Invictus

A drama about Nelson Mandela’s real-life intervention in South African rugby sounds like a parody of Oscar bait, but leave it to Eastwood to turn it into a genuinely inspirational film about the importance of symbols—at least until it turns into a standard sports film in its second half. What gives the movie added interest—apart from its contemporary parallels—is that it posits Mandela as a variation on the Eastwood character: a lone voice of reason in a world committed to tearing itself apart. DVD extras are scant; one of them collects additional footage of Damon running with the ball.

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