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Outcasts
I approached Outcasts, a short film directed by Stephen F. Boatright, with it already on my good side. I have a sincere admiration for both short films and Christ’s parables, and Boatright is working with both canvases here. To my delight, the film works in its simplicity—it is intelligently made, thoughtfully written, and it successfully updates Christ’s brief parable of the Good Samaritan. I think the carpenter from Nazareth would have been proud at how well Boatright translates what is arguably his most famous parable. I’ve always admired any director’s ability to successfully make a short film, because of the thought that is required to go into them. To compact a story into a few moments in a way that it is visually appealing and still contains an interesting premise is quite a feat. Because you are dealing with only a few minutes of film, you are essentially creating a movie stripped down of all unnecessary devices. It is very easy to make short films badly—especially one only five minutes in length, like Outcasts. Many directors will attempt a visually appealing film but leave out an interesting storyline—see my mixed review for Batman: Dead End. But short films cannot cheat; they must contain a beginning, middle, and an end, just like full length features. Christ himself probably knew a thing or two about the difficulty of telling a good short story fast. His parables are witty and insightful, offering good advice in easily accessible stories. Indeed, they much more interesting than all of those boring Sunday school classes would lead you to believe. His parables always worked on two different levels—as spiritual insight on the “ Kingdom of God,” and as political statements against the religious leaders of the day, who he felt had allowed greed and rituals to mix into their religion that negatively affected the community. Yet Christ’s parables are not exclusively meant for the religious. They have insight concerning mental hygiene and proper living that would make Aesop give pause. “Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.” A very simple concept—almost too simple. But a careful examination reveals its profoundness, and the idea contains no holes that I can see. Simply put, it’s very, very good advice. Outcasts proves that Christ’s teachings are not outdated and still pack a powerful punch today. I have always enjoyed fresh variations of Christ’s parables; I named The Target, an update of the Prodigal Son story set in modern day South Africa that featured Dennis Hopper as a Mafioso who returns to his childhood village, one of the best films of 2003. Boatright’s film isn’t nearly as emotionally complex or as involving as that film, but then, it isn’t trying to be. It is simply a re-examination of Christ’s Good Samaritan story, intelligently reinvented to fit into today’s society. No more, no less. I like Boatright’s approach because, like Christ himself, he is a Christian storyteller who is in touch enough to reveal the hypocrisy of the Christian church. We all know the story of the Good Samaritan, of course—a man is beaten and robbed, and after several religious leaders pass him by and ignore him, a Samaritan—someone despised in Israel in the early first century—finds him and nurses him back to health. Christ was speaking about both the need for universal love and respect among fellow man and the hypocrisy of the church, and Boatright successfully updates these ideas so that they are both humorous and startlingly accurate. For example, after the poor chap has been beaten up and lays unconscious, a preachers walks by, gasps, stuffs a dollar bill into the bleeding man’s hand, and says, “God bless you.” I’m not sure which observation is more interesting here—the fact that the preacher only thinks of money, or that he considers pulling out more from his large wad of cash to help this poor kid…and doesn’t. In addition, the “Good Samaritan’s” identity turns out to be a very satisfying twist, challenging the very nature of today’s church yet matching the application in Christ’s story exactly. Who, in today’s Evangelical church, has the most despised and controversial lifestyle, as the Samaritan did in Christ’s day? I hope this clue doesn’t reveal too much, but even if it does, Boatright’s point is still poignant and insightful. It also makes the film’s title, Outcasts, quite ironic: The victim and his rescuer have more in common than they probably could have guessed. Boatright also demonstrates a good eye for visuals. He shoots almost documentary style, in noir-like black and white, creating a gritty, urban feeling that works well for a modern-day update. Christ taught to the poor people in the streets, and poor streets is exactly what we get here. There is also a scene of very disturbing violence that seems chillingly lifted from headline news. It is perhaps even more disturbing because Boatright chooses to focus on the faces of the malicious attackers rather than the event itself. It is an effective directorial choice. I do have one reservation: The keyboard soundtrack gets a little overbearing and sappy at times, working against the realistic setting. It might have been the sound system that I heard it on, but it was a bit domineering. Still, it is small potatoes when compared to what works with this film. By the time Outcasts kicks into high gear and reveals its twists, you’re grinning (or grimacing) too heavily to notice the distracting music. With Outcasts, Boatright reveals himself to be a talented artist with a message. He has made a short, to-the-point film that will certainly challenge Christians to think outside of the comfort zones, as well as let the rest of the world know that not all Christians are as over-zealous as some of the characters featured in this film. The film is so effective in its simplicity, I am left with no doubt that if Christ had come today, he would have directed short films. Cast: A Beamish Boy Production.
Written and directed by Stephen F. Boatright. No M.P.A.A. rating,
but contains a pretty disturbing scene of violence—recommended
for mature children. Running time: Five minutes. Original United
States theatrical release date: October 24, 2003 (Damah Film
Festival). Questions? Comments? E-mail me: danel_the_tinman@hotmail.com |
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