if these words written by English poet William Ernest Henley don’t inspire your heart to win the same way it led a man and his nation to the freedom his soul knew was coming…inevitable and strong.

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

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.

Morgan Freeman…Nelson Mandela

Matt Damon… Francois Pienaar

Tony Kgoroge…Jason Tshabalala

Patrick Mofokeng…Linga Moonsamy

Matt Stern…Hendrick Booyens

Julian Lewis Jones…Etienne Feyder

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

Runtime: 134 min