LEGION

US, 2010, 100 minutes, Colour.
Paul Bettany, Lucas Black, Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Adrianne Palicki, Charles S. Dutton, Kevin Durand, Jon Tenney, Willa Holland, Kate Walsh, Doug Jones.
Directed by Scott Stewart.

A weird one this one! And how weird it is.

In recent years, we have seen lots of strange angels in our pop movies. What about Christopher Walken in the Prophecy series? What about Keanu Reeves and Tilda Swinton in Constantine? And a small-budget thriller from Australia which has some theme similarities to Legion, a film called Gabriel? This time it is Paul Bettany as Michael the Archangel.

The screenwriters have been dipping into biblical sources as well as movie traditions. Michael arrives on earth as the film opens and offers a strange theology, that God has got sick of the human race (as happened at the time of the flood) and is ready to destroy it by sending loyal angels to do the job (rather brutally with a nod to George A Romero's Living Dead horror movies). (The heroine tells us a story from her mother who had lost faith in God after family tragedies – she still believed in God but thought that God had become tired of the all the human bullshit – and repeats this unusually phrased thought at the end.) The opening quote from the Psalms speaks of the fear of God, but it is interpreted as being afraid of God rather than its actual meaning of being in awe of and reverence for God.

Then we find that Michael has disobeyed God and is saving the life of a child about to be born (the date the film opens is December 23rd) of a single mother who does not know who the father is. The young man at the service station in the isolated Mojave desert is called Jeep (Yank for Joseph, perhaps, although the mother is surprisingly called Charlie). Thus the Gospel references.

However, this mother of a saviour who will lead the human race in hope has more than several echoes of the Terminator films. So a pot-pouri of angelology, theology, with lots of movie references (the TV is showing It's a Wonderful Life where Clarence is telling George Bailey he is wanting to earn his wings – Michael has just cut off his to identify with the humans). Assault on Precinct 13 and other siege films (like Westerns) come to mind as the final group of humans, with the mother of the saviour, defend themselves from angel/diabolic attack as they surround the service station.

The director acknowledges the sources but says the film is not about religion (though many groups in the US who have an apocalypse now or soon point of view may think it is). Rather, the film is an exercise in movie religionism!

This is one of those films that seems preposterous even as it tries to ground itself in serious sources. The only thing to do is to sit back and enjoy the siege and Michael, the angel warrior, trying to protect the human race – and does final battle with a steely-winged Gabriel. If this seems too impossible to sit through, fair enough. It's just a concoction. But, as usual, apocalypse happens in the US and the saviour is, of course, American. That thought is not particularly theological!

1.The popularity of angels and demons films? The style of the graphic novel?

2.The bases for the screenplay in the Scriptures, in a theology of the fear of God, Noah and the flood, the Apocalypse, the infancy narratives of the Gospels? Imagination of angels? Michael and Gabriel? The influence of the story of the Terminator? Blending these ingredients?

3.The atmosphere, the visuals, dark and light, the end of the human race? The musical score and its tone?

4.The title, angels, battle?

5.The apocalypse and saviours – always in the United States? The Mojave Desert?

6.Michael descending from Heaven, his mission to destroy the human race, destroy the potential Saviour Child? God’s plan, wanting destruction, irritated with humans? His cutting off his wings, sewing up the wounds? Travelling through California? The child, finding the child, arriving at the service station? Taking control? Protector?

7.The date of December the twenty-third, Charlie’s voice-over, her story about her mother, belief in God, suffering family tragedies, still believing in God – but God was tired of human behaviour? The resume of this story at the end?

8.The service station, isolated, the desert? The realistic atmosphere? The explanation of the isolation of the service station, the supermarket and buildings? Bob and his management? His character, his relationship with Jeep, his son? Jeep as a good man? Bob and the work, protection, concern? The joke with the television showing It’s a Wonderful Life and Clarence wanting to get his angel’s wings? Charlie and her work, the pregnancy, the set-up for the apocalyptic siege?

9.The Anderson family, mother and father, Audrey, her flaunting herself? The car breaking down? The family wanting to move on, blaming Audrey for having to move? Trying to protect her? The parents and their arguing?

10.The human race being destroyed, the electricity going off, lack of communication? The effect of the Apocalypse and the siege of the service station?

11.The various customers, the angels in human disguise, their vengeance, surrounding the service station? The car, the child, Charlie wanting to help? Howard going out, the threats? His injuries, the care, his death? The announcing of the final times with the old lady, her vile mouth, her behaviour, crawling across the roof? Destruction? The bells for the ice cream man, his approach, turning into a monster? Destruction?

12.Howard and his going out, Audrey and her change of heart, the mother and her fear, the reconciliation with Audrey? Wanting to sacrifice Charlie and the child to save themselves? Death?

13.Charlie, having contemplated an abortion, deciding to have the child, not knowing who the father was? Michael wanting her not to risk anything? The defence? The birth experience, joy, Jeep and his protection?

14.Jeep, a pleasant young man, innocent, hardworking, protective of Charlie, interactions with his father? The build-up to the final fight, Charlie and the child protected by him?

15.Kyle, his arrival, the phone calls, the child custody issue, his having a gun, the electricity going off, his helping, his death?

16.Bob, Percy, Percy and his goodness, helping with the station, the meals, his heroism and death? Bob, on guard, sleeping, the final heroics?

17.The angels converging, the battles, the fire, the destruction of the station? Jeep, Charlie and the baby escaping, the vehicle? The chase, Gabriel’s confrontation, Michael saving them? The cliff, the fall, their not dying?

18.Gabriel and his appearance, finishing God’s mission, the metallic wings, the battle with Michael?

19.Jeep, the presence of Michael, transformation – and protector of the Saviour?

20.Themes of God, vindictiveness and vengeance, destruction of the human race, the possibilities for some redemption, the child and the future?