Red State
- 88 minutes. Rated R
Red State, directed by Kevin Smith, is classified as a horror movie (well, maybe if you showed it at the Democratic National Convention…)
“How much do you think that cross costs?”
“You mean in dollars or common sense?”
A group of horny high school kids receive an invitation through a “Craigslist-like” sex website to meet a woman in a nearby town. When they arrive at her trailer, they are drugged and kidnapped by religious fundamentalists. This religious group, led by Abin Cooper (James Parks), believes that homosexuals aren’t people, therefore, it is ok to kill them. They live in a compound in the woods enclosed by a wall to keep evil out; as described in the movie, “Locals call it the big wall of bullshit.” New members are only accepted through family. They begin their church day not with a cup of coffee, but an execution. Their other hobbies include: demonstrating outside of funerals, singing, oh, and training in automatic weapons. A tip from the local sheriff brings Special Agent, Joseph Keenan (John Goodman) and the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) to their door for investigation of firearms, which erupts into a vicious shootout (ironically, a Google search for ATF comes up with a Christian Youth Conference called “Acquire the Fire” as the second search result).
The scariest part of Red State is that this stuff could happen. People like this EXIST. Smith states that the movie is based on the infamous preacher Fred Phelps. These extremists believe that gay people are going to hell and are the embodiment of Satan on Earth. Some are even close to presidential candidates!
Abin quotes the Bible at length to justify the group’s beliefs, such as AIDS is the modern-day pestilence, and New Orleans is being punished with a flood because it is a city of sin. This movie lacked blood and gore, but as the viewer, I was stressed the entire time (I wonder what the movie experience would be like for a fundamentalist?).
As with any Kevin Smith film, it’s all about the dialogue and camera shots. The camera angles were effective, dark, and humorous, especially the scenes with innocent children spouting off ludicrous, extremist doctrine. The most anxiety-ridden scenes have humorous touches too; a hand-made embroidered “no smoking” sign with rainbows in the background of a hostage scene or a ridiculous protest sign that says “pork products, not dudes” during an intense escape. After watching kidnapped sinners be ball-gagged and Saran-wrapped to a cross for execution, it’s not hard to deduce Smith’s stance on this subject.
That being said, I haven’t been totally satisfied with a Kevin Smith movie since Dogma (Sorry, Peter, but he’s becoming a bit of a one-trick pony for me.) Although the movie succeeds in using some sharp one-liners, such as when in the middle of gun fire, Abin asks for a cup of tea, a few of the major dialogue scenes fall flat, including the drawn-out twenty minute sermon by Abin, and the ATF Keenan debriefing. The climax is abrupt, and the viewer feels cheated to hear the ending told by John Goodman, rather than see it. A minor mention of the Patriot Act and corrupt government felt forced and heavy handed. Although, the last line, said by Smith, brings out a chuckle.
I hated all the characters. They were one dimensional, especially my favorite red stapler carrying Sheriff Wynan (Stephen Root), who came off as a stereotypical cheating, weakling cop. I had no empathy for the three hormonal teenagers who wanted to gang-bang some stranger, or for the conscience-ridden soldiers who did not want to gun down crazy zealot women carrying machine guns (one woman had awesome Rambo arm muscles, by the way). I’m not sure what genre this movie is as it is part SWAT action, part teen horror, and part Michael Moore documentary. Towards the end, I wouldn’t have minded the rapture just to get rid of all of them. I’d rather just re-watch Clerks again, or if I wanted something truly scary, Fox news.
Watch this trailer on YouTube, and remember, Preacher Abin says, “the World Wide Web is the devil’s playground.”
