Ken Byerley // December 11, 2009 at 12:49 am | Reply

It might have taken a long time but unlike the USA, Australia and South America, South Africa’s democracy is not based on the genocide of the insdiginous population.

Not in the film, not in the notes, no where does it say that Matt Damon’s character Pienaaar saved South Africa.

We know why Matt Damon is in the film – to sell tickets. And to sell tickets only.

I can see how you might arrive at the thought the Pienaar (Damon) saved South Africa since it is his face we see in the poster.

But you can’t possibly say or think this after watching the film.

For the record, the scenes of the climatic overtime victory by the Bokkes, were rather flat. Eastwood chose to cross cut between the play action of the field, the spectators in the crowd, the black bar in the township, the elegant rugby party in some home, and the two cops and the kid listening to the game on the radio outside of the stadium.

I thought it decidedly lacked drama. Maybe here in the USA, we are so used to being told what we are watching by a play-by-play announcer, an analyst, and a colorman that the lack of same in the film denied us the excitement.

If this film reaches Oscar territory (nomination or award) it will be for the wrong reasons – This WAS and IS a good story, but this just isn’t a great film by any means.

Satisfying – Of course – but no more than that.

I have my own write up the film:
http://jmmnewaov2.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/invictus-clint-eastwoods-new-film/

That’s in the book, too and comes from interviews with Linga Moonsamy the head bodyguard for the final. Of course the author (John Carlin) could be twisting his words and, yes, it may be selective, but I’m not sure if it’s up to a film reviewer to say whether that’s truth or not.

If South Africa’s democracy isn’t based on the genocide of the indigenous population, whose genocide is it based on? For genocide there was.

Wait, maybe I need to look genocide up in the dictionary. Let’s say many, many, many folks were killed on the road to this democracy. The famous ones (Hector Peterson, Biko, Mahlangu, Bram Fischer, Bheki Mlangeni, and others) and the not so famous ones, and the unknown.

Apartheid didn’t just kill people directly, it killed them indirectly as well in many ways like denial of medical care and of other life-saving rights.

South Africa’s democracy is based on the genocide of the indigenous population, killed from the days of Chaka and Moshoeshoe until just a few years ago.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-south-africa8-2009nov08,0,2541143.story