logo

The Reaping
By Steve Beard

Although it is most well known for bringing comfort and peace, the Bible is surprisingly well-stocked with terrify­ing and grotesque images and stories. Blood, sin, and death are major story elements and become more awkwardly noticeable if you teach the Bible to a young child. For example, while read­ing the Psalms to your fifth grader, it is best to scan ahead lest you inadver­tently proclaim, “The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked…”

Woops.

Hollywood has done its fair share of dipping into the Scriptures to find storylines for supernatural spook flicks. Usually they dwell on the demonic or the end times—allowing for plenty of gore, special effects, and classic good vs. evil sagas. Newly released, The Reaping modified the for­mula by throwing in the ten plagues of the book of Exodus—complete with the lice, locusts, boils, and frogs drop­ping from the sky.

“The first horror stories of all time were in the Bible,” film producer Joel Silver told GOOD NEWS. “And I think this is one of the first ones in the Bible.” Having been the mastermind behind The Matrix, Die Hard, and Lethal Weapon series, it was not surprising to hear him say, “The plagues, what a great idea!”

Academy Award winner Hilary Swank plays Katherine Winter, a professor at Louisiana State University and former ordained minister, whospecializes in debunking religious miracles. Her cynicism and dependence upon the scientific method is mixed with the deep wound of tragically losing her husband and daughter while on the mission field of Sudan.

Having abandoned her Christian faith, she focuses her intellectual prowess on disproving religious phenomena through scientific explanations. With nearly fifty “debunked miracles” under her belt, she is called to investigate a river running through the Bayou town of Haven that has apparently turned to blood. Of course, she is quick to list off possible environmental reasons for the aberration—that is, until the forensic evidence concludes that the river really is running with human blood. Hmmm. So much for the toxic waste explanation.

Katherine’s assistant Ben (Idris Elba) is also a scientist, but clings to the cross around his neck and testifies to being a man of faith and the recipient of a miracle–and he has the bullet hole scars to prove it. Ben is convinced they are witnessing biblical plagues. But Katherine, who one assumes reads the Skeptical Inquirer devotionally, spins an eloquent explanation to deconstruct and explain away the Exodus events of all ten plagues as merely a chain of biological natural events.

Some will find her monologue impressive and convincing, while others will question the odds of such a fantastical sequence of events. In some ways, it takes more faith to be a skeptic. Nevertheless, her presuppositions about the character of God—even his very existence—must reflect her reliance on a mystery-less universe where science and mathematical equations explain the complexities and questions of life.

The seemingly good old-fashioned church-going townsfolk believe that the plagues are being triggered by a spooky little girl who lives in the woods with her poverty stricken family. “A single welfare mom letting her kids run wild,” is how someone describes the situation to Katherine. Is the little girl demonized or is she a victim?

The biblical plague motif is supplemented by a bizarre ancient prophecy involving a cult of darkness and the sacrifice of first borns. As in most films of this variety, there is a tormented Catholic priest who suffers dreadful visions—spiritual signs and warnings—that he interprets to mean that Katherine is in danger.

Although the script is often convoluted and the special effects are overzealous, The Reaping is meant to be a film about skepticism vs. faith, science vs. religion, good vs. evil. In researching her role, Swank read lots of books on debunking myths and miracles, as well as the Bible. When asked where she fell on the faith-skepticism continuum, Swank told GOOD NEWS: “You have to be open to things. I’m kind of down the middle. I’d say that I’m more of an optimist than a skeptic or pessimist in general, but I think it’s interesting to look at all different ways and outlooks.”

The Reaping is a supernatural thriller with elements of horror (The Exorcism of Emily Rose is the best in the genre). It has spine tingling moments and a thought provoking message that make it entertaining for viewers who don’t mind watching the gross parts of Fear Factor on television.

It is always wise to turn to Aquinas, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley, and C. S. Lewis for theological insights and explanations rather than to Hollywood horror films. Nevertheless, discerning viewers who enjoy these kinds of films—Constantine, Bless the Child, The Omen, etc.—will be able to appreciate the battle between faith and skepticism without being vexed by theological imprecision and clumsiness.

Steve Beard is editor of GOOD NEWS. The Reaping is rated R for violence, dis­turbing images, and some sexuality.

Sidebar

If a film like The Reaping is not quite your speed, we recommend The Nativity Story which is now out on DVD.

We were also intrigued by The Last Sin Eater, a Christian film about a young girl who witnesses a mysterious man who “absolves” her grand­mother’s sins by eating bread and wine at her grave. The girl wants the same redemption, but before she dies. In her quest for deliverance, the girl uncovers a dark secret—but also discovers the true source of salvation.

Everyone’s Hero is about ten-year-old Yankee Irving who embarks on a cross-country journey in order to retrieve the stolen bat of Babe Ruth during the 1932 World Series. During his adventure, Yankee learns the importance of perseverance and the true meaning of friendship.



Click here to send your response plus the title of this article to us at Good News.

Good News | 308 East Main St. | P.O. Box 150 | Wilmore, KY 40390 | 859-858-4661 | 1-800-487-7784
info@goodnewsmag.org | About Us | ©2007 Good News magazine