RED STATE

US, 2011, 88 minutes. Colour.
Michael Parks, John Goodman, Melissa Leo, Michael Angarano, Stephen Root, Deborah Aquila, Kevin Pollak, Ronnie Connell, Nicholas Braun, James Parks, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith.
Directed by Kevin Smith.

Kevin Smith has proven to be something of a sign of contradiction, enthusing his fans and irritating his definitely-not-fans. I will opt for the fan side.

Smith used to portray himself in his films as a slacker, the famous Silent Bob. He has an offbeat sense of humour (uninhibited as well), belongs to the comics and graphic novels era (he turned 40 in 2010), is skilful in writing smart and sometimes tantalising dialogue, and doesn’t mind being rough and ready in his film-making, favouring some improvising.

This is all evident in Red State which defies easy pigeon-holing as to what genre the film is. It shifts genre from time to time which may prove disconcerting to the unwary and the unwilling, but when it is all put together (only 88 minutes), it comes out as a smart movie whether we liked it or not.

There is plenty to put us on guard. It takes on current American bigotry, especially of the conservative religious variety. Smith was a producer on a 2007 documentary on the Westboro Baptist Church which is crusadingly against the alleged decline of American morals, homosexuality being a principal target. There is an explicit reference in Red State to Westboro, claiming that the group in the movie are even more extreme. And that is what we see.

Had we not had American incidents like Waco, or memories of Jonestown, as well as Oklahoma bombers and Unibombers, we might be tempted to say that Red State is far-fetched. But...

The film does indicate in its opening minutes that these themes will be pursued but it then focuses on three high-schoolers who are sex-obsessed and use their I-Phones? to check out local prostitutes. Off they go and get more than they ever bargained for. You need to see it to appreciate what happens.

Red State then switches gear into a police investigation of a car crash the boys were involved in, as was the sheriff in behaviour that his wife would not approve of.

But, the film has also switched into a story about a religious church, a group of 25 members of a family and spouses, who put their religious convictions into deadly practice – literally. The result is a police siege – with ironic comment about the way American authorities have handled siege and terrorist situations: no witnesses.

The cast is strong and makes this watchable if not believable to non-Americans who have not experienced this kind of gun-toting religious certainty and intolerance. Michael Parks gives one of his best performances as the leader of the Church, seemingly sane, a smooth preacher (and he gets the chance for a long moralising sermon about the decline of the US) but absolutely convinced of his self-discovered messianic role. Melissa Leo is excellent, as always, as his fanatical daughter. John Goodman is the agent in charge of the siege.

Kevin Smith ‘did’ religion when he was in his twenties with Dogma, a provocative satire on the church, angels and images of God. This time, there is a social and political agenda behind his satire. Satirists are often perfectionists who are enraged by the failure of society that the only way they can make their point is by the combination of savagery and spoof. Kevin Smith has done this with Red State. (There is a lot of swearing in Smith’s films, as here – however, he does use one of those four-letter sentences that are too often lazily used instead of better writing to end the film, and most audiences will find it apt, especially as it is Smith’s only cameo in Red State.)

1. The work of Kevin Smith? Not given to understatement? The background of his farces, serious undertones? His takes on religion? American religion? Fundamentalist Christianity?

2. The California settings, the town, the desert, the isolation? The religious fortress? The musical score, songs? The religious hymns?

3. The background of American extremism, the neo-Nazis, Waco, the Unabomber, the gun lobby, gun groups, anti-gay lobbies, religion, justifying ideologies and behaviour? The seeming exaggeration – but connecting with the realities of American extremism?

4. The title, background, implications?

5. The opening with the sex comedy, the oversexed boys, at school, classes, their language, their iPhones, looking up the local prostitutes, the interest in sex, the cars, the family backgrounds? Travis and his going with his friends?

6. The introduction to protest, Travis and his mother on his way to school, the funeral of the gay man, the information from the newspapers, the funeral, the protesters, the extremist posters, the class and the discussion about the groups, the neo-Nazis, the Baptist Westboro community? Constitutional freedoms? The emphasis on guns?

7. In the car, the three boys, adolescent lust, talking, their ignorance, their crash, stopping, not seeing anyone, going on, encountering Sara, her talk, the beers, the gawkiness, in the trailer, drugged and trapped?

8. The teacher, her explanation about Cooper? About his community? The group, the activities?

9. The boys waking up, trapped, caged? The service, the small congregation, seemingly ordinary, appearance, the smiles, Abin Cooper and his leadership? The prisoner, his being swathed in plastic? Abin’s long sermon, the fundamentalist and moralistic issues? Those assisting him? The wrapping of the prisoner, shooting him? Dumping his body in the cage? The children being present, their being taken out during the execution? The smiling fanaticism of the congregation? Family and spouses?

10. Sara and her role, the tempting, in the caravan, the beers, her way of talking, drugging the boys? Her calling Abin ‘Daddy’? Her relationship with Cheyenne, her husband, the children? The piety, her hyperactivity, singing the hymns, her cruelty? Madness?

11. Randy in the cage, his reactions, Travis and Billy-Ray? and their imprisonment, Randy getting the bone of the dead man, cutting his way out, the chase, the arsenal and the guns, Randy and his being wrapped up? The next victim?

12. The sheriff, the sexual encounter, the crash into his car, his going back to the deputy, covering up his behaviour, his sending the deputy on a mission? His own personal shame and looking at his wife’s photo? The deputy and his interview with Abin, hearing the shots, discussions about Italy for holidays? Abin killing him? His sending the information to the sheriff, the sheriff contemplating suicide? His getting in touch with the agents?

13. John Goodman as the agent, in bed, his wife and her support, the cup of coffee, the phone calls, the discussion, the orders to go and the siege of the compound?

14. Inside the compound, the adults, the children, Abin and Sara and their taking charge, the siege, Joseph taking charge? Harry and his earnestness, the objections to the siege, not taking prisoners or witnesses? His supporting Joseph? The shooting? Travis, his getting free, Billy-Ray? being shot? The sheriff shooting Travis? The shooting on hold? The decisions, ringing through to higher authorities, the tactics, the strategy, no witnesses? Cheyenne, her coming out, pleading for the children? Her mother shooting the policeman? Taking Cheyenne back inside?

15. The deputy to Joseph, his being shot? Joseph being shot in the leg? The phone call, reporting the massacre? The official support of the massacre?

16. Cheyenne, her freeing Randy, Randy not believing her, the attic and the children, Sara and her coming across Cheyenne, her disgust, Sara being shot?

17. The continuation of the siege, Joseph and his assessment of the situation?

18. The apocalyptic atmosphere, the beliefs of the Cooper group? The sudden blasting of the trumpets? Deafening for the police? For the Coopers? The later explanation – the irony, the ecological group, the cover for growing marijuana, the retaliation for the destruction of their crops by blasting the trumpets?

19. Joseph and his decision not to shoot? The sudden transition to his being interrogated by the authorities? Their comment on his behaviour, official disobedience of orders, transfer and promotion? The background of the religious group, going to prison, the use of homeland security and terrorism legislation? Branding the religious fundamentalists’ threats as terrorism?

20. Cooper, in his prison garb, his speech and singing – and the final comment for him to shut up (spoken by Kevin Smith himself)?

21. The overall impact of the film, its effect, its comment on American society? By use of exaggerated comedy, farce – and the mockery of extremism?