How does the film explore ideas of racial oppression and reconciliation? Discuss by focussing on the use of at least 2 film techniques.
Invictus is an American film directed by Clint Eastwood in 2009, starring Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman. The film centres on Nelson Mandela, the first black president of South Africa during the post-Apartheid period and his ambition of reforming the views of racial discrimination and prejudice. He endeavours to do so with the assistance of Francois Pienaar, captain of the Springboks rugby team by transforming the Springboks into a symbol of unity. From the beginning to the end, the ideas of racial oppression and reconciliation are prominent from Eastwood’s application of film techniques …show more content…
The theme of reconciliation follows through the second half of the film and is developed amidst interactions between the characters and emphasised through the cinematography and film techniques.
Racial oppression is the main idea explored in the film which resulted in the hatred and desire for revenge displayed by the African majority toward the Afrikaners. Through certain scenes and film techniques such as camera angles, the film shows the aftermaths and social economic differences resulting after the dissolution of the fervent Apartheid era. The idea was first highlighted in the opening scene when the camera panned down upon a group of young boys playing sports. The racial segregation and social difference between the two groups are prominent in this scene as the Afrikaners are seen in expensive sporting uniform and the African school boys played in rags. The fencing separating the two groups further emphasises the …show more content…
As the Springboks and the crowd celebrate their victory against New Zealand, non-diegetic sounds play in the background to amplify the feeling of success. The dramatic music is used to invoke emotions from the viewers, intensifying the feeling of happiness as the camera pans across the field to capture the reactions of all the characters. In this instance, the field audience is unified, regardless of their social standing and past events, thoroughly accentuating the compromise between the two. The camera angle in this scene shows everyone by implementing a long eye-level shot. This film technique during the final moments further emphasises the theme of reconciliation in Invictus as it encourages the audience to understand that all the characters have reached a compromise as they shared the same purpose and emotions by including everyone in the scene. The film effectively expresses the idea of reconciliation through the development in interactions between characters and is highlighted with film techniques such as the camera angle to show