ALABAMA SNAKE
US, 2020, 85 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Theo Love.
Alabama Snake is a striking documentary by Theo Love, producer and director of a number of documentaries including Mc Millions and The Legend of Cocaine Island.
While the film is of interest to all lovers of film documentary, it will be of particular interest to two different audiences. The first audience will be those interested in true crime, depictions of the crime, investigations of the crime, exploration of crime themes. The second audience will be those interested in religion, in American religion, especially in more evangelical and Pentecostal churches. There is ample to satisfy both audiences.
The film goes back to a crime, a Pentecostal minister accused of attempting to murder his wife. The setting is explained. Members of the community are interviewed with a range of talking heads, including the minister’s first wife and his second wife whom he is alleged to have tried to kill. The first wife takes us back to the southern states, isolated towns, old traditions. The second wife has had a difficult life, with her marriage, her religious beliefs, drinking and drugs.
The minister accused, Glenn Summerford, is serving a long-term in prison. The film uses vocal excerpts from interviews with him. The film traces his early life, erratic, drugs, some kind of religious experience, setting up his church, more erratic behaviour, and conflict with his wife, Darlene, and the alleged attempted killing.
For audiences interested in American churches, this will be quite a surprise. The title of the film indicates a direction. Glenn Summerford’s church is called the Church of Jesus Following the Signs, with a reference to the end of St Mark’s gospel when Jesus’ disciples will be able to handle snakes and not be harmed.
There are those, here in Tennessee, who not only believe this but see it as a central tenet and action of their faith and worship. There are sequences of snake handling, quite extensive snake handling by members of the congregation as well as Pentecostal-style prayer and acclamation on the part of the congregation.
The screenplay does not intend to explain this phenomenon or why the members of the church have this belief. Rather, it shows the practice – leaving it for the audience to respond, to react, to make up their own minds about this aspect of Christian faith.
