Mandela's life deserves better...
Should Eastwood be making something more adventurous than The Human Factor to celebrate the life of the world's greatest humanitarian?
Still on the subject of sport movies- what on Earth is Clint Eastwood thinking making The Human Factor? I fully agree that Nelson Mandelas life warrants at least one big-time film devoted to it, and that Eastwood is probably the man to give it the correct poise and class, but why specifically choose the storyof the attempt to host the rugby world cup in a bid to unite the fractured country? The film-watching community is just primed to receive the account of his early turbulent life, incarceration and subsequent villification on release- having just had the modern precedent set by the Che films. I personally want to see the conflict behind Mandela- the contradictions between the myth of the man and his gritty reality: as truly his personal story is an excellent allegory for the plight of his people. 
I wonder whether this decision is in direct response to Spike Lees accusations of racism surrounding Flags of Our Fathers? As much as what he said was tosh, and deliberately inflammatory (what more can you expect from Lee?), you cant help but feel that there would have been a certain small percentage of the community who germinated that particular seed of doubt. So what better way to disprove those venomous words than to deliberately choose a sweetened tale of Mandela, with limited scope to show the real grit of his own personal story? I know the background of the World Cup bid, and that Mandela came out of it shining as a hero even brighter than on his release from prison. I'm not saying the story is not worth telling- far from it in fact. But, it should be as a footnote in an opus dedicated to the great mans life- the prologue that reinforces his status as one of the worlds greatest humanitarians. A film should have conflict, and unless Eastwood delves significantly into Mandelas past, there wont be any- aside from that created by the fantastically odd decision to cast Matt Damon as professional tosser Francois Pienaar. Besides, rugby films hardly have a good track record- albeit besides Richard Harriss excellent This Sporting Life, and perhaps at a push Alive- with the worst effort coming in the form of the Samantha Janus and Neil Morrissey (the voice of Bob the Builder for those who dont know) led British comedy Up N Under. This film not only breaks the golden rule of having N in the title, it is also, catastrophically for its consideration as a comedy, not funny. 
Imagine the possibility, if youll indulge my fantasy, of a talented young black actor- particularly Chiwetel Ejiofor (who I think would be perfect) or even rising star Noel Clark- playing Mandela prior to his imprisonment, in the dark period of his life that history seems content on brushing under the carpet. I think a film dedicated to his activism, and the sacrifices he made in pursuit of the cause deserves to be made- a real origin movie that we can all truly care about. 
I only hope Spike Lee doesnt decide its time for his take on Mandelas life...