My son made me watch Invictus...

[DKW 86 7,431]

This is a movie about Nelson Mandela and the 1995 Rugby World Cup. 

If you have the time, watch it. It was done in 2011 and stars Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon. I reccommend it highly. it shows how Mandela alienated himself from his family doing the right thing for his nation. He urged forgiveness and grace. He LIVED his story. His quotes are scattered thru out the movie, He really was like Dr MLKII. Excellent sports movie, eith a side of politics and maybe some very righteous racial statements too. He is not woke, nor radicalized. He is a gift to humanity. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwIok5qY5C8

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/invictus

 

Edited July 28, 2021 by DKW 86

[johnnyAU 3,634]

May give that a look soon. I've enjoyed just about everything Morgan Freeman or Matt Damon have done, and both seem to be reasonable and likeable dudes offscreen to boot. 

[SLAG-91 1,483]

I went to see it with my mom when it came out, and enjoyed it.  Might be interesting to re-watch with 2021 eyes.

[creed 1,641]

I've seen the movie. Isn't it amazing how simply just bringing various diverse groups together will help unite a country. Yet our country has (real, inferred, and perceived) the counter dynamic. Mandela was not stuck in party politics, at least that's what I got from the movie, and was able and willing to correct his constituency in a strong, calculated and thoughtful manner. Imagine a president that can lead from that perspective, by doing what's right for their country, instead of what their party expects. The only thing the past president couldn't bring together was a riot at the capital. The jury is still out on the current president.

[DKW 86 7,431]

13 minutes ago, creed said:

I've seen the movie. Isn't it amazing how simply just bringing various diverse groups together will help unite a country. Yet our country has (real, inferred, and perceived) the counter dynamic. Mandela was not stuck in party politics, at least that's what I got from the movie, and was able and willing to correct his constituency in a strong, calculated and thoughtful manner. Imagine a president that can lead from that perspective, by doing what's right for their country, instead of what their party expects. The only thing the past president couldn't bring together was a riot at the capital. The jury is still out on the current president.

Thanks. That was my point. Mandela was transformational. He did the right thing. If any of the Party Apparatchiks here think that their party, or any member of their party, could even THINK of acting as Mandela did, they are ****** in the head. America is so hyper partisan now, even on this forum, that no one even cares what the right thing to do is or should be. What we have are Red MAGA and Blue MAGA. They blindly support the party or trump or whatever but they do not support America, the Constitution, nor any really meaningful concept of "Democracy." 

America has fallen to the point, like Maher said recently...America is a Silly People. We have a government that cant do anything. We have leaders that kick the can down the road, sunset it, and grandfather it, and put it off ten years, when a half assed meaningless solution will kick in. 

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by DKW 86

[1716AU 730]

Fantastic film and a great story.

[AuburnNTexas 7,158]

I have watched it multiple times. Nelson Mandela was one of the greatest men of our time. Any normal human who was imprisoned and abused by the White Apartheid government would have wanted revenge and could easily have torn South Africa apart.  He realized that for South Africa to heal and to work as a country that he had to bring all South African's together White (English and Dutch (Boer)), Black (multiple Tribes) Indians(from India), Asians, etc.   He got them over the initial hump unlike in other African countries as an example Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) where they took the land away from all the white farmers and gave to black city dwellers who knew nothing of farming. Zimbabwe went from an exported of agricultural products to an importer that can no longer produce enough to feed its own people. 

A great movie and a great man even though lately his legacy is being tainted by new leadership where we starting to see Tribalism taking place, and the beginning of a white exodus as they are starting to take away the land from white farmers and ranchers, discrimination against Indians and Asians as they are more affluent then many of the blacks in the country.

I have played Rugby with and against many teams that had South African players both black and white over the years percentagewise many more white South African players, they all love their country and say what a beautiful country it is but all worry about it and whether it will go the route of many African countries because of tribalism, hatred, corruption, etc. Some of the White South African Players I have known over the years were very bigoted and you can understand why the blacks are bitter, but the majority of the White players recognize that Apartheid was bad and realized they had to change. The Black South African players I knew surprised me the most, they all wanted change and they were very pleased with the change that Mandela envisioned and tried to implement and some said that when Mandela died they feared for their country as they didn't see another leader with his vision, compassion and love of his country and all of its people even those who had hurt him and his people.

I am praying that South Africa can find a way to follow Mandela's dream of many different people but one country for all with brotherhood between all of the people.

 

 

[Grumps 3,704]

I consider Mandela to be the greatest human being of my lifetime.