Movies, some might argue, are watched to enrich the self. They should raise questions some people are not always comfortable in answering. One such movie is The Believer, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at last year's Sundance Film Festival.
Written and directed by Henry Bean, who has penned thrillers such as Internal Affairs and Enemy of the State, the movie tells the story of Danny Balint (Ryan Gosling), a former Yeshiva student who has turned into an anti-Semite. As Danny rises in neo-fascist circles, attempting to subvert everything he was brought up to believe, he finds himself drawn against his will back towards Judaism.
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 Opens: 16 August 2002
Director: Henry Bean
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix, Glenn Fitzgerald, Billy Zane
Classification: 18VP
Running time: 98min
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. Inspired by a real event, the film tells the story of Danny Balint, a former yeshiva student turned anti-Semite. |
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A Jewish neo-Nazi is probably one of the more unusual characters one will come across in modern cinema. However, this makes for a disturbing look into how the individual's struggle with religion and acceptance or rejection thereof can be used to define the self.
Throughout the movie, Danny develops anti-Semitic theories based on the most basic needs of the individual. He argues that sexual desire and the narrative are tools used by Jews to gain dominance in society.
Like Gramsci, Danny espouses the need for the organic intellectual. He wants a society that is created from its involvement with the earth. Danny hates the idea of the intellectual sitting in his/her ivory tower using knowledge to manipulate society to make himself/herself rich and successful. However, the more he fights his upbringing, the closer he grows to it.
Ryan Gosling gives a well-rounded portrayal of a person whose entire life is a dichotomy between two extremes. How he deals with those extremes and how it shapes his interaction with those around him are important elements in the success of the movie.
Summer Phoenix and Chuck Ardezzone star in the roles of Danny's friends, Carla and Drake. These characters could be interpreted as the realisation of the extreme parts of Danny's character. Carla, on the one end of the scale, fulfils the role of the anti-Semite reconciling with Judaism, while Drake is a neo-Nazi who espouses the destruction of Jews. Both portrayals are well done even if Drake seems a bit one-dimensional and underused at times.
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Summer Phoenix stars as Carla. |
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This leads me to one of my biggest criticisms of the film. Billy Zane, who stars as Curtis Zampf, a leader of a neo-fascist organisation that Danny joins, and Theresa Russell, the mother of Carla, do not give performances worthy of their status. Both these characters come across as wooden and lack the believability required for their roles.
The Believer is an excellent movie that addresses complex (and at times controversial) issues that might offend sensitive viewers. It forces the viewer to take stock of the struggle Danny is faced with and how he must adapt to his challenges. This is a must-see for anyone who enjoys being challenged by a movie.
