Nelson Mandela became president in 1994 taking over from President de Klerk. He was released from prison in 1990 (imprisoned since 1964 on Robben Island). Francois Pienaar captained the Springboks to victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup held in Johannesburg. SA defeated New Zealand.
Values
Adopting the moral high ground, Mandela believes that ‘forgiveness liberates the soul’. Mandela tells his Afrikaner employees: “The past is the past. We look to the future now. We need your help.” SA will be “a shining light to the world”. “To build our nation, we must all exceed our own expectations.”
Springboks
In the past, the non-white South Africans have cheered for any team, but the Springboks.
Mandela knows that the Afrikaners, “our partners in democracy”, treasure their national rugby team. He knows that “if we take that away, we lose them.” “We prove that “we are what they feared we would be”. We have to be “better than that”. He recognises this is an important time of nation-building that demands that we use “every single brick available even if that brick is wrapped in green and gold”.
Brenda warns Mandela, “You are risking your political capital.”
He tells the meeting, “You elected me as your leader. Let me lead you now”.
Mandela risks losing the support of members of the African National Congress who support changes to the Springbok colours and a change of name to Proteas. Eastwood depicts the President as a man who is conscious of the need to “surprise” the Afrikaans by embracing, rather than demonising, the national rugby team.
Resistance
The newspaper editors question whether Mandela can “run a country”. (The Afrikaners typically believe, “they are going to take our jobs”.)
Zindzi does not like being cooperative with the policemen who “sent us out of the home”. Mandela accuses her of only thinking of “your personal feelings”. “It does not serve the nation”.
This is mirrored by Pienaar, who urges his team to learn the new national anthem and arranges a “change of pace” for his team by taking them on a tour of Robben Island.
The poem: Henley
Mandela explains to Pienaar that poems (the power of the imagination) helps to “inspire ourselves to greatness”. Mandela explains that on Robben Island he found inspiration in Henley’s poem, which helped him to “stand” when all he wanted to do was to “lie down”.
Stories
Beginning and ending the film with references to Mandela’s resolve to become “the captain of my soul” and the “master of my fate”, Eastwood highlights the inspirational power of literature that inspires Mandela to reinvent his nation and his people in a dignified way. He avoids resorting to the “tools of violence”.
During his visit to Robben Island which he has instigated with the team, Pienaar tries to understand the deprivation of liberty and the soul-destroying conditions. He closes the door and in this arm’s width cell, he looks out over the stones in the courtyard. During flash-back video footage, Pienaar imagines the President with other prisoners cutting the stone during the night that is as “black as the pit from pole to pole”. He is acutely aware of the strength of Mandela’s “unconquerable soul”.
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