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The Apostle (1997)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
1/15, 4/19
1/15:
Robert Duvall wrote the screenplay for The Apostle in six weeks during the 80's because the traveling evangelist
was a role that he found interesting and most wanted to perform.
After winning the Oscar for Tender Mercies, Robert Duvall shopped his work around
Hollywood to get the funding he needed but to no avail. About fifteen years later, he finally decided to put up his own money
to fund and direct it. The results depicting the power of faith couldn't have been more astonishing.
From the get-go, The Apostle seemed like a revival of Elmer Gantry. It's impossible
to forget Burt Lancaster's fiery performance, and I could never think anyone should dare to emulate him again. But it's
not that kind of picture which makes a mockery of the church and its hypocrisy. Instead, it's a pure spiritual awakening with
insights into the churchgoing culture of the Deep South. There are many scenes that are extremely moving. Robert Duvall is very
sincere about it with nothing overdone.
The soliloquial language Robert Duvall's character engages in isn't overbearing or tedious; on the contrary, it's reassuring,
positive, and soothing. What's fascinating is he became this character and never separated himself.
To achieve realism, not many in the cast are professional actors as they're first-timers in order to show an accurate representation
of the typical churchgoing members.
Although there are many good performances, Rick Dial as Elmo is the best of them; his presence and mannerisms elevate
the film by a level because he believes in what he's seeing around him and soaks it all in. Walton Goggins is excellent
and has a dramatic moment during the long sermon scene at the end. Farrah Fawcett is a surprise choice as the
wife, and she does a terrific job. The woman who plays Sonny's mother is Johnny Cash's wife. John Beasley,
Miranda Richardson, and Billy Bob Thornton round out the rest.
There are similar parallelisms between the lead characters of Schindler's List and
The Apostle. Oskar Schindler was a member of the Nazi party who threw lavish parties, wooed women, and procured favors
to get his wartime business off the ground. At the same time, he contradicted everything about himself by saving the Jewish from
perishing in the Holocaust. At the end, his goodness won out over his badness.
Similarly, Sonny is a cheating womanizer who killed a man and skips town to evade the authorities. On a mission from Texas,
he goes to a small town in Louisiana to start up a small church, give stirring sermons, donate food and provisions, and
bring positive energy to the townsfolk. Finally, he's arrested for murder and is sent away for good. Hence, there seems to
be a question if he did enough to show his goodness had overcome his badness. Obviously, there's a great need for him to
repent his sins.
During the first hour, I was skeptical whether it was going to be Elmer Gantry or perhaps
Leap of Faith all over again. But as soon as I got into the spiritual awakening, Robert
Duvall won me over with his performance and his frankness about the subject. Thanks to Elmo's radio commentary, the film reaches
the zenith during the moving conversion scene with Billy Bob Thornton's character. The final sermon scene is brilliant to give
it a fitting finish.
All in all, The Apostle is one of the best, most unconventional films I've seen, and it's an overpowering work that
Robert Duvall should be proud of.
4/19:
The Apostle paints a complex picture of a religion-obsessed criminal who uses the power of faith to move human beings.
It was Robert Duvall's own idea to document the religious practices of the Deep South. He wrote the screenplay during the 80's and
shopped it around for studio approval but after finding no takers, paid for it with his own money by directing and starring
in the film.
As authentic as many scenes are, the people involved are real-life ministers, faith healers, gospel singers, and
congregation members. The cast is incredible which includes Farrah Fawcett, June Carter Cash, Billy Bob Thornton, John Beasley,
Miranda Richardson, Walton Goggins, and Rick Dial. There are many great moments, but my two favorites are when Sonny entered
the church to make a $100 contribution and Elmo's reporting of the bulldozer incident that ended with Sonny kneeling down
with the troublemaker.
Recently, I read a book by Thomas Sowell entitled Black Rednecks and White Liberals, and he talked
about the white cracker culture and how the South treated religion by making an emotional showsmanship out of it without much of
calm, straight talk to interpret Bible stories. Hence, there's a lot of it that's shown in the film.
All in all, The Apostle tells a riveting story of loss, faith, perseverance, rebuilding, and justice.