"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

I can imagine a lot of reviews, blogs, tweets and writings about this poem, about this movie.
I watched it with a colleague earlier this afternoon after learning that Invictus is about Nelson Mandella and South Africa. I also walked into the theatre asking myself how I'd be able to link this movie to the subject that I teach. I learned something today, and I'm glad I sat for the show. I think that the movie acts as a good starting place for those who don't really know about the political situation back in the 1990s in South Africa (i.e. myself). Not to mention it's also a good way to learn a bit about Rugby (I learned that you score 3 points kicking a ball between the posts - so that's what the posts are for!). I also think this movie would be a good one to show students to get them thinking about the racial tensions and why Mandella did certain things (to eas the tension, etc). This movie does cover quite a spectrum of topics that we cover in class, ranging from Politics to Prejudice.

Think I might just make a DVD recommendation to the school. We'll see.