First Reformed
Craft a thoughtful, two and a half page critique of the 2017 drama First Reformed. Unlike a film summary or review, a sufficient submission neither restates the plot verbatim nor is it comprised largely of the viewer’s personal opinion of the motion picture. Instead, a film critique is an academic essay which briefly summarizes and then critically evaluates the value and/or merit of the work in question
Offer your personal and/or critical opinion of the film (be sure to mention the film’s title, director, key actors and the year it was released).
Briefly summarize the plot of the film (Do NOT exceed two summary paragraphs)
Discuss in detail how well the film engages with both our modern age of crisis and the fear of the unknown. First Reformed is a film which centers on the idea of overlapping crisis (a concept which has come to define our current moment in history). The film shift thematically between personal philosophical crisis and the existential crisis of climate change. Additionally, First Reformed is an embittered look at the world through the eyes of a character who’s increasingly horrified to be a part of it. Lastly, I encourage you all to seek out existing film criticism of First Reformed as a way of increasing your understanding of how to read and write effective cultural criticism.
Sample Solution
First Reformed is a 2017 drama film written and directed by Paul Schrader. The lead character, Reverend Ernst Toller (played by Ethan Hawke), is the pastor of a small Dutch Reform Church in upstate New York. While struggling to maintain his congregation and grappling with guilt from his past, he befriends Mary (Amanda Seyfried), a pregnant environmental activist whose husband had just killed himself over their shared concerns about the state of our planet’s environment.
The plot follows Reverend Toller's spiritual and physical journey as he begins to confront both his personal crisis, as well as the larger climate change related issues that Mary presents him with. As Mary confronts him about her fears for the future and her distress over how little action has been taken to protect it, Toller must confront not only his own mortality but also society's recent apathy towards ecological destruction. This leads Toller into a conflict between faith and despair that drives much of the movie's narrative tension.
While First Reformed might seem like an overly stark reflection on our present-day anxieties, there are several points in its story arc where hope gleams through – especially when we consider its characters' relationship to nature itself. In this respect, First Reformed brings attention to one of our most pressing modern crises – namely that faith in ourselves can often falter during conditions of extreme uncertainty or fear for the unknown future ahead – while also giving us glimmers of hope along the way. It does so primarily through its exploration of human relationships; both those held between individual characters such as Reverend Toller & Mary, and those which exist between each character and their natural surroundings - whether they be positive or negative connections - which ultimately prove vital in helping them come to terms with their current predicaments within this world they inhabit together.
Overall, First Reformed is a thought-provoking example of contemporary filmmaking which succeeds at engaging viewers within today’s global culture shift towards anxiety concerning an ever growing list of potential catastrophes both near and far away from home: economic downturns; species extinction; terrorism; war… Yet despite all these meaningful topics tackled throughout this film’s runtime it still manages to end on an uplifting note involving acts selfless love which help move the story beyond mere pessimism or despair; concluding instead on something perhaps more akin to acceptance than anything else.[?] By tackling philosophical issues head-on via nuanced yet impactful storytelling techniques First Reformed joins ranks alongside other noteworthy works focused on questions relating existential angst or dread being felt across our modern age such as . . . [list other movies/books/etc.]