THE REAPING
US, 2007, 96 minutes, Colour.
Hilary Swank, David Morrissey, Idris Elba, Anna Sophia Robb, Stephen Rea, William Ragsdale.
Directed by Stephen Hopkins.
Audiences will sit up and listen at the scene where sceptical scientist, Hilary Swank, is asked about the miraculous nature of the ten plagues of Egypt. She begins with chemicals in the river Nile and gives an extraordinarily fluent, comprehensive and logical explanation of all the plagues following on from each other. Actually, this probably makes far more sense than explanations given for strange goings on in the contemporary bayous of Louisiana.
The Reaping is one of the many films that rely on modern audiences’ interest/faith/lack of faith. In fact, these days audiences, as The Da Vinci Code proved, are tempted to believe in all kinds of pseudo truths, invented hypotheses while all the time expressing themselves as not believing in God, religion or church. It was Chesterton, of course, who noted that when people lose their faith, it is not that they believe in nothing but that they will believe in anything.
The British Hammer Studios, in the 1960s and 1970s, used to make a lot of these religious horror films starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing and many popular character actors. The Reaping is a bit like a 21st century American successor to these films. It is highly crafted and has some eye-popping special effects, especially for a plague of locusts.
Speaking of plagues, it should be said that the main biblical reference for The Reaping is the book of Exodus, the early chapters which describe the ten plagues wrought by God on the Egyptians through Moses so that Pharaoh would let the people of Israel go. This time, the plagues are reproduced in this remote corner of Louisiana. A bayou is turned into blood. Frogs burst out of the contaminated water. Locusts swarm. Darkness shadows the land and lightning flashes and sets off explosive fires. The firstborn are destroyed.
Katharine (Hilary Swank) has already been seen as disproving a miracle site in Chile, finding industrial chemicals to be the cause of body preservation and of giving pilgrims a drugged high rather than a cure or spiritual ecstasy. She has now been called in with her assistant (Idris Elba) to investigate the blood water. She (and we) are certainly wondering why the plagues have come. When she hears that it is Satan who is causing them and that a young menstruating girl (Anna Sophia Robb who was so nice in Bridge to Terabithia) is to be killed as a sacrifice, she wants to save her. The strange occurrences are enough to lead anyone to some kind of faith – or fear.
You will need to see the film (well, need is a bit strong) to find out what the twists are, whether it is God or Satan who is venting wrath, and who is really telling the truth – especially when Katharine’s old friend, Fr Costigan (Stephen Rea) warns her that her face in his photo collection is being destroyed by a symbol of a fiery sickle and he looks up books that no priest in real life possesses, but which most priests in films like this have in every clerical library. The movie priests can also can read ancient languages and interpret pre-biblical myths (though most would be hard put these days to deal with Latin).
Entertaining religious hokum if you enjoy this kind of thing – especially with a Rosemary’s Baby ending.
1.Religious horror? Religious hokum? The popularity of the genre – expected conventions?
2.The audience for this kind of film? Popular audience? Horror audience? Religious or not? The intriguing aspects of speculating about biblical meanings? This film and its taking its cue solely from the Book of Exodus, non-Christian? Pre-biblical books? Myths? Inventiveness in taking the themes from Exodus, the ten plagues?
3.The plausibility of the plot, in theory, the practical realities? How credible? A world of superstition, of cults?
4.Katherine, her work in Chile, the Third World and her comments, religion and superstition, the visualising of the pilgrims, the shrine, the preserved body of the friar, the alleges cures and miracles, the manner of the people? The vision of the industrial area, taking the samples? The reality of industry, the explanation of the chemicals in the water, preservation of bodies, the pilgrims being on a chemical high? Her giving the lecture, the response of the students, her loss of belief?
5.Father Costigan, the opening, looking at the pictures, the sickle sign, the flames, Katherine’s image being destroyed? The work of the devil? His work with her in the past, Katherine and her husband, her daughter, their deaths? Loss of faith? His warning her over the phone, issues of God and Satan? His warnings, advice? His knowledge of myths, reading the books, telling Katherine? The books, the fire, his being consumed by fire?
6.Katherine and her work at the university, Ben as her assistant? The contact from Doug? His request? The discussions at the university? The explanations, the bayou in blood, the nature of the town, the little girl and her being executed, the emotional appeal, Katherine and Doug, their journey? Meeting the people in the town, ordinary, going about their daily work, chatting, yet what was underlying the town?
7.Katherine and her investigations, the bayou, with Ben and Doug, going in, the blood, the phone calls? The samples, the report back that they were blood? Her seeing the little girl? Meeting the people, the girl and her story, the mother? The talk of cults, Satanism, danger? Children being sacrificed to Satan? The role of the sheriff, people determined to kill the girl? Katherine wary and wanting to save her?
8.The nature of the cult, in the isolated village, the change of heart, God not helping the people, their turning to Satan? Issues of revenge, the plagues – from God or from Satan? Katherine and her speech explaining all of the ten plagues of Egypt in scientific terms? Her beginning to change her attitude, Ben in the crypt, the children’s skulls? Doug and his being a firstborn – and the plague of the firstborn? The revelation of his fears that the firstborn would be all destroyed by God? Unless the girl was sacrificed?
9.The visualising of the plagues, the special effects for the frogs, for the locusts and their pursuit, the people with boils, the dark and the lightning, the deaths of the firstborn?
10.Katherine and Doug, the relationship, his power over her, the final revelation about her pregnancy, the echoes of Rosemary’s Baby and her vague memories? Ben – and his being killed by Doug – being seen in the flashback?
11.The town, the meetings, the church, the places of worship, the people and their all being involved, watching?
12.The build-up to the climax, the girl in the bayou, the reality of her being chosen, in the river, the blood, her menstruation? Victim? The warnings by Father Costigan, the nature of the texts, the nature of the myths, the sign of the sickle? The death of the firstborn – and Katherine saving the girl?
13.The nature of the truth, Doug’s explanation, the people? The roles of Satan, the roles of God – the plagues, the sacrifices?
14.The firstborn and their deaths, the conflagration, the apocalyptic ending – the quietness of Katherine with the girl, her sense of freedom?
15.Driving in the car, the girl and her support of Katherine – and the talk about the baby? Katherine’s visionary memory?
16.The place of religion in the modern world, audiences for this kind of film, the credibility of religion, of this kind of religion, cult and faith, myths, Satan, images of God?
