If you're either very religious or not at all this film might find a way to offend you. Just the thought that God-fearing Christians would deliberate 'visions of commandments of sacrifice' would be offensive to both God-fearing Christians AND atheists. But regardless we have to admit this is how some people in the world would ACTUALLY behave, and more people than we like to admit.
Yet in the end I was not left with any religious impressions - mainly just a very strong one of parental love. In the end I could believe that the father had been through torture (psychological and/or divine) and chosen to save his beloved daughter. I was disappointed a bit by the ending I must admit, to think that the director would end with something as ridiculous as an actual prophesied apocalypse is nothing short of thick in this day and age, and somewhat demeans the whole parental love motif that was going on, but at the same time, perhaps it heightens it. I don't know, and for that alone (for who cares about cinematography, score and whatnot when there's controversy afoot) I give it 6 stars.
The father having made his sacrifice, one has to wonder at the look of fear in the mother's eyes at the end and think, would she have done the same, and what would she do now?
Yet in the end I was not left with any religious impressions - mainly just a very strong one of parental love. In the end I could believe that the father had been through torture (psychological and/or divine) and chosen to save his beloved daughter. I was disappointed a bit by the ending I must admit, to think that the director would end with something as ridiculous as an actual prophesied apocalypse is nothing short of thick in this day and age, and somewhat demeans the whole parental love motif that was going on, but at the same time, perhaps it heightens it. I don't know, and for that alone (for who cares about cinematography, score and whatnot when there's controversy afoot) I give it 6 stars.
The father having made his sacrifice, one has to wonder at the look of fear in the mother's eyes at the end and think, would she have done the same, and what would she do now?