Cardinal Points

Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Fuse

The Bible has made its way onto the big screen again.

This time it is accompanied by an original idea rather than a carbon copy of a best-selling book.

"The Reaping" paints a modern picture of the 10 plagues depicted in the Old Testament - water to blood, frogs, lice, flies, disease on livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and death of the firstborns.

These plagues were sent by God to persuade the Egyptians to free their Hebrew slaves and give up their sinful ways.

This picture is one of thought provoking quality and conviction and further confirms the idea that movie-goers look to movies for explanation of their innermost fears and troubles.

One of the most evident fears in the world is that of vengeance from above and this movie capitalizes on this fear to the fullest extent, almost to the point of mocking it.

"The Reaping", yet another addition to the list of movies based around the end of the world, takes place in a small town of devout Christians who seek the help of Katherine Winter, played by Hillary Swank.

The town's water supply has become a vibrant red color and many of the residents believe this to be the beginning of the end.

Winter fits into this picture because she has left her former job as a Christian missionary to pursue a career in finding scientific explanations for religious phenomenon.

As the movie progresses, Winter and her colleague Ben, played by Idris Elba, who is a fantastic contrast to Winter's persona due to his open faith, investigate the red river and soon become rooted in a series of events that seem to follow the scripture of the plagues word for word.

A family of local outcasts are soon the focus of all of the blame and Winter makes it her prerogative to debunk the happenings and clear the family's record.

Winter soon realizes this is much more than anything she had ever encountered before.

"The Reaping" does an amazing job at appealing to the senses and emotions of viewers.

Each plague becomes very real, as the words that many of us have read are illustrated in front of our eyes.

From the river of human blood filled with frogs that have fallen from the sky to an entire population becoming covered in puss filled boils, it is all believable.

Too bad there is more to a movie than just visual stimulation.

While Swank and Elba do a commendable job on the roles they were given by making their personas and living styles evident, the script writing is very shallow and leaves much to the imagination.

Continued...

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