Review: Invictus

Feb 5 2010 by Barbara Hodgson, The Journal

Running time: 2hrs 13mins
Certificate: 12A
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, Adjoa Andoh, Tony Kgoroge
Director: Clint Eastwood
Star rating: 5

ON February 11, 1990, when Nelson Mandela walked free from Robben Island after more than a quarter of a century of incarceration in his small cell, he discovered a country divided by apartheid.

His release lit the touch paper on civil unrest as he worked together with President de Klerk to end apartheid and begin the difficult healing process.

Clint Eastwood’s majestic film chronicles this volatile period in South Africa’s history, and the true story of President Mandela’s quest to reunite his fractured country through the game of rugby.

Adapted by screenwriter Anthony Peckham from the book Playing The Enemy by John Carlin, this is another superb humanist drama from one of the greatest living directors.