The Believer

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height="130" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005OAHV/reelmoviecriticc"> Buy Soundtrack from Amazon.com</A>  </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 23 WIDTH="575"><div> The Believer</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B> </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Wingdings 2" ><B>êêêê</B></FONT><B> </B> </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="575" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 ><NOBR><div> Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content.</div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="575" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>Writer & Director</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Henry Bean</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="575" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>A philosophy of hate</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="19" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="575" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="575"><div> <B>Starring</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="579" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Ryan Gosling</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Summer Phoenix</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Theresa Russell</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Billy Zane</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="575"><div> Jacob Green</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> "The Believer," winner of last year's Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, is a daring and provocative portrayal of a young Jewish boy (Jacob Green) who grew up to become a neo-Nazi. Before you dismiss this as wild fiction, it is a fact that some neo-Nazi's have not only known about their Jewish heritage but have committed suicide when they had to come out of the closet; usually because of an investigative reporter.</div> <bR> <div> Ryan Gosling plays Danny Balint, a twenty-two-year-old skinhead, whose main purpose in life is "…to kill a Jew." This performance eclipses the intensity he displayed so well in "Murder by Numbers." </div> <bR> <div> "The Believer" is a film that is somewhat uncomfortable to watch. It is entertaining in the way that "American Psycho" (Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Jared Leto, & Reese Witherspoon) entertained. In that film a rich, 27-year-old Wall Street broker becomes a serial killer. In both films, in spite of their brilliance, intelligent young men have lost their way.     </div> <bR> <div> Insight into self-loathing in particular and hatred in general, are provided here, usually with the threat of violence.  At other times, we sense the uncomfortable feeling that one can get from the far right, not merely the ultra conservative. In this case think of the far right wing being Hitler.</div> <bR> <div> The concept of superiority and a "you're nothing, not even human" attitude, sums up how some people can so despise others who are unlike them. Although the film does not tell the "why," which might be impossible, it does allow a look at those who hate and the affect it has on others who are just trying to mind their own business with no ax to grind with anyone else. You get an idea of what it's like to be 110% consumed by virulent hatred.</div> <bR> <div> As a young boy in Hebrew school, Danny intellectually challenges his teacher about religion and Jews in the world. He envisions Jews as being almost passive during the Holocaust and uninvolved in the United States today. Of course, that notion of neutrality would challenge even Danny, in the aftermath of the events of 9/11. Churn together those "facts" and the aggressiveness in Israel, in a highly intelligent young mind and a very confused person can emerge.</div> <bR> <div> Scarier than Danny and his threatening looking friends are the polished fascist couple, Curtis and Lina (Billy Zane and Theresa Russell), with their daughter Carla (Summer Phoenix). Especially riveting is what Danny sees, when he comes in the middle of the night for a planned love making session with Carla. <B> </B></div> <bR> <div> Danny's idea of being a fascist is to focus on the hatred and the extermination of Jews. Curtis and Lina think that focusing on Jews is passé. They want to spread the word of white supremacy, minus the Jew baiting, in educational seminars, with Danny as their spokesman, while reaching out to the wealthy far right in a respectable manner. </div> <bR> <div> The acting in the film is chillingly realistic. Summer Phoenix is sexy and haunting. Drake (Glenn Fitzgerald) is a neo-Nazi sharpshooter who has already killed four Jews. Although a man of few words, his actions speak loud and clear. When asked how he knew they were Jews, the answer was because he had been one in a former life. </div> <bR> <div> Writer/director Henry Bean takes a cameo role as a wealthy Jew, who has a run in with Drake on the streets of New York. Ryan Gosling offers a Denzel Washington ("Training Day") level portrayal of a bad guy. </div> <bR> <div> After Danny and his friends are ordered by a judge to attend "sensitivity training" with elderly Holocaust survivors, he responds to the question, "What can we learn from you?" by saying, "Kill your enemy." For some that means with a bullet or a bomb and for others it's the written and spoken word. This may be Bean's weapon of choice, to expose the enemy's faulty logic and deadly deception…their ultimate fear of self-loathing.  <B> </B></div> <bR> <div> Many of us ask the question, Why make someone your enemy who does you no real harm? Thankfully, most people, in the US and many other nations, make that distinction. In some countries, hatred seems to be ingrained and it goes beyond those who have and those who have not (money and status). Maybe the real question regarding hatred is, can everyone have a feeling of self worth without feeling that there is someone who is less worthy, less valuable? Must we always have someone to look down upon? There is only one correct answer and it has two letters rather than three; I hope.</div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="1" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="621" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> George O. Singleton  © 2002</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 19 WIDTH="617"><div> <A HREF="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:Reelmoviec@aol.com"><U><U>Reelmoviec@aol.com</U></U></A></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>