This Wednesday will see the start of a new film festival, sponsored by a newly formed University Contracted Independent Organization. The Blackbox Society, dedicated to but not limited to the art of blacks at the University and in the Charlottesville community, presents "Forgive Me Father," a film by one of the society's board members, Californian filmmaker Ivan Rogers.
"Forgive Me Father," directed by and starring Rogers as Virgil Garrett, is the tale of an ex-mob assassin turned priest who seeks revenge against the organized crime family that killed his doctor brother, Clarence (Alexander Hill).
The movie opens with a lone character whose face remains covered by shadow. The narrator begins speaking, leaving viewers anxious to see the features of the shadowed figure and comprehend how the narrator's words apply to the movie. Unfortunately, the narrative lasts too long and viewers' anxiety soon turns to boredom.
Rogers takes a huge gamble by introducing all of the characters under a shadow before revealing their faces, and he loses. This would have been a good technique for introducing the "bad guys," but since the shadows are grossly overused, their mysterious nature loses intrigue.
This delayed introduction of characters also makes some of the film's scenes seem excruciatingly long. The scenes drag with, although brilliant, overpowering musical scores; once each scene reaches its peak, the viewer is left thinking, "That's it?"
For example, one scene shows a drug deal going sour. The music and tension build, leaving one to think there's going to be a murder. Instead, the up and coming mob boss, Tony Ransom (Chris Elbert) waits until his connection turns his back, then gives him a heart felt finger. Whoa, what a climax!
The plot, although interesting, relies on background history of the characters, delivered sloppily through weak dialogue and vague flashbacks. We learn that Clarence and Virgil Garrett's mother died when they were young, leaving them with only each other. Yet, the inspirations that turned Clarence to medicine and Virgil to assassination never are revealed.
The even more irrepressible question -- why a mob hit man would become a priest and then quickly (and without guilt) go back to his old life -- isn't answered until the end of the film. Once the answer is given, I didn't really care anymore.
"Forgive Me Father" is slightly humorous, though unintentionally so. The crime family that Garrett is hunting down seems no more than a satire of the Corleone family. Tony is the young trigger-happy son of Frank (Charles Napier), the head of the Ransom family. Tony is trying to take over the family's business. Yet, Elbert's and Napier's performances left me laughing at times when I should have been cringing.
This isn't entirely Elbert's and Napier's fault. The film's screenplay has created the whiniest, most pathetic mobsters I've ever seen on screen. And although this could have been an ingenious way to convey the different layers that exist within criminals, I think that would give the screenwriters too much credit.
For example, the mobsters have whole conversations using nothing but curse words, then in the following scene deliver eloquent soliloquies. Furthermore, Napier and Elbert fail to portray any transitions between emotional extremes. Perhaps this is supposed to make their characters seem unpredictably scary. Instead, it only makes them come across as superficial, even comical.
The screenplay also leaves little room for Rogers to depict the inner turmoil one would think a priest might have when murdering people. Rogers' character quotes scripture and gives his victims the chance to repent, but he himself never does.
Also, in the great tradition of action flicks, the movie's dialogue is extremely corny, and certain aspects of the film are completely unrealistic.
Fortunately, all is not lost with "Forgive Me, Father." Rogers' quick and sweeping camera shots do a great job of presenting the landscape of the scenes. But the filmmakers would have been better off if they had just understood that moderation is the key.
Garrett could have come across as more mysterious and intriguing if shadows were used only for him. Also, if more emphasis had been placed on plot and character development and less on prolonged action sequences, the film would have been much more successful.
That said, if you're planning to check out "Forgive Me Father" with the intention of leaving it with a better understanding of human nature, you will be somewhat disappointed. But if you are expecting an action flick with a decent plot, then this is the movie for you.
"Forgive Me Father" marks the start of a hopefully ongoing minority-focused film festival. Next semester, the Blackbox Society hopes to bring student theatrical work to the screen, and to develop workshops that will be open to the public.
Named after the blackbox style of theater, which is versatile and open in its structure, the Society hopes to accommodate all types of performances and audiences, starting with Wednesday's film. The screening is free and open to the public.
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