FRAILTY
US, 2001, 100 minutes, Colour.
Bill Paxton, Matthew Mc Conaughy, Powers Boothe, Luke Askew, Matt O'Leary, Jeremy Sumpter.
Directed by Bill Paxton.
American religion and madness with more than an avenging angel apocalyptic touch. Bill Paxton is a sturdy screen presence, as he is here as a worker who sees a vision of an angel who gives him a mission in life to destroy demons for God. The angel gives him lists which he follows through with relish, using his two sons to help him ensnare the alleged demons, batter them to death and bury them. The younger son believes his father while the older, played very well by Matt O'Leary, is horrified, wants to run away, reports the killings to the local sheriff with disastrous results and eventually succumbs to his mad father's whims.
It is all told in flashbacks by the surviving son, Matthew Mc Connaughey, who feels compelled to confess all to the investigating FBI agent, Powers Boothe. There are two twists, one of which audiences will not expect, one of which they might. This gives the film some edge in the latter part.
All in all it is grim stuff, a dour warning about religious mania and its equating violence on God's behalf with faith and piety. Paxton plays the insane father in low key, as if he were just doing his day's work, and relating to his sons with calm reason. He makes his character more sinister for seeming so normal. Paxton has also made his directing debut with Frailty. Whatever the character weaknesses of the characters, frail the film is not.
1. The significance and focus of the title?
2. Texas in 1979, the small town? The contrast with 2001? The musical score, the atmospherics for the theme and the horror? Religious overtones?
3. The credits, the reports of the serial killer? The religious themes of the serial killer, religious fundamentalism? The religious themes: the visions of angels, avenging angels, identifying people as demons, emphasising the wrath of God, God's vengeance, executions on God's behalf? Religion and madness? Madness as contagious? The effect on impressionable younger people? The images of the touching of evil people, and the visions of evil through touch?
4. Doyle and the investigation, the arrival of the young man? His assistant listening to him, his telling his story to Doyle, reprimanding him for not believing, the phone call and the confirmation, the woman answering the phone (and later identified as his wife)? Doyle and the picture of his mother on the table? The irony for the later revelation? The nature of the investigation, the detective listening, the FBI, travelling in the rain, the man in the back, handcuffed? The revelation of the truth about Doyle, the revelation that the man was Adam? Doyle as a demon and his execution?
5. The brother telling the story, the perspective of the non-believing son, the portrait of the father, workman, his explanation of his visions, the angel giving the list of demons, the locating of the tools, the axe and the gloves, the piping? The ordinariness of Bill Paxton's performance - as if he was just raising an ordinary family, speaking softly about the religious mania? The executions? The taking of the demons, his touching them, the initial victim, the woman, killing her? The man alleged to be a child molester? The sheriff coming to investigate, his not believing the boy, his being killed? The father imprisoning his son, not allowing him food, minimal water? Fenton and his experience of the imprisonment, changing and accepting his father's ideas? His father giving him food? Proud of his son? The journey to catch the next demon, the pretence about the tyre, the man helping them, the attack? The execution - the forcing of Fenton to kill the demon, Fenton's killing his father? Burying him?
6. Adam and his loyalty to his father, his age, lack of experience, not so horrified by what was done? Fenton's suggestion that they run away, his telling his father? The contrast between his father's treatment of Adam and of Fenton? Supporting Adam but wanting Fenton's belief, knowing that he didn't pray - and making him dig the enormous hole? Fenton and his going to the sheriff, the sheriff listening, phoning, not believing him? Looking in the dungeon? His being killed? Fenton and the experience in the hole, the building of the dungeon and his being imprisoned? His declaring that he believed, that he had seen God (and Adam disappointed that he hadn't seen God)? The demon and his ensnaring him, but killing his father? His killing himself? Wanting to be buried in the rose garden?
7. Adam, the fact that he was telling the story to the sheriff, the audience looking at things from Fenton's point of view? Audience realising that it was Adam instead? Who hadn't seen God, who communicated with Fenton after coming out of the orphanage? That he would pursue the demons, killing Doyle and seeing the murder of his mother?
8. The final FBI investigation, the house, the sheriff, the assistant FBI man giving his evidence? Finding the sheriff - and the irony that it was Adam? And his pregnant wife as the secretary? Their final words about praising God?
9. The particularly American tone of the religion in the film, literalism and fundamentalism, apocalyptic, focus on angels and demons? Religion and madness?
