Invictus
Invictus isn't a rugby movie. For the most part it speaks to the role of sports in human and political relations. Starring Matt Damon as the Afrikaner captain of the South African Rugby team, Francois Pienaar, and Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, Invictus is an excellent example of an emotional humanitarian sports flick.
While I won't believe that (spoiler alert) winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup brought an end to all the racial tensions in South Africa following the end of apartheid, it is feasible that preserving the Springboks (that's the name of the South African Rugby team) rather than eliminating the South African rugby tradition probably did a lot to help Nelson Mandela's relations with the Afrikaner minority at a time when many changes to the South African identity were taking place.
Now I don't know more about South African politics than anyone else, but I am more knowledgeable about ruby than most Americans. On that account, I can say that I greatly enjoyed the Rugby depictions in this movie, which really didn't occur until towards the end of it. I particularly enjoyed the depiction of the unstoppable and insurmountable All Blacks. The All Blacks are the national Rugby team of New Zealand well known for their star player Jonah Lumu's impeccable domination of the game of rugby (think David Beckham in his prime playing for Manchester United) as well as for their performance of the Haka before every game. The Haka is a traditional Maiori war dance performed by the natives of New Zealand before battle. The intent is to make scary faces with wide eyes, stick out their tongues, chant loudly, and generally, scare the poop out of your opponents. It's an event intimidating even in pictures. If you are not familiar with this famous aspect of arguably the best team in Rugby, then this part of the movie can be very confusing for you.
Aside from being unfamiliar with most rugby teams, I noticed others in the theater did not understand the rules of rugby, so here's a quick review of rugby to understand the action sports sequences.
A rugby team consists of fifteen players. Conveniently, your number is also your position. The team is divided into forwards and backs. Forwards make up approximately the first eight players or so, the backs consist of the higher numbers. Forwards are big, backs are generally the ones who run the ball. So, to compare with American football, forwards are like line men, and backs are like, well, running backs. Also, your defense is your offense and your offense is your defense. The same players stay on the field no matter who has possession of the ball.
Most people are familiar with a scrum, that big mess of people smashing up against the other team in order to gain possession of the ball. Mainly consisting of forwards, a scrum establishes possession of the ball at the beginning of the game as well as when there are certain penalties.
Another important point is that rugby games don't stop unless there is a penalty or the ball goes out of bounds. When a player is down with the ball, his team merely rucks over, steps over the downed player forming a 'mini scrum' to get the ball out, and back into the hands of the backs who run the ball forward and pass either to the side or behind them in order to advance up the field by running. The only other way to advance the ball up the field is to kick it. This is something you usually only see with professional teams. Kicks are very short because if you're trying to advance the ball for your team, you have to run up to the ball after it has been kicked. When advancing up the field, the team in possession of the ball is usually behind it, so when it is kicked you must run up to meet it or else you lose possession and the other team picks it up.
When you score in Rugby, it's called a 'try'. Also, when you score you have to touch the ball down to the ground with control (why it's not called a 'touch down' I don't know), which is why you'll see people sliding into the end zone during the movie. If you get into the end zone and don't touch the ball down, you don't get points. If you're tackled in the end zone and lose possession of the ball, your team and fans will be very upset with you. Also, when you go for the extra point kick after having scored, the kicker can only kick from the point where the ball was touched down. So, if you touch the ball down at toward the edge of the field, that's the same latitude from which you have to do the extra kick.
Like American football, if you aren't able to make a 'try' by getting into the end zone, you can make a field goal for three points. Unlike American football, you do not need to set up the kick. Any player can, essentially, squib kick the ball to score a field goal for three points. At least, that has always been my understanding. When I played rugby, all we ever did was run the ball.
And lastly, whenever the ball goes out of bounds, there is a "line out," which is when you see two players hoisting up a third in the air while the ball is thrown in between the two teams. Those being hoisted into the air attempt to bat the ball toward their team to gain possession of the ball.
Hopefully this information will make the last twenty minutes of Invictus a little more understandable. If not, oh well, no one understands Rugby Union rules anyway.
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Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley
While I won't believe that (spoiler alert) winning the 1995 Rugby World Cup brought an end to all the racial tensions in South Africa following the end of apartheid, it is feasible that preserving the Springboks (that's the name of the South African Rugby team) rather than eliminating the South African rugby tradition probably did a lot to help Nelson Mandela's relations with the Afrikaner minority at a time when many changes to the South African identity were taking place.
Now I don't know more about South African politics than anyone else, but I am more knowledgeable about ruby than most Americans. On that account, I can say that I greatly enjoyed the Rugby depictions in this movie, which really didn't occur until towards the end of it. I particularly enjoyed the depiction of the unstoppable and insurmountable All Blacks. The All Blacks are the national Rugby team of New Zealand well known for their star player Jonah Lumu's impeccable domination of the game of rugby (think David Beckham in his prime playing for Manchester United) as well as for their performance of the Haka before every game. The Haka is a traditional Maiori war dance performed by the natives of New Zealand before battle. The intent is to make scary faces with wide eyes, stick out their tongues, chant loudly, and generally, scare the poop out of your opponents. It's an event intimidating even in pictures. If you are not familiar with this famous aspect of arguably the best team in Rugby, then this part of the movie can be very confusing for you.
Aside from being unfamiliar with most rugby teams, I noticed others in the theater did not understand the rules of rugby, so here's a quick review of rugby to understand the action sports sequences.
A rugby team consists of fifteen players. Conveniently, your number is also your position. The team is divided into forwards and backs. Forwards make up approximately the first eight players or so, the backs consist of the higher numbers. Forwards are big, backs are generally the ones who run the ball. So, to compare with American football, forwards are like line men, and backs are like, well, running backs. Also, your defense is your offense and your offense is your defense. The same players stay on the field no matter who has possession of the ball.
Most people are familiar with a scrum, that big mess of people smashing up against the other team in order to gain possession of the ball. Mainly consisting of forwards, a scrum establishes possession of the ball at the beginning of the game as well as when there are certain penalties.
Another important point is that rugby games don't stop unless there is a penalty or the ball goes out of bounds. When a player is down with the ball, his team merely rucks over, steps over the downed player forming a 'mini scrum' to get the ball out, and back into the hands of the backs who run the ball forward and pass either to the side or behind them in order to advance up the field by running. The only other way to advance the ball up the field is to kick it. This is something you usually only see with professional teams. Kicks are very short because if you're trying to advance the ball for your team, you have to run up to the ball after it has been kicked. When advancing up the field, the team in possession of the ball is usually behind it, so when it is kicked you must run up to meet it or else you lose possession and the other team picks it up.
When you score in Rugby, it's called a 'try'. Also, when you score you have to touch the ball down to the ground with control (why it's not called a 'touch down' I don't know), which is why you'll see people sliding into the end zone during the movie. If you get into the end zone and don't touch the ball down, you don't get points. If you're tackled in the end zone and lose possession of the ball, your team and fans will be very upset with you. Also, when you go for the extra point kick after having scored, the kicker can only kick from the point where the ball was touched down. So, if you touch the ball down at toward the edge of the field, that's the same latitude from which you have to do the extra kick.
Like American football, if you aren't able to make a 'try' by getting into the end zone, you can make a field goal for three points. Unlike American football, you do not need to set up the kick. Any player can, essentially, squib kick the ball to score a field goal for three points. At least, that has always been my understanding. When I played rugby, all we ever did was run the ball.
And lastly, whenever the ball goes out of bounds, there is a "line out," which is when you see two players hoisting up a third in the air while the ball is thrown in between the two teams. Those being hoisted into the air attempt to bat the ball toward their team to gain possession of the ball.
Hopefully this information will make the last twenty minutes of Invictus a little more understandable. If not, oh well, no one understands Rugby Union rules anyway.
----------------------------------
Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley