"Nasty Film Noire"
| None | Light | Moderate | Heavy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | ||||
| Violence | ||||
| Sex | ||||
| Nudity |
What You Need To Know:
Perhaps the only positive element of this movie is its smart authentic art direction. The music is jazzy and reminiscent of other film noir, but it often becomes distracting to the action. Regrettably, most of the action involves sex or violence, or blasphemous remarks by Andy. Also, there seems to be a genuine dislike of Christianity by the filmmaker. The ironic ending of the movie, completing a tidy plot set up at the very beginning, hardly justifies the grisly material in between. THIS WORLD, THEN THE FIREWORKS will fade in a puff of smoke
Content:
(Pa, AB, LL, VVV, SSS, NNN, A, D, M) Pagan worldview of hopeless lives with many anti-Christian elements; 17 obscenities, 7 profanities & multiple blasphemous uses of Scripture; moderate but bloody violence including shootings, attempted rape, beating, & man’s head impaled; several graphic adulterous sexual encounters & prostitution; rear & upper male nudity & upper female nudity; alcohol use; smoking; and, miscellaneous immorality including implied abortion.
More Detail:
Several times a year, a contemporary movie is released that tries to duplicate the intrigue, darkness and underbelly of society that typifies film noir, perfectly exemplified by films of the 1930s and 1940s involving crime stories and private eyes. The most recent attempt at film noire is THIS WORLD, THEN THE FIREWORKS, a title that has no apparent connection with its story. This low budget movie is sure to repel most filmgoers with nasty violence, loveless sex and a very wicked and blasphemous anti-hero, played by THE PHANTOM’S Billy Zane.
Billy Zane and Gina Gershon play siblings, Martin and Carol, who are living fractured lives in 1956. As a child, Andy witnessed his father being killed by a gunshot from his mother’s lover. As an adult, Andy has a difficult time with intimacy and often has outbursts of extreme rage and anger. Unable to hold down a job for very long, Martin goes back to his hometown to be reunited with his sister Carol, who now works as a prostitute, and his mother, played by Rue McClanahan .
As Martin gets and loses a job at the local newspaper, the audience begins to see his almost incestuous interest in his sister, and the completely judgmental and ineffectual influence of his mother. Andy becomes sexually involved with a local policewoman, named Lois (Sheryl Lee), and we quickly realize that she, too, is co-dependant and damaged in her relationships. After Martin brutally kills a private eye who is tailing Carol, he becomes integrally involved in an unknowing duplication of the brutal events of his childhood.
Perhaps the only positive element of this movie is its smart authentic art direction. With cool clothes and cars, it rates convincing despite its low budget. The music is jazzy and reminiscent of other film noir, but it often plays too loud and becomes distracting to the action. Regrettably, most of the action involves sex or violence, or blasphemous remarks by Martin.
There seems to be a genuine dislike of Christianity by the film maker. Both Martin and Carol are desperate, filling their days with meaningless sex. Martin takes time off from his proclivities to misquote Scripture and kill someone. One time, Carol kills someone just by her amorous love making. She also poisons her mother. The ironic ending of the movie, completing a tidy plot set up at the very beginning, hardly justifies the grisly and unbearable material in between. THIS WORLD, THEN THE FIREWORKS will fade in a puff of smoke.
One final post-note: an actress from an evangelical Christian film school performs in this movie. Her presence in this dirty anti-Christian movie is sad. Her decision to be in this movie indicates either a dismissal of her faith, or at least a major compromise. Please pray for Christians in the arts who want to become successful, but also wish to keep their testimony.
- Content: +2Share:
- Content: +1