REDEEMING LOVE
US, 2022, 134 minutes, Colour.
Abigail Cowan, Tom Lewis, Logan Marshall-Green, Livi Birch, Famke Janssen, Nina Dobrev, Eric Dane.
Directed by D.J.Caruso.
This film is based on a popular novel by Francine Rivers, who co-wrote the screenplay with the director, D.J.Caruso, his past films include a number of dramatic thrillers.
The film is described as a Christian Western, with an appeal to the faith-film audience. However, with its frank portrayals of brothels and prostitution in the western towns, with the violence of the towns, including a lynching, and some frank portrayals of sexual relationships, there were some complaints from the Christian audiences.
However, the practice has some kind of precedent. The novel and the film based on the Jewish Scriptures, the book of the prophet Hosea. This is the story of the prophet who is inspired by God to go to the pagan temples, choose a temple prostitute, Gomer, and marry her. She is unfaithful to Hosea, runs away, but he is also inspired by God to seek her out, forgive her, bring her back, love her.
So, this is a framework for this story of redeeming love, the prostitute, in a brothel in a Western town of the 1850s, Angel (Abigail Cowan), is young, remembers her violent father abandoning her and her mother who has to turn to prostitution to survive, is ill, tended by her daughter. The brothel is managed by the Duchess (Famke Janssen) and is under the domination of the brutal Duke (Eric Dane). Angel is full of self-loathing, no confidence in herself, and despising her clients – including her father who then commit suicide.
The prophet figure is Michael (Tom Lewis) an upright man, prayerful, visiting church, determined to marry, God-inspired, then seeing Angel, love at first sight, his continual attention to her, her mistaking him for a client, his perseverance. After a violent episode he is able to take her to the farm and restore her – but, over the time, she keeps running away, his seeking her out. Then she is betrayed by Michael’s brother-in-law who violates her.
Back in the town, she encounters Duke, confronts him, and he is pursued by the townspeople and lynched.
Angel changes her ways, works as a waitress, sought out again after years by Michael, returns but, thinking she cannot have children, leaves because she thinks Michael should have a wife who can have a family. She works then helping young prostitutes in the town.
Ultimately, Michael seeks her out again, persevering in the model of the prophet, and winning Angel’s love.
- Biblical, Christian-themed film? Western? Romance? Based on the book of Hosea?
- The California settings, the 1850s, farms, landscapes, towns, streets, stores, hotels, brothels? Church? The musical score?
- The title, with reference to the book of Hosea? Hosea, his love for Gomer, her leaving, his seeking her out, forgiveness, love?
- Angel’s story, her being the Gomer-figure? Working in the brothel, character, age, self-loathing, the clients, even her father and her revenge on him (and his suicide)? The management of the brothel, the control of the Duchess? Flashbacks to Angel’s past, Sarah, little girl, her mother, her father’s betrayal, violence, departure? Her mother, prostitution, destitute, ill, her daughter caring for her? The consequences for Sarah, Duke, buying her, setting her up, as a young girl, as a young adult?
- Michael, the Hosea character, upright, background, family, in-laws, working the farm, determined to marry, going to the town, seeing Angel, love at first sight, his visits to her, her wrong interpretation, his intentions, declarations, his return? Her disbelief?
- The violence, the women, the brothel, her leaving, recovering with Michael, his care for her, respect, sexual respect? Her recovery?
- The biblical pattern for the relationship between Michael and Angel, love, her leaving, His seeking her out again, bringing her home, her leaving, his rescue, her attraction towards him, the bonding, working with him on the farm, her changing perspective? Her thinking she was unable to have children, thinking Michael would be better without her, with another partner, her leaving again?
- Michael, ideal, care for Angel, seeking her out, bringing her home, forgiving her? Love?
- The brother-in-law, giving Angel the ride, the sexual demands, the later repercussions for him?
- Angel leaving, waitress, different way of life, the encounter with Duke, the confrontation, attacking him, the pursuit, the lynching? The African-American protector for Angel?
- The years passing, her working for young prostitutes, Michael seeking her out, bringing her home, marriage, pregnancy, life together?
