Never before have we seen South Africa’s icon, Mr. Nelson Mandela being portrayed in such a true and almost surreal sense. Many have waited for a film to be done about our beloved Madiba’s life, but no one expected it to be approached in such a manner. Many well-known South African politicians such as Steve Biko have had the opportunity to have their stories shared with the world, but never before have the stories of two South African heroes been portrayed in the same film.
In the film Madiba’s recognisable story is told from a completely different angle, focusing on the accomplishments of the South African rugby team during the 1995 world cup. The plotline focuses on how Madiba (Morgan Freeman) joined forces with the then South African rugby captain Francois Peinaar (Matt Damon) in order to bridge the gap of racial division and uniting a separated nation. He realised that the black population of the country were not keen on supporting the national rugby team due to the old grudges they still held from apartheid, resulting in the decision to inspire the South African rugby team to win the world cup. In order to accomplish this Mandela and Pienaar had to overcome a number of obstacles, such as the prevention of changing the national team’s name, using the stadia in the townships for training and Madiba’s effort in getting to understand the sport better as well as getting to know the players on a personal level.
The film also focuses on the journey that Nelson Mandela underwent in order to reach his position as the first black president of South Africa. This film can be classified as a post-apartheid drama as the South African audience relives the struggles they had to face as their country underwent a change of power and the move into democracy. Mandela had it in his power to change the viewpoint of the population by giving them something to believe in and thus instil the hope for a brighter future.
The film portrays Mandela as a very humane person, and they emphasise this by the deeds and actions he performs in the film. An example of this would be the fact that he allowed the employees of previous apartheid parties to remain in office despite their many wrong-doings.
One of the actors that seem to have secured a position in the film is Leleti Khumalo who disappeared from the television screen after her role in the South African television drama Generations. She has no progressed to the big screen, however, and she will be sure to leave her mark on the international scene. The director of the film is none other than Clint Eastwood himself, who adds his credibility as an acclaimed director to the film. For viewing I give it a 6/10 and a popcorn factor of 10/10 simply for the fact that the film was able to capture the true essence of the South African spirit though Nelson Mandela’s story.
By Cynthia Mpe |