INVICTUS (2009)
Introduction
Nelson Mandela unites with the Springboks captain Francois Pienaar in an attempt to unite the South African country a country that due to apartheid is divided across racial and economical aspects. The two presume the roles of the heroes in the movie Invictus in an endeavor that they end up uniting the country through the love of sport. The entire movie has employed Campbell’s concepts and ideas of how a hero comes to being, how he is nurtured, designed and prepared to be termed as a hero in society. As it will be noted in this discussion, the journey that the President, Mandela undergoes before achieving the success of uniting the blacks and the white has been faced by hurdles through every stage. This therefore relates to the hero’s journey as depicted by Campbell.
Discussion
The hero journey according to Campbell starts with what could be termed as a call. The writer is of the view that when there is a call by destiny, it happens unconsciously. It may be getting lost in a forest but the hero does not at the moment understand what is going on. This incident is familiar in the movie as well. While Mandela is in Victor Verster Prison where he spent 27 years in Jail, he had absolutely no idea that this was a significant happening in his life. This was actually a critical stage for his heroic life. It is while he is in this prison that he reads and loves a poem known as ‘Invictus’ which can then be translated to mean undefeated. Actually, this poem ended up guiding him on how he would use the rugby to reunite the citizens. Towards the end of the movie, President Nelson Mandela takes the Springboks team captain and the other members of the team to the prison where he spent 27 years. He reads to them the poem that motivates them so much. The poem seems to motivate the players as they win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Campbell states that, a challenge to threshold can be an encounter with the dark counterpart, situation in which the hero comes face to face with a very dark shadow or environment. This is what happened to Mandela, he was in prison for 27 years. The hero for this case felt like he had been chopped into pieces. Campbell expounds on this concept using the example of Jonah being swallowed by a whale in what saw him become a hero in the end.
According to Campbell, a hero is wrenched with knowledge from the deepest abysses of your unknown self that results to the demons being loosed thus weakening their vengeance. The hurdles seem to be the main journey. It is a challenge of integrating the animals. In the film, Nelson Mandela is released on 11th February of 1990. Four years from that time, he is democratically elected as the first ever Black President of South Africa. He however does not have an easy ride for he is facing all challenges erupting from the post-Apartheid era. The racial divisions would probably lead to enormous violence. To add to his woes, the blacks are opposed to supporting their own rugby team which they perceive as their oppressor. They categorically cheer any team that plays against their own Springboks. Further still, his security personnel have racial issues. White and black officers seem to disrespect and lack to appreciate what their fellow’s expertise. Mandela is faced with all this dark forces. He however seeks to talk with the Springboks rugby team captain, Francois Pienaar and urges him that they have to win the world cup in order to reunite the country. All this seemed unlikely but with time, his plans start to deliver results as the black citizens’ end up supporting the team. The security officers respect and like each other, and the citizens are reunited upon the win of the rugby world cup.
Campbell through expounding his concepts of a hero takes us through the story of a frog and a princess. The frog having was a prince who was cursed by an old hag and then ends up rescuing a golden ball that the princess lets fall into muddy water. The princess had not known this until he kissed the frog upon which he turns to a very handsome prince. Towards the conclusion of a heroic story, the aspect of ‘happily ever after’ tends to pop up towards the end. The same case happens in the movie, Invictus. When the Springboks were playing The All Blacks in the final, a massive home support of both races showed up to support the team. Pienaar and the team mates are motivated. The Springboks won the match with a score of 15-12 on added time through a drop-kick from Joel Stransky, a fly-half. Mandela and Pienaar celebrate upon meeting on the field together amazed by this unexpected and improbable victory. As the movie ends, Mandela is driving away in the traffic jammed streets watching South Africans celebrating together and he happily utters the word, ‘Invictus’.
Conclusion
The film Invictus lives up the heroic journey as given by Campbell. It starts from the hurdles, challenges, tests in the beginning up to the heroic actions and joy towards the end of the film. From the two, a hero’s journey is a universal pattern through which radiance shows brightly.
Works Cited
Campbell, Joseph, and David Kudler. Pathways to bliss: mythology and personal transformation. Novato, Calif.: New World Library, 2004. Print.
Invictus. Dir. Clint Eastwood. Perf. Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, 2009. Film.
