DC Talk: Free At Last

Cover to their 1992 album, from Forefront Records

The Christian community has become something of a force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry. They have their own television stations, their own radio shows, their own section in the music store, their own movies, and their own awards shows celebrating all of the above. The quality of these revenues range from cheesy to surprisingly effective, and at they have miraculously managed to "convert" some celebrity faces, such as Chuck Norris and Deon Sanders, to aid them in their attempt to reach the world with their message of faith.

That said, movies have certainly been the weakest link in the Christian world. Certainly, many films exist that have effectively explored Christian themes, among them The Apostle, Signs, The Last Temptation of Christ, Dogma, and even The Exorcist. Christian filmmakers working within their own community, however, aren't as interested in asking provocative questions about faith so much as they want to share their beliefs with the world, in order to convert all who would watch. I would have no problem with that agenda if the films were well done, but most of their attempts have been downright incompetent filmmaking; movies like The Omega Code, Left Behind, and Carmen: The Champion have been neither engaging nor particularly well-made.

With this in mind, DC Talk: Free At Last is probably the best "Christian" movie available, because it is compelling beyond its urgency to share its faith, and it successfully attempts an artistic quality not seen in most of its brethren. Despite its many qualities, Free At Last was filmed in 1994 but failed to find a distributor and was at last released in an unfinished form, direct-to-video in late 2002. Pity, because it explores some themes and ideas that a both Christian and general audiences would have found engaging, and for the most part, it works as an interesting journey of a band trying to touch audiences with its music and message.

DC Talk: Free At Last is a documentary that follows the Gospel rap trio DC Talk during their 1993-94 United States tour. Comprised of Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max, and Michael Tait, DC Talk was among the Christian bands trying to reach the gospel of Jesus Christ to a general audience in the 1990's, with one notable difference: It created music that was stylish enough to find fans both in and out of the church. Their third album, Free At Last (1992), which included rap-versions of popular songs such as "Jesus is Alright" and "Lean on Me," opened to rave reviews across the boards, went platinum, and eventually won a Grammy award. This documentary was shot as a companion piece to the album, as it follows the three young men as they juggle fame and faith.

It would seem that the rock lifestyle and the Christian lifestyle, in which Christ teaches to humble yourself, vastly contradict each other, and the group struggling with the double standard makes for a genuinely compelling film. We see the boys live in concert putting on a very energetic show complete with special effects and a full band. We see them accept their Grammy and other numerous awards. Yet we also see them in quieter moments, as they not only pray and laugh together, but also argue and fight and work out their differences, both in their personal lives and their on-stage personas. In the meantime, we also watch as they roam around cities where they are touring, amused at their own obscurity as they meet people who little clue that they are speaking to Grammy winners. In moments like these, DC Talk seems like any other band trying to make a name for itself, and throughout it all, all three members have a sort of wide-eyed detachment from their rising fame, as if they still can't believe that they just sold out the same stadium that Pearl Jam stopped at a month before.

In contrast, we also see the clear limitations that being a "Christian" band create. Consider the scene in which DC Talk films a music video about forgiveness and redemption, shot on location at a prison. From what I can tell, this video is as effective and as slickly-produced as any other that was on the market at the time. Yet MTV refused to air it because it "didn't do anything for them." Clearly, DC Talk was snubbed by MTV only on the basis that their music is "Christian," and their reaction to this prejudice is honest and real. Director Ken Carpenter is truly interested in capturing these men not as their personas on stage, but as real human beings struggling to get their message out to a world that they consider "lost."

Not that the entire mission of DC Talk is to convert the unsaved. The leader of the group, Toby McKeehan, makes clear on numerous occasions that beyond their message, putting on a good, entertaining show is important because, hey, they are talented musicians after all. Their music is a stylish mix of street rap, soul, and good old rock 'n roll. McKeehan raps as good as anybody else on the radio, and Max and Tait are extremely talented vocalists; particularly Max, who has a masterful ability to improvise and is loaded with as much stage presence as any other professional musician that I've ever seen live. If their Christian message is clear, it is by no means preachy or offensive, and DC Talk tackles it with the same level of sincerity and creativity that other bands sing about romance and the opposite sex. As I watched Free At Last, I found myself gradually forgetting that this group is Christian, and I just accepted them as a young band like any other, trying to find its footing in the music business (at one point, McKeehan calls the late Kurt Cobain a "peer," and I believe this is fair. Both men had to work their way from the bottom up, and against all odds, DC Talk is more successful than any other band of its kind).

While DC Talk: Free At Last works for the most part as a compelling documentary, there are a few aspects that keep it from greatness, and they might have to do with the fact that the film was released unfinished. I would have liked to have seen more explanation of the trio's origins as musicians, but the movie simply sets the viewer into the action of their fast-moving lives without taking the time to slow down and explain how the band got together and their history before the success of their third album. The truth is, the band members met as undergrads in Liberty University in the 1980s, and they had released two albums before Free At Last. This is all talked about in passing, but none of this is ever explained clearly; I had to do the research to discover it myself. Thus, for the uninitiated, this film might seem geared only towards fans of the band, and yet it contains messages and ideas that are meant for non-fans in general. All this makes for unclear documentation.

Also disappointing is the director's choice to focus mainly on Toby McKeehan, leaving Kevin Max and Michael Tait decidedly on the sidelines. It seems as if McKeehan is a bit more aware of the camera and is therefore careful of how he looks when it is on him. Because most of the reflective and thoughtful comments are given to him, we find ourselves having a difficult time taking him completely seriously. Max and Tait seem much more natural and honest in front of the camera, and the film's best moments are when these two are allowed to shine. It seems, however, that these moments have been inserted around McKeehan's main narrative voice, and I would have liked to have seen more equal screen time given to each member.

Still, DC Talk: Free At Last makes for a compelling documentary about a band trying to get its message heard. Because it was made in 1994, it is interesting to note how DC Talk continued to evolve since the time of the documentary's filming. The band went on to sign a deal with Virgin Records, under whose title it released two more albums: Jesus Freak (1995) and Supernatural (1998). Both albums were met with even greater critical praise and commercial success than Free At Last. Recently, the band members have gone on to pursue successful solo careers: Toby McKeehan and Michael Tait have remained mainly in the Christian music market, where they have continued to garner legions of loyal fans. Kevin Max, on the other hand, has taken another route completely and has created projects more for a general market, collaborating with musical greats such as Adrian Belew and Tony Levin. Curiously, Max's solo releases haven't been as successful as his band mates', but I’ve read several secular musical reviewers that praise him as "the next Peter Gabriel," which is the best compliment to a serious musician that I can think of. Whatever happens in his career, and the careers of Tait and McKeehan, DC Talk: Free At Last remains a successful piece of nostalgia, serving to remind the band of where they came from and how they reached the level of success that they have. It reminds us too, and it does so in a way that is both provocative and heart-felt.

Cast:
Toby McKeehan
Kevin Max
Michael Tait

A Forefront Records release. Directed by Ken Carpenter. 90 minutes. No M.P.A.A. rating (appropriate for children--no objectionable scenes). Released to DVD on December 17, 2002. Filmed in 1994.

Click here to read my review of Kevin Max's 2005 album The Imposter (originally appearing in the University of Alaska Southeast's publication The Whalesong).