Saturday, March 6, 2010

 The 2009 movie that best represents the positive character strengths, personal resilience, and inspiration for an entire society is Invictus, Clint Eastwood's simple and profound depiction of Nelson Mandela's early days as the first black leader of South Africa. Some of the critics have complained that it is too simple, or that it doesn't explain rugby well enough, or whatever! And so, failing to make the timeless connection of simplicity with profoundity, they direct their favors to Avatar, a shallow remake of the Pocahontas or related theme, a movie with some relatively straightforward special effects and presumably a big promotion budget, or Inglourious Basterds, a typical mindless Tarantino bloodfest with a totally improbable theme about that entirely burned-out topic WWII.

Most of the movies nominated for best picture are there for "entertainment" reasons not for reasons of national inspiration or insight, forgiveness, reconcilation or great heroism. Invictus is not on the list, leaving academy members to miss one of the most inspiring stories of the past 50 years, a story that must be said in a simple direct way, lest people fail to see the great truths that underlie it, and the inspiration for a nation, a world, that it conveys.No other movie that has been nominated matches Invictus in the scope of inspiration and effect that it portrays, capturing the sheer power of human character to make the world a better place, not one person at a time, but one nation at a time. It conveys the contagion of positive character and heroism, where one person's strength of character can spread to others.

Simple truths have been the guide for greatness in all areas of human endeavor for centuries. Invictus captures this idea better than any movie of the year. Einstein was alleged to have said "keep it simple, but not too simple." Eastwood has over the years in many ways become the Einstein of film-making, turning profound topics such as war and violence, love, loss, aging, adventure, family, relationships into simple yet profound allegories that open up the human condition to uncomplicated inspection. His work has the ring of psychological truth, aiding us to see inside ourselves.

The academy has gotten it wrong in the past, of course. One recent example being the quickly forgotten Oscar-winning bloodfest No Country for Old Men. But to ignore the most broadly inspiring movie of 2009 raises questions as to whether movies focussed on global-scale positive social values beyond mere entertainment can survive the evaluations of Hollywood.