Written by Kylie Procita, Video by Negan Fu, Photo courtesy of A24
After being persuaded into seeing the screening of “First Reformed,” by my professor and fellow classmate, I have to say it was well worth one hour and 53 minutes of my time. Paul Schrader wrote and directed the film and took a multitude of risks along the way. Schrader implemented the old school ratio of 4-to-3. This ratio allows for tighter shots, which leads to intense close-ups that further emphasize the emotional turmoil evident throughout this film. Stylistic choices aside, the plot of the movie was fairly simple. Although it did present a plethora of subplots that were never fully developed, and without them the film would have been just as good, if not better.
Ethan Hawke delivers an incredible performance that evokes emotion within the supporting characters and the audience. Hawke plays a pastor that is grappling with his faith. His character gradually loses control as he becomes more aware of the problems in the world as well as how they link to the small community [upstate New York].
“First Reformed,” is upfront in the way it presents dialogue about climate change, politics, and religion. However, it prompts the audience to give their quiet attention and be attentive observers of what the pastor experiences. The film is weighted with heavy dialogue between characters, and the plot develops seemingly at a fast pace. Therefore, the long dialogue scenes offer a repose from the intense plot points that occur frequently. There’s a continual voice-over from Hawke’s character as he reads his journal entries, which adds to the other layers that comprise the film.
The layers that build up to the ending are character development, plot, and dialogue. The ending is quite unexpected and very jolting. It left the audience members in Lucas Theater audibly saying “Wait what? No way.” I am still not quite sure how I feel about the ending. It made sense based on the quirkiness, eeriness, and darkness that dominated the tone of the film. Events leading up to the ending were what I had predicted that the actual ending would be. However, Schrader surprised me as well as the entire audience with the stylistic choice he made. There are no spoilers here, you are just going to have to see the ending for yourself. Besides the incredible acting by Ethan Hawke and Amanda Seyfried and the relevant political and social details tied into the theme of one’s faith, it is worth seeing, just so you can know how Paul Schrader decided to have it end.
