MACHINE GUN PREACHER

US, 2011, 129 minutes, Colour.
Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan, Kathy Baker, Michael Shannon, Madeline Carroll, Souleymane Sy Savane.
Directed by Marc Forster.

Of course, this title is intended as provocative. It reminds us of the book and film of the 1970s, The Cross and the Switchblade. Both are stories of personal conversion leading to active Church service in an American evangelical Church.

Box-office has not been much. Those interested in the machine gun may lose interest in the religious dimension of the film. Those interested in the preacher may be put off by the rough life of the drug dealing bikie as well as his warrior-like Christianity in fighting (to the death) for the rights of the oppressed.

Message films like this do not draw crowds. A parallel can be made with the 2003 film, Beyond Borders (even with Angelina Jolie as the star) which challenged comfortable first world people, even those who worked for charities, and offered truly grim images of starvation in Ethiopia and brutality in Cambodia. It barely received a theatrical release. (Machine Gun Preacher was screened only at 10.45 am for six days at three Melbourne multiplexes, perhaps a contractual issue before the film is relegated to DVD release.)

The setting here is Uganda and South Sudan (before the latter became a nation in 2011). The hero is Sam Childers, a Pennsylvania tough guy who served a prison sentence, loved guns, could be brutal towards his wife but who had a conversion experience after thinking he and a friend (Michael Shannon) had killed a man. His wife, daughter and mother had found God and led him to church and baptism. When he got his life in order, he was impressed by a preacher visiting from Uganda and decided to go there for five weeks and work on a building project.

He discovered the violence of the Lord’s Revolutionary Army and made rescuing and helping orphans his mission with the help of South Sudanese militia. He was supported, urged not to give up, by his strong-minded wife (Michelle Monaghan), though it took a toll as Childers became completely obsessed by his mission.

But, his conversion was a brittle one and when he discovered children mercilessly killed, he began to doubt God and aggressively took up arms against the soldiers. He had been warned by a British nurse that, although he had won a great reputation in South Sudan, that was how Joseph Kony began before he formed the LRA. Sam Childers is forced to take stock of himself.

Childers is still working in Sudan. The final credits have photos of him and his family as well as video footage. In the film, he is played by tall, strong Gerard Butler. Had there been more lookalike casting, he could have been played by Billy Bob Thornton as short and burley as he really is.

At the end of the credits, Childers asks the confronting question: if a member of our family were to be abducted and Childers promised to get them back, would we question or object to the way he would do it? That is a key question for muscular Christians who defend the rights but do not countenance turning the other cheek.

1. The title, audience expectations? Based on a true story? The career of Sam Childers? The credibility of his life and mission? The video clips during the final credits of the real Sam Childers?

2. Audience response to the tough bikie prisoner and his behaviour? Getting out of prison, the drugs, his brutality, his friendship with Donnie? The assault, thinking the man was dead, his language? Audiences being put off?

3. Audience response to his conversion, the influence of Lynn? The influence of Paige, the influence of his mother? Going to the church, the meeting, the baptism, his reading the Bible, his beginning to use God-talk, the theme of forgiveness, starting a new life, literal interpretation of the scriptures, going into action?

4. The Pennsylvania setting, the rough world of the bikies, homes, bars? The workshops, the building sites? The world of the wealthy? Sense of realism?

5. The contrast with Uganda, South Sudan, the terrain, the deserts, the villages, the camps, the orphanage? Another realism?

6. The prologue, Sudan, the attack, the torture, William, the death of his mother? His reappearance later in the film, search for his brother, his silence, the interactions with Sam, opening up? Sam and the tea, William and his talking, enabling Sam to come to terms with what had happened to him?

7. Sam Childers as a bikie, his goals in life, aggressive, his marrying Lynn, the sexual relationship, getting out of prison? Home, his mother, Paige as a young girl? Not stripping, the violence, the bike, the drugs and Donnie, in the car, the pickup, the violent passenger, their turning on him, though (??) their violence, ousting him, leaving him for dead? The effect on Sam?

8. Washing away the blood? Lynn and the church, going with the family, his interactions with the pastor, his being urged to baptism, the Pentecostal atmosphere, his change, his work and his skills?

9. The visiting pastor, talking about Uganda, the impact? Sam deciding to go, family support? Going for five weeks, the travel, the labour on the building site, meeting with Deng and Marco, his going to Sudan out of curiosity, the hospital, the British nurse, her comments? The effect on him? The building for the orphans?

10. Preaching, in the US, the response, the years passing, Paige growing up, the visits to Africa?

11. The attack on the orphanage, the burning, his being tempted to give up, Lynn giving him strong support?

12. Donnie and his friendship, the drugs, overcoming them, Sam’s help, Donnie at the house, looking after the family, the phone calls?

13. The attacks on the orphanage, Kony and the LRA? Kuraya and the talk with him? The peace discussions? The nurse, her warning that he was just like Kony in his beginnings, but taking to violence?

14. The orphans, their injuries, giving shelter? Sam trying to teach them baseball – their preference for soccer?

15. The role of guns, the South Sudan soldiers, the rebel military?

16. Sam, his becoming obsessive, selling everything at home, the truck, the business? The impact of the children in the desert, rescuing them, taking half of them away – and returning to find the others massacred?

17. At home, Paige and her request for the limousine, his anger? Donnie, his going back on drugs, his death, the funeral? His preaching? His leaving his family, Deng and the warnings, his taking to using arms, the guns on the bridge, his rescuing of the British nurse?

18. Issues of God, the role of God, God’s presence, suffering?

19. Sam, his appeal for help, the builder and his lavish party – and the donation of $150? Paige and the expense of the limousine?

20. William, his continued presence, his silence, the memories of what had happened with his mother, searching for his brother? Working and serving the tea? His observation of Sam, talking with him, helping him to come to terms with his live?

21. The new truckload of children, Sam staying with them to protect them?

22. The LRA, their activities in Uganda, South Sudan? South Sudan becoming an independent nation in 2011?

23. Sam still working in Africa, his way, the support of the family? The clips of the real Sam, his discussion about rescue, the use of arms, being a warrior or defending people? Peace and killing? The final question about the audience’s stances if he were to rescue any of their relatives and not ask how he did it?