Invictus(film)
Invictus | |
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Directed by | Clint Eastwood |
Screenplay by | Anthony Peckham |
Based on | Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game that Made a Nation 2008 book byJohn Carlin |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Tom Stern |
Edited by | |
Music by | |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures(Worldwide) Times Media Films (now Empire Entertainment, South Africa)[3] |
Release date |
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Running time | 135 minutes[2] |
Countries | |
Language | English[2] |
Budget | $50–60 million[4][5] |
Box office | $122.2 million[4] |
Invictusis a 2009biographicalsports filmdirected byClint Eastwoodand starringMorgan FreemanandMatt Damon,making it the third collaboration between Eastwood and Freeman afterUnforgiven(1992) andMillion Dollar Baby(2004). The story is based on the 2008John CarlinbookPlaying the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nationabout the events inSouth Africabefore and during the1995 Rugby World Cup.TheSpringbokswere not expected to perform well, the team having only recently returned to high-level international competition following the dismantling ofapartheid—the country was hosting the World Cup, thus earning an automatic entry. Freeman portraysSouth African PresidentNelson Mandelawhile Damon playedFrancois Pienaar,the captain of theSpringboks,the South Africarugby unionteam.[6]
Invictuswas released in the United States on 11 December 2009. The title refers to the Roman divine epithetInvictusand may be translated from theLatinas "undefeated" or "unconquered". "Invictus" is also the title ofa poem,referred to in the film, by British poetWilliam Ernest Henley(1849–1903). The film was met with positive critical reviews and earnedAcademy Awardnominations for Freeman (Best Actor) and Damon (Best Supporting Actor). The film grossed $122.2 million on a budget of $50–60 million.[4]
Plot
[edit]On 11 February 1990,Nelson Mandelais released fromVictor Verster Prisonafter having spent 27 years in captivity.[7]Four years later, Mandela is elected thefirst black President of South Africa.His presidency faces enormous challenges in thepost-Apartheid era,including rampant poverty and crime, and Mandela is particularly concerned about racial divisions between black andwhite South Africans,which would lead to violence. The ill will which both groups hold towards each other is seen even in his own security detail where relations between the established white officers, who had guarded Mandela's predecessors, and the blackANCadditions to the security detail, are frosty and marked by mutual distrust.
While attending a game between theSpringboks,the country'srugby unionteam, andEngland,Mandela recognises that some black people in the stadium are cheering for England, and not their own country, as the mostly-white Springboks represent prejudice and apartheid in their minds; he remarks that he did the same while imprisoned onRobben Island.Knowing that South Africa is set to host the1995 Rugby World Cupin one year's time, Mandela persuades a meeting of the newly black-dominated South African Sports Committee to support the Springboks. He then meets with the captain of the Springboks rugby team,Francois Pienaar(Matt Damon), and implies that a Springboks victory in the World Cup will unite and inspire the nation. Mandela also shares with Francois a British poem, "Invictus",that had inspired him during his time in prison.
François and his teammates train. Many South Africans, both black and white, doubt that rugby will unite a nation torn apart by nearly 50 years ofracial tensions,as for many black people, especially the radicals, the Springboks symbolisewhite supremacy.Both Mandela and Pienaar, however, stand firmly behind their theory that the game can successfully unite the South African country.
Things begin to change as the players interact with the fans and begin a friendship with them. During the opening games, support for the Springboks begins to grow among the black population. By the second game, the whole country comes together to support the Springboks and Mandela's efforts. Mandela's security team also grows closer as the racially diverse officers come to respect their comrades' professionalism and dedication.
As Mandela watches, the Springboks defeat one of theirarch-rivals—Australia,the defending champions and known as the Wallabies—in their opening match. They then continue to defy all expectations and, as Mandela conducts trade negotiations inTaiwan,defeatFrancein heavy rain to advance tothe finalagainst their otherarch-rival:New Zealand,known as the All Blacks. New Zealand and South Africa were universally regarded as the two greatest rugby nations, with the Springboks then the only side to have a winning record (20–19–2) against the All Blacks, since their first meeting in 1921.
Meanwhile, one day during the tournament, the Springbok team visitedRobben Island,where Mandela spent the first 18 of his 27 years in jail. There, Pienaar is inspired by Mandela's will and his idea of self-mastery in "Invictus". Francois mentions his amazement that Mandela "could spend thirty years in a tiny cell, and come out ready to forgive the people who put him there".
Supported by a large home crowd of all races atEllis Park StadiuminJohannesburg,Pienaar motivates his teammates for the final. Mandela's security detail receives a scare when, just before the match, aSouth African AirwaysBoeing 747-200jetliner flies in low over the stadium. However, it is not an assassination attempt, but a demonstration ofpatriotism,with the message "Good Luck, Bokke" —the Springboks'Afrikaansnickname—painted on the undersides of the plane's wings. Mandela also famously arrives onto the field before the match wearing a Springbok cap and a replica of Pienaar's #6 jersey.
The Springboks complete their run by beating the All Blacks 15–12 inextra time,thanks to adrop goalfromfly-halfJoel Stransky.Mandela and Pienaar meet on the field together to celebrate the improbable and unexpected victory, and Mandela hands Pienaar theWilliam Webb Ellis Cup,as the Springboks are now indeed rugby union's world champions. Mandela's car then drives away in the traffic-jammed streets leaving the stadium. He insists that there is no hurry as his security team wanted to change the route due to the cheering crowd. As Mandela watches South Africans celebrating together in the street from his car, his voice is heard reciting "Invictus" again.
Cast
[edit]- Morgan FreemanasNelson Mandela,the head of theAfrican National Congress,who has become the first blackPresident of South Africa
- Matt DamonasFrancois Pienaar,the Springboks' captain andopenside flanker
- Tony Kgorogeas Jason Tshabalala
- Adjoa Andohas Brenda Mazibuko
- Julian Lewis Jonesas Etienne Feyder[8]
- Patrick Mofokengas Linga Moonsamy
- Matt Stern as Hendrick Booyens
- Marguerite Wheatley as Nerine Winter, Pienaar's wife
- Patrick Lyster as Francois Pienaar's father
- Leleti Khumaloas Mary
- McNeil HendricksasChester Williams,the Springboks'left wingand the only black player on the team
- Scott EastwoodasJoel Stransky,the Springboks'fly halfand goal kicker
- Zak FeaunatiasJonah Lomu,the All Blacks'left wing,considered the best player in the world in 1995
- Grant L. RobertsasRuben Kruger,the Springboks'blindside flanker
- Rolf E. Fitschen asNaka Drotské,the Springboks' reservehooker
- Vaughn Thompson asRudolf Straeuli,the Springboks' reserve flanker
- Robin B. Smithas Johan de Villiers, sport commentator
- Charl Engelbrecht asGarry Pagel,the Springboks' reserveprop
- Graham Lindemann asKobus Wiese,the Springboks' number 4lock
- Louis Minnaar as Springbok coach
- Sean Cameron Michaelas Springbok equipment manager
- Danny KeoghasLouis Luyt
- Bonnie HennaasZindzi Mandela-Hlongwane
- Kgosi Mongake as Sipho
- David Dukas as the pilot of the Boeing 747 who flew low over Ellis Park Stadium just prior to the appearance of Mandela on the field before the game started
- Hennie Bosmanas a racist rugby coach
Production
[edit]The film is based on the bookPlaying the Enemy: Mandela and the Game that Made a NationbyJohn Carlin.[9]The filmmakers met with Carlin for a week in hisBarcelonahome, discussing how to transform the book into ascreenplay.[10]Filming began in March 2009 inCape Town.Primary filming in South Africa was completed in May 2009.[10]
Morgan Freeman was the first actor to be cast, as Mandela.Matt Damonwas then cast as team captain Francois Pienaar, despite being significantly smaller than him[11]and much smaller than members of the current Springbok squad.[12] He was given intensive coaching byChester Williams,another star of the 1995 team, at the Gardens Rugby League Club.[13]"In terms of stature and stars, this certainly is one of the biggest films ever to be made in South Africa," said Laurence Mitchell, the head of the Cape Film Commission.[14]On 18 March 2009,Scott Eastwoodwas cast asflyhalfJoel Stransky(whosedrop goalprovided the Springboks' winning margin in the 1995 final).[15] Over Christmas 2008, auditions had taken place inLondonto try to find a well-known British actor to play Pienaar's father, but in March it was decided to cast a lesser-known South African actor instead.[16] Zak Fe'aunati,who had previously played professionally forBath,was cast asJonah Lomu,[17]while Grant L. Roberts was cast asRuben Kruger,who was the Springboks' other startingflankerin 1995.Chester Williamswas also involved with the project to teach rugby to those of the cast playing players who had not played it before, while Freeman and Williams also became involved with theESPN 30 For 30filmThe 16th Man.Filming of the final also took place on location atEllis Park Stadium,the actual venue for the 1995 final.
Release
[edit]Invictusopened in 2,125 theaters in North America at #3 with US$8,611,147 and was the largest opening for a rugby-themed film. The film held well and ultimately earned $37,491,364 domestically and $84,742,607 internationally for a total of $122,233,971, above its $60 million budget.[4]
Home media
[edit]The film was released on 18 May 2010 on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Special features include
- Matt Damon Plays Rugby
- Invictusmusic trailer
The Blu-ray release included adigital copyand additional special features:
- Vision, Courage and Honor: Diplo and the Power of a True Story
- Mandela Meets Morgan
- The SmoothieWolf Factor documentary excerpts
- Picture-in-Picture exploration with cast, crew and the real people who lived this true story
Reception
[edit]The film was met with generally positive reviews. Review aggregateRotten Tomatoesreports that 76% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 246 reviews, with an average score of 6.60/10. The website's critical consensus is: "Delivered with typically stately precision from director Clint Eastwood,Invictusmay not be rousing enough for some viewers, but Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman inhabit their real-life characters with admirable conviction. "[18]OnMetacritic,the film has a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]
CriticDavid Ansenwrote:[20]
Anthony Peckham's sturdy, functional screenplay, based on John Carlin's bookPlaying the Enemy,can be a bit on the nose (and the message songs Eastwood adds are overkill). Yet the lapses fade in the face of such a soul-stirring story—one that would be hard to believe if it were fiction. The wonder ofInvictusis that it actually went down this way.
Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesgave the film three-and-a-half stars[21]and wrote:
It is a very good film. It has moments evoking great emotion, as when the black and white members of the presidential security detail (hard-line ANC activists and Afrikaner cops) agree with excruciating difficulty to serve together. And when Damon's character—François Pienaar, as the team captain—is shown the cell where Mandela was held for those long years on Robben Island. My wife,Chaz,and I were taken to the island early one morning by Ahmed Kathrada, one of Mandela's fellow prisoners, and yes, the movie shows his very cell, with the thin blankets on the floor. You regard that cell and you think, here a great man waited in faith for his rendezvous with history.
Shave Magazine's Jake Tomlinson wrote:[22]
Eastwood's film shows how sport can unify people, a straightforward and moving message that leaves audiences cheering. The sports, accurate portrayal and the solid storyline earn this movie a manliness rating of 3/5. However, the entertainment value, historical accuracy and strong message this movie delivers earn it an overall rating of 4.5 stars. Definitely, worth seeing.
Variety's Todd McCarthy wrote:[23]
Inspirational on the face of it, Clint Eastwood's film has a predictable trajectory, but every scene brims with surprising details that accumulate into a rich fabric of history, cultural impressions and emotion.
Awards and honors
[edit]Organization | Award | Person | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
Academy Awards | Best Actor | Morgan Freeman | Nominated | [24] |
Best Supporting Actor | Matt Damon | Nominated | ||
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Film | Nominated | [25] | |
Best Director | Clint Eastwood | Nominated | ||
Best Actor | Morgan Freeman | Nominated | ||
Best Supporting Actor | Matt Damon | Nominated | ||
Cesar Awards | Cesar Award for Best Foreign Film | Nominated | [26] | |
ESPY Awards | Best Sports Movie | Nominated | [27] | |
Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor in a Leading Role – Motion Picture Drama | Morgan Freeman | Nominated | [28] |
Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | Matt Damon | Nominated | ||
Best Director – Motion Picture | Clint Eastwood | Nominated | ||
Movieguide Awards | Faith & Freedom Award for Movies | Won[notes 1] | [29] | |
NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture | Morgan Freeman | Won | [30] |
Outstanding Motion Picture | Nominated | [31] | ||
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) | Anthony Peckham | Nominated | ||
National Board of Review | Freedom of Expression Award | Won | [32] | |
NBR Award for Best Director | Clint Eastwood | Won | ||
NBR Award for Best Actor | Morgan Freeman | Won[notes 2] | ||
Producers Guild of America Award | Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award in Theatrical Motion | Clint Eastwood, Rob Lorenz, Lori McCreary, Mace Neufeld | Nominated | [33] |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | Morgan Freeman | Nominated | [34] |
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role | Matt Damon | Nominated | ||
WAFCA Awards | Best Actor | Morgan Freeman | Nominated | [35] |
Best Director | Clint Eastwood | Nominated | ||
Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture | Michael Owens, Geoff Hancock, Cyndi Ochs, Dennis Hoffman | Nominated | [36] |
- ^tied withThe Stoning of Soraya M.
- ^tied with George Clooney forUp In The Air
Soundtrack
[edit]- "9000 days" –Overtonewith Yollandi Nortjie
- "Invictus Theme" –Kyle EastwoodandMichael Stevens
- "Colorblind" – Overtone
- "Siyalinda" – Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
- "World in Union 95"– Overtone with Yollande Nortjie
- "Madiba's theme" – Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
- "Hamba Nathi" – Overtone with Yollande Nortjie
- "Thanda" – Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
- "Shosholoza"– Overtone with Yollande Nortjie
- "Inkathi" – Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
- "Ole Ole Ole—We Are The Champions" – Overtone with Yollandi Nortjie
- "Enqena (Anxious)" – Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
- The South African National Anthem– Overtone
- "Ukunqoba (To Conquer)" – Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
- "Victory" – Soweto String Quartet
- "Xolela (Forgiveness)" – Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
- "The Crossing (Osiyeza)" – Overtone with Yollandi Nortjie
- "9,000 days (acoustic)" – Emile Welman
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abc"Invictus (2009)".British Film Institute.Archived fromthe originalon 8 May 2017.
- ^abcde"Invictus".American Film Institute.Retrieved17 February2024.
- ^"Invictus".
- ^abcd"Invictus".Box Office Mojo.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^Thompson, Anne (10 June 2009)."Produced By Conference: Are Boomers Abandoning Movies?".Variety.Archived fromthe originalon 14 June 2009.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^Stephensen, Hunter (14 March 2009)."First Look: Clint Eastwood's The Human Factor with Matt Damon".Slash Film. Archived fromthe originalon 4 June 2012.Retrieved31 March2009.
- ^Archive: Nelson Mandela's 'walk to freedom' in 1990 after his release from prison,archived fromthe originalon 6 December 2013,retrieved20 June2017
- ^Turner, Rob (March 22, 2009)."Life on the set with Clint Eastwood, by Welsh actor".Wales on Sunday.Retrieved May 6, 2009.
- ^Leyes, Nick (15 March 2009)."François Pienaar takes rugby union to Hollywood. Somanth as François Pienaar' brother".Daily Telegraph.Retrieved31 March2009.
- ^abInterview with Carlin, BBC Radio 5, May 21, 2009
- ^"Photo showing Freeman and Damon at premiere".IMDB.com.Retrieved30 May2011.
- ^"Photo".celebrity-gossip.net. Archived fromthe originalon 23 July 2011.Retrieved19 December2010.
- ^Rappe, Elisabeth (16 March 2009)."Matt Damon Goes Blond For 'The Human Factor'".Cinematical.com.Retrieved31 March2009.
- ^[dead link]"Matt Damon injured at rugby union training".The Times (South Africa).8 March 2009. Archived fromthe originalon 11 April 2009.Retrieved31 March2009.
- ^White, James (18 March 2009)."Scott Eastwood joins the Mandela pic: Clint casts his son..."TotalFilm.com.Retrieved31 March2009.
- ^Jones, Alice-Azania (16 March 2009)."Pandora: An accent beyond the best of British".The Independent.Retrieved31 March2009.
- ^(March 25, 2009).Zak Feaunati to play Jonah Lomu in film[dead link],BBC News. Retrieved on May 6, 2009.
- ^"Invictus (2009)".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.Retrieved20 March2018.
- ^"Invictus Reviews".Metacritic.CBS Interactive.Retrieved20 March2018.
- ^David Ansen(25 November 2009)."'Invictus': A Whole New Ballgame ".Newsweek.Retrieved7 December2009.
- ^Roger Ebert (9 December 2009)."Invictus".Chicago Sun-Times.Archived fromthe originalon 28 September 2011.Retrieved13 December2009.
- ^Jake Tomlinson (10 December 2009)."Review: Invictus".Shave.Archived fromthe originalon 16 July 2011.Retrieved23 December2009.
- ^Todd McCarthy (27 November 2009)."Invictus".Variety.Retrieved9 December2009.
- ^"Academy Award nominations".Variety.2 February 2010.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^Levine, Stuart (14 December 2009)."BFCA announces its nominees".Variety.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^Keslassy, Elsa (25 February 2011)."'Of Gods and Men' tops Cesar Awards ".Variety.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^"Brees nominated for several ESPYS".ESPN.14 July 2010.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^"67th Annual Golden Globes winners list".Variety.17 January 2010.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^"2010 Movieguide Awards Winners".Movieguide Awards.1 February 2010.Retrieved29 June2017.
- ^Engelbrektson, Lisa (26 February 2010)."'Precious' tops NAACP Awards ".Variety.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^Engelbrektson, Lisa (6 January 2010)."'Precious' tops NAACP nominations ".Variety.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^Thielman, Sam (3 December 2009)."NBR's best: 'Up in the Air'".Variety.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^McNary, Dave (5 January 2010)."PGA unveils nominations".Variety.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^Barraclough, Leo (17 December 2009)."SAG nominations list".Variety.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^Knegt, Peter (6 December 2009).""Up In The Air" Leads D.C. Critics Nods ".Indiewire.Retrieved13 February2015.
- ^"8th Annual VES Awards".visual effects society.Retrieved22 December2017.
External links
[edit]- 2009 films
- 2009 action films
- 2009 biographical drama films
- 2000s sports films
- English-language South African films
- Films directed by Clint Eastwood
- Films produced by Clint Eastwood
- Films produced by Robert Lorenz
- Films produced by Mace Neufeld
- Films set in 1990
- Films set in 1994
- Films set in 1995
- Films set in South Africa
- Films shot in South Africa
- Malpaso Productions films
- Films about Nelson Mandela
- Cultural depictions of Nelson Mandela
- Cultural depictions of South African people
- Cultural depictions of rugby footballers
- Rugby union films
- History of rugby union matches between New Zealand and South Africa
- Sports films based on actual events
- Spyglass Entertainment films
- Warner Bros. films
- American biographical drama films
- South African biographical drama films
- Zulu-language films
- Afrikaans-language films
- Xhosa-language films
- Rugby union and apartheid
- New Zealand at the 1995 Rugby World Cup
- South Africa at the 1995 Rugby World Cup
- 1995 Rugby World Cup
- 2009 drama films
- 2000s American films
- English-language biographical drama films