Truthfully when I received this film on Netflix I really did not want to see it. But after a few hours of boredom I decided to watch it and all I got to say is “Wow.”

First of all, I’m not a fan of any sport-related movies but what really made me watch this movie was the director: Clint Eastwood and I got to say that I don’t regret watching this film. Why? Well, because Invictus is not your ordinary sports movie.

Invictus is Clint Eastwood’s adaptation from the book Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and The Game that Made a Nation by John Carlin. The film is about Nelson Mandela, South Africa after apartheid and believe it or not rugby. Yup! You heard right Nelson Mandela and Rugby, and unlikely combination but this bizarre combination works like a charm.

The film stars Matt Damon as François Pienaar, the captain of the Springboks the South African rugby union team, and Morgan Freeman in a riveting performance as Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black President of the post apartheid era.

Invictus, which means undefeated or unconquered in Latin, tells the true story of Mandela’s early days in office. The film starts with Nelson Mandela being elected into office after serving 27 years in prison. You’ve expect Mandela to hate the very people who placed him in jail but we quickly learn that Nelson Mandela is a very forgiving person who simply wants his nation to find peace. During his incarceration Mandela reveals that he has studied his Afrikaner, a term used to refer to all white Afrikaans speaking people, enemies and saw how the role of sports played in the nations psyche and as crazy as it sounds he wants to use the power of sports to change a nation. Mandela wants to bridge the gap of hate and mistrust that has existed for so long between the Afrikaans and African citizens.

While Mandela is trying to create a stable government, François Pienaar is trying to lead his rugby team to victory. The Springbok, South Africa’s rugby team, is loved by whites and despised by the black population to whom it has become a constant reminder of apartheid oppression. Mandela sees this and decides to take a huge political risk and refuses to give in to his supporter’s demands to have the team completely dismantled and renamed. He explains that by doing so it would only serve to strike fear and racial paranoia in the Afrikaner population.

Instead of tearing the team apart Mandela chooses to build the team up and to do so he invites François Pienaar to his home where he then precedes probe the captain into understanding that he has a duty now to show the whole world how great the nation of South Africa can be. François, moved by his leader’s words, takes the message to heart as well as the poem “Invictus” and starts training with even more vigor in order to win the World Cup. One phrase of this conversation stuck with me “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” Mandela’s goal is to use rugby to bridge the racial divide in his country, something that he does beautifully.

Morgan Freeman was an obvious and perfect choice to play Mandela after all he’s already played God, so why not be the leader of a country. To me Morgan Freeman completely embraced his character and at times I would think that he was Nelson Mandela no questions asked. Matt Damon bulked up for the film and his accent was credible. Both actors inhabit their real life characters with commendable fervor.

By the end of Invictus we see how South Africa comes together as a nation no longer separated by racial lines.

Invictus is a wonderful film filled with strong performances by Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. You’ll also learn a bit about history and professional rugby, which was a first for me. It left me wondering what happened in South Africa? Who was Nelson Mandela? Invictus made me hit the books after class was said and done.