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 Believer, The (2001) Starring:
Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix, Billy Zane, Theresa Russell, Glenn
Fitzgerald, and A.D. Miles
Director: Henry Bean
Rating:
NR
Distributor:
Fireworks Pictures
Review
Posted: 12.30.01
Spoilers:
Minor
Rating: 3.5/4
By
Hannah.
The
Believer, written and directed by Henry Bean, is an extremely
moving film about a young Jewish boy who turns into a Nazi. It is based on a true story in the 1960's. The first
scene is very intense and disturbing; subsequently an emotionally accurate
representation of the entire film.
The
Believer has drawn comparisons to the Australian independent
Romper
Stomper (starring Russell Crowe) and the American film American
History X (starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong). This
film is to
an extent, in terms of redemption, what Stomper was. Stomper
has very small
amount of redemption or remorse on the part of the main
character. On the contrary, History X is about the main
character and his redemption, which ultimately is
the point of the film.
The
Believer, however, is one of those films you have
to really think about. Is the character redeemed or not; you'd
have to decide for yourself. That's the beauty of this film,
because it is able to
make people think and really take a deep look inside its main
character.
Ryan
Gosling's performance as Danny Balint, the Jewish Nazi, is just
unbelievable. There
was so much emotion on his face; you could almost read his
thoughts. One scene
involves Danny and a couple of skinhead friends talking to Holocaust
survivors at a
sensitivity clinic. One of the survivors tells the story of a man who
watched a Nazi kill his four year-old
son. The scene cuts to a close-up on Gosling and, inside the
theatre, there
was not one dry eye.
The
pain, anguish and conflict Danny tried, in vain, to
conceal was so abundant on his face at certain points; it felt
like as if Gosling had actually gone through this. Danny is not just some stupid angry
kid; he's
intelligent and articulate. He
knows what he wants to say and " screw you" if you
don't
want to listen to him.
Summer
Phoenix, Billy Zane and Theresa Russell play a really chilling
family. The family's aim is to make fascism mainstream. They met
Danny, and a relationship emerges.
Overall,
this film was definitely one of the best of the year. It is
painful, intense, disturbing,
important, moving and most of all, tragic. The
Believer really makes you think about your own ideology and
beliefs.
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