THE FORGE

US, 2024, 124 minutes, Colour.

Aspen Kennedy, Cameron Arnett, Priscilla C. Shirer, Karen Abercrombie, B.J.Arnett, Alexandra Rose Frazier.

Directed by Alex Kendrick.

The Kendrick brothers, Alex and Stephen, have become well-known with their studios in Georgia, making Faith-film features for over 20 years, since 2003. They have been successful with their intended audiences and have also been more widely successful, a number of their films appearing on the US top 10 box office list on the week of release.

Alex Kendrick is the main force working with his brother, Stephen as producer and cowriter, but Alex is writer, director, and also acting in a number of the film is. He has a background in Baptist religious tradition, training, and as a pastor of a church.

Some observers have been surprised that over the 20 years of faith-films, which received such a boost in wide popularity with the release of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ in 2004, that there used to be an emphasis on churchgoing, but  this has diminished.

In fact, the theme of this film is discipleship, professed faith in the Lord Jesus as Lord and saviour, very much a private religious experience and religious experience shared with congenial groups. And, interestingly in this case and perhaps for a target audience, practically all the characters in the film are African-American.

The central character is a 19-year-old unemployed young man, Isaiah, the setting, Charlotte North Carolina. His played by Aspen Kennedy (late 20s convincingly being late teens). He has problems with his absconded father, clashes with his devoted mother, but moves to get a job, encountering an entrepreneur in the city played by Cameron Arnett. But, the entrepreneur is a religious man, has set up a group involved in Discipleship, the mentoring of younger men in their faith.

The film is earnest with the Kendrick Brothers’ exhortations to belief and faith while they tell their popular human story. There are many sequences of Bible readings and reflections, quite a moment when Isaiah is challenged to believe in forgiveness for his father, and always a sense of hope and optimism and belief in the goodness of human nature.

And, with some drama, there is an ending connected with the business world, Isaiah and the team at the company doing a marathon on preparation of the goods to seal a contract.

As with other faith-films, those who don’t share this kind of faith, especially its more overt manifestations, will turn off the film if they come across it. But, even for those who don’t share this kind of faith or perspective, it is an opportunity to appreciate and understand this kind of religion.

1. The films of the Kendrick brothers? Religious, faith-films, the Baptist tradition? Bible-oriented? The success, with American box office?
2. The theme for the 2020s, faith, Jesus is Lord and Saviour, not an emphasis on church, rather on Discipleship and its consequences for individuals, groups, and the workplace and prosperity?
3. Isaiah’s story, his absent father and deep resentment, his love for his mother, aged 19? Playing ball with his friends, his attitude towards his mother, the issue of responsibility, rent, his not turning up on time for his mother, her reprimands? Her urging him to get a job? His initial surly attitudes, the incident going into the coffee shop, the reaction to Abigail, his defiance towards her father? (And the later scene of his going to apologise, ask forgiveness, the response of the father, and is later meeting Abigail on campus… And the future?).
4. Going to the gym, the encounter with Joshua Moore? Joshua seeing something in Isaiah, their talk, the invitations, showing him the factory, inviting back, the conversations, the other workers and Isaiah’s apprenticeship, the effect on him?
5. Joshua Moore, his background, successful enterprise, business difficulties, takeovers, the relationship with his wife and her involvement in the firm, his accountant and the advice? The range of workers on the floor? The details of the production, computerised, the robots, the expert and his control?
6. The gradual change in Isaiah, the discussions with Joshua, the meetings, the exhortations, the Bible texts and readings, Isaiah and his father, encountering him at the factory, his rage? Joshua and his story about the death of his son with the drunken driver? The challenge to Isaiah, Joshua’s urging, the Scripture texts, his reading them in the house, his anger, desperation, faith experience, commitment to forgiving his father? His mother listening and praying?
7. The meetings, singling out Isaiah, and his work at the factory, relationship with the other workers? Improvement, his mother renovating the car, his paying her rent? Happiness at home?
8. The gathering, Isaiah talking with the white member of the group, his explaining that he was the drunken driver, encouragement of Isaiah?
9. The financial situation, the takeovers, arrival and the offer, the need for preparing 3000 items overnight, Isaiah and his leadership, persuading the others to join in, Joshua and his wife watching, her connecting with the robot-controller at home with his computer, getting the robots in action, her giving the instructions, moving the robots, the effect on those at work? The completion of the work on time?
10. The arrival of the new partner, talking with Isaiah rather than Joshua, the negotiation, five years security, then seven years? Success?
11. The religious interpretation of what had happened, the faith dimension, prosperity and success, Isaiah a changed man, going to college for business?
12. The film as an exhortation to biblical faith, Jesus as personal saviour, the repercussions for life – and, as with the changing faith-films, not such an emphasis on churchgoing?