Another Blog Post Titled "The Apostle"

At first, I wasn't quite sure how I felt about "the Apostle." I knew I found Robert Duvall's character to be very interesting and much more dynamic than most; I'd had mixed feelings about him and his actions (for instance, when he fought Billy Bob Thorton outside of the church, part of me was laughing, another was frowning, and a third was cheering him on along with the congregation. I think the most surprising aspect of all is how many times I was in question, especially in the beginning scene alone ( Who is the little boy being dragged into the church; if this is the 1930's at this point, why is he in a church where he's the only white person? Who's the woman who's dragging him in? Who is the preacher and what is his significance in this scene? and etc.) I think once the movie had me asking so many questions, it had me engaged into the story and this character.

It also got me thinking about Sonny's behavior and complete openness to unashamedly acknowledge God in his life around other people who he'd just met, as though simply talking about the weather. I wondered if (since he'd baptized himself as an Apostle,) the Apostles of the New Testament would have acted like what we were seeing; a guy joyfully in whatever work he did, driven to do what he felt God wanted him to do, or go where He wanted him to go, yet ready to have a fist fight when feeling threatened, or dating a woman he liked. This Juxtaposition of character was what gave Sonny this kind of believable reality, as though I could literally meet someone on the street someday like this guy ( if I were in the South, that is ).

I also feel like this gives insight to the characters in the bible that we paralleled him to; through Sonny's story and character, those of the bible, such as David or Gideon or Samson, sort of come to life as more concrete; A more detailed picture of them, though not complete, is painted and applied.

I have to admit, though, I was skeptical of Sonny's character till the very end; I didn't fully have my mind made up about weather or not I trusted what he had been saying and his true motives behind everything until he told the younger man he was "goin' to jail" and willingly left, then was still praising God and sharing Him with the "chain gang." I think when he gave that final part of the sermon and said that God was watching all of them and himself, was where I started to actually believe he may be totally accepting of going because it's where he was supposed to be, where God would have him at that time.

Anyhow, I definitely plan on seeing this movie again; I feel like it has so much more to offer that I missed.