First Reformed (2017)
“Reverend Toller often quotes Thomas Merton, battling between this seemingly contradictory struggle of hope and despair. First Reformed is visually mesmerizing, forcing the viewer to soak in everything on the screen. Hawke is a subtle but powerful force to be reckoned with, giving a performance that should be remembered. But more than that, First Reformed is a carefully weaved warning for Christians to stop trying to create their own form of convenient Christianity. One cannot pick and choose the commands of God they wish to follow. The various film techniques that Schrader uses are ones he admits to having picked out from film history, most notably the levitation scene that he took from Andrei Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice. These various styles that Schrader employs give the film a truly unique feel and contribute strongly to why First Reformed is my favorite film of 2018.”
This is what I wrote about First Reformed after its wide release in 2018. The film has stuck with me in a way that I cannot quite put into words. Its impact has left me viewing it multiple times, always finding something new to take away from it.
At its very core, First Reformed is about the faith of Reverend Toller. At one point Toller muses, “Courage is the solution to despair, reason provides no answers. I can't know what the future will bring; we have to choose despite uncertainty. Wisdom is holding two contradictory truths in our mind, simultaneously, Hope and despair. A life without despair is a life without hope. Holding these two ideas in our head is life itself.” This quote sets the viewer up for the spiritual battle about to ensue as Toller grapples with the suicide of someone attending his church. This spiritual battle leaves Toller spiraling as he tries to understand why the world seems to be in open rebellion towards what God has called us to.
The film is a powerful one. It asks difficult questions and suggests difficult answers. And while these questions and answers are not always right ones (I by no means think this is a perfect film), I do think they offer valuable warnings for the believer who struggles to understand why there must be hope in the midst of despair. Perhaps in the midst of current events, we should be asking ourselves similar questions. Is there only despair left, or can we find hope in the midst of this hardship?
First Reformed would say, “Maybe…maybe not.”