The Invictus director talks to TNT about Nelson Mandela uniting South Africa at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
Clint Eastwood has many memories from the time he spent in South Africa filming his latest movie, but one in particular stands out.
“I was going through a field on my way home from work,” begins the 79-year-old, four-time Oscar-winner, “and I saw a couple of teams of young, black teenagers out practising rugby. The man who was driving me around, he said: ‘You know, you never saw that before 1995’.”
Eastwood liked the moment so much he came back and filmed the teams at play.
“We use the shot on the end credits, and while it’s just a little thing, and maybe a lot of people won’t notice it, some will notice that times have changed.”
Invictus: An inspiring story
Eastwood’s movie, Invictus, takes its name from the title of a 19th-century poem by William Ernest Henley.
It served as Nelson Mandela’s mantra during his 27-year incarceration.
The film focuses on events surrounding the 1995 Rugby World Cup, when the Springboks recorded a victory over the rampaging All Blacks in the final.
Based on the book Playing The Enemy by journalist John Carlin, the film casts Eastwood’s old friend and co-star from Million Dollar Baby and Unforgiven, Morgan Freeman, in the role of Mandela, and the Bourne trilogy’s Matt Damon as Springbok captain Francois Pienaar.
Rugby: More than just a game
“I like rugby,” continues Eastwood.
“I wasn’t the most knowledgeable person, but I knew a bit about it. I had an uncle that played rugby and my dad played [American] football, and they used to argue all the time which game was the roughest of the two, and everybody agreed rugby was.
“But this wasn’t so much about the sport, it was more about what Mandela did to help unite the country.”
In the apartheid era, the vast majority of black South Africans resented the Springboks, regarding them as synonymous with the ruling white classes.
But Mandela, a purveyor of forgiveness, worked tirelessly in his bid to unite his new country behind the national team.
Nelson Mandela’s unification of South Africa
Eastwood explains: “The story is about the use of a game for reconciliation of a country that was on the verge of civil war when Mandela took office. If he had proceeded with a more military attitude, he would probably have had sympathy there, because they had been under apartheid for so long.
“But Mandela being a very special person, saw it a different way; he was looking for other ways to reconcile the country and bring it together.”
The director pauses.
“I think it’s a great example in the world today especially, when we’re living in such a crazy world, for politicians to understand that a little creativity in leadership is a very valuable asset.”
South Africa win the 1995 World Cup
Eastwood’s admiration for Mandela is long-standing, and he recalls meeting the statesman with fondness. Even icons have their heroes.
“I’d already been shooting for two or three weeks, and I didn’t ask him anything about it. There were other people in the room, so I just enjoyed his company.”
It’s since emerged that Mandela has seen the film, but he is, so far, keeping quiet about what he thinks of it.
The tale is made all the more remarkable by the fact the Springboks went on to win the 1995 tournament.
“Rugby really helped reconcile the country,” Eastwood concludes. “That was new to me, and when I read it I was amazed.
“It was just one of those things where the truth – that Mandela knew he could do this, and with a team that no one gave a chance of winning – is much stranger than fiction.”
Words: Will Lawrence
Read our review of Invictus here
