COMMANDMENTS
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.0 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 5/2/97 (limited) Running Length: 1:26 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, sex, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Aidan Quinn, Courteney Cox, Anthony LaPaglia, Louis Zorich, Pamela Gray, Joanna Going, Kevin Dunn Director: Daniel Taplitz Producers: Michael Chinich, Daniel Goldberg, and Joe Medjuck Screenplay: Daniel Taplitz Cinematography: Slavomir Idziak Music: Joseph Vitarelli U.S. Distributor: Gramercy Pictures
COMMANDMENTS, the first major feature from writer/director Daniel Taplitz, is a satire of faith, religion, and hypocrisy. Strangely enough, it's also the most offbeat disaster movie to come along in years (note: that's "disaster movie" not "movie disaster"). In fact, for the price of admission, we're treated to three different manifestations of Mother Nature's wrath: a tornado (not up to TWISTER's visual effects), a violent thunderstorm (with associated lightning strike), and a hurricane (accompanied by Weather Channel graphics). COMMANDMENTS even borrows VOLCANO's tag line -- "The Coast is Toast" -- during a key scene. And there's a dog that makes it through the movie alive (although he loses a leg).
Taplitz obviously intended this to be a black comedy, and, viewed as such, it's reasonably successful. It is also potentially offensive to anyone who considers himself (or herself) a deeply religious person. COMMANDMENTS dares to call God "a raging psychotic" (and mean it) and postulates that the reason he allows suffering is that he's either a fraud or malevolent. A few of the theological questions posed here are ones that fundamentalists tend to sidestep or talk around because they raise disturbing possibilities. And some of the satire is as vicious as it is risky, which may alienate mainstream viewers.
The main character, Seth Warner (Aidan Quinn), was a nice, well- adjusted True Believer -- until God chose him to live a '90s remake of the Book of Job. Within a short time, he lost his wife and unborn child, his home, and his job. When he demands an answer from the Almighty, he gets struck by lightning and ends up in the hospital. While convalescing there, he comes up with an audacious scheme to show his contempt for God. He's going to break every one of the Ten Commandments. When he confesses the plan to his brother-in-law, Harry (Anthony LaPaglia), it doesn't provoke much of a reaction. It seems that Harry routinely breaks five or six commandments a day without much thought. "Get back to me when you start breaking some really serious ones," he says. Meanwhile, Harry's wife, Rachel (Courteney Cox), is far more sympathetic to Seth's circumstances, and it doesn't take long before she becomes his primary target for Commandment #7 ("Thou shalt not commit adultery").
Give Taplitz credit for casting a pair of good-looking actors as the leads. Aidan Quinn and Courtney Cox are appealing and attractive, and they work well together. They also make it all-but-impossible to dislike Seth, despite his radical and potentially-unbalanced stance. COMMANDMENTS occasionally strays a little too far into the romance arena, but I suppose that's designed as a tonic for the cynical perspective embraced by large chunks of the film. Anthony LaPaglia, on the other hand, does a good job in the thankless role as the grim unbeliever (who also happens to be the narrator).
As much as I appreciate COMMANDMENTS' mocking approach to certain aspects of religion, the movie's theology is confused and contradictory. (Some might argue that all religions are defined by these characteristics.) In addition to satirizing belief systems, I think Taplitz is trying to say something positive about faith and God, although I'm not sure what. That, no matter how many commandments you break, if you turn back to The Lord, you will be saved? Perhaps. That knowledge and understanding come through suffering? Maybe. That violating the Ten Commandments opens the Pearly Gates? Unlikely, but not impossible. COMMANDMENTS isn't at all clear about its real feelings about religion, and this creates some serious questions about what the movie's central message is.
Nevertheless, although the mixed signals detract from COMMANDMENTS' basic entertainment value, they don't doom the film. It's still enjoyable in a strange, unorthodox sort of way, and it looks great. (Cinematographer Slavomir Idziak, Kieslowski's longtime collaborator, also worked on DECALOGUE, perhaps the most thought-provoking cinematic exploration of the Ten Commandments.) While the script isn't a masterpiece of twists and surprises, not everything goes as expected, and the audience isn't quite as far ahead of the characters as it initially thinks. For anyone who isn't easily offended and doesn't mind forthright irreverence, COMMANDMENTS is worth checking out -- at least you haven't already seen five movies like it already this year.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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