Movie: Invictus

Still watch movies from time to time, but too hard to keep up any movie reviews, as I'm already completely given a handful by writing my entries on Baroque music and National Parks.  I think I will try to be as brief as possible in my future movie reviews.



Invictus is a movie directed by Clint Eastwood, portraying Nelson Mandela's attempt to unite the races in South Africa following him being elected as the president.  South Africa hosting the 1995 Rugby World Cup presents the perfect opportunity and stage for Mandela to do this.  Morgan Freeman stars as Nelson Mandela and Matt Damon stars as François Pienaar, the captain of South Africa's rugby team.

Based on a true story, the fairy tale ending makes the movie's outcome predictable.  However, this movie is much more than a sports movie.  The parts of the movie that were most powerful to me those dealing with how Mandela chooses forgiveness and compassion instead of revenge.  Matt Damon's character François Pienaar sums it up the best "I was thinking about how you spend 30 years in a tiny cell and come out ready to forgive the people who put you there....."  It truly takes a man of great character to be able to do this.   Another great film by Clint Eastwood, who has not really directed a disappointing film.


「打不倒的勇者」是Clint Eastwood導演的片，敘述1995年前後，Nelson Mandela執政下的南非，如何贏得1995的世界橄欖球杯冠軍的故事。當然，這是不折不扣的一部運動片，不過它背後有更深的一個層面。1994年，南非才結束他們的apartheid種族隔離的政策，而Mandela當選總統之後，極力採取統一南非黑人白人的不同種族。藉著橄欖球這個運動，南非全國上下的人民，暫時擺下了多年來的種族仇恨，為同一支隊伍加油。這是非常神奇的現象，也是令人感動一刻。

不過，更偉大的，是Mandela的人格。他被關了那麼多年，被釋放之後，居然有那麼寬容的心，準備原諒那些迫害他的白人。電影中，Mandela說：「寬恕使靈魂得到解放，會移除恐懼。這是為什麼它是那麼有效的武器。」 世界多少人真正有辦法做得到？他的行為和態度打動了國家橄欖球隊的隊長François Pienaar。在他帶領下的橄欖球隊，慢慢得到南非黑人的支持，也經由這種方式促成種族慢慢的融合。

Morgan Freeman和Matt Damon飾演他們的角色，南非英文口音我倒不敢說，但其餘都演得非常傳神。Clint Eastwood導的電影，也從來沒有令人失望過，就連這部也不例外。

註：Invictus是詩人William Ernest Henley寫的短詩，是他腿因病被截肢後，躺在病床上時所寫的。雖然他命運不佳，但他卻不怨天尤人，也不放棄，仍堅持自己主宰自己的命運。這首詩，提供了Mandela在監獄時的精神力量。電影中，Mandela多次朗誦此詩，也是相當感人的片段。