With a host of Biblical films about to flood our cinema screens this year and which will achieve absolutely nothing except to drown the careers of such luminaries as Darren Aronofsky and Ridley Scott I've been viewing a few Christian films recently . All of them are exceptionally dreadful and nothing more than propaganda pieces , some of which aren't a million miles away from the tone and agenda of THE ETERNAL JEW so it's nice to see an intelligent film especially an American one criticising religion and its hardcore followers . THE REPLACEMENT CHILD is one such film
Some people , especially in Europe might be taken aback that in America people might rely on the power of prayer to combat illness , but the story is obviously taking place in the heartland of the Bible belt . I've never visited America or its notorious Bible belt but my parents have as have many people I know and their abiding memory is of the rigid blatant ecclesiastical dronings of the inhabitants there whose religious conviction is only matched by their ignorance of both science and what is happening in the rest of the world . Perhaps even more scary is that these Bible thumpers have got both the vote and easy access to guns . Be afraid but be proud of the secular nature of Europe . I'm starting to sound like a party political broadcast for The Richard Dawkins Party but you can easily believe scenario put forward because it could easily be based on truth so it's certainly not as far fetched as it might first seem
What is interesting is that the story's hero Todd Turnball is open to interpretation . There's two ways of looking on him . One is that he possesses true Christian spirit and dogma doesn't overwhelm his humanist compassion in always doing the right thing . The other view . which is mine , is that he's simply an agnostic but isn't allowed to state this due to the unbending religious environment of his peers . who hate him to begin with because he's been in jail . So much for Christian forgiveness but one wonders is this might not be to get the audience on Todd's side . As it stands this aspect is perhaps a little over done . It's not like he had a guest role in TO CATCH A PREDATOR or something similar . THE REPLACEMENT CHILD might be a little bit forced but is a very involving thought provoking drama
