"The Believer"
Daniel Balint (Ryan Gosling) belongs to a gang of violence seeking skinheads. He is also, unbeknownst to anyone, a Jew. These two opposing worlds collide when Danny joins a well-organized racist sect led by Lina (Theresa Russel) and Curtis (Billy Zane) who advocate the militant assimilation of the Jews into American society. Daniel, however, desires a more direct and final approach to the "problem" in "The Believer."
This is a powerful story by helmer Henry Bean about a young man who eschews his religious upbringing as a Jew when he questions the tenets of his faith and his rabbi cannot answer the queries. Daniel overcompensates for his change of mind and heart and goes far in the opposite direction, embracing the philosophies of Hitler and Nazism in protest of the Hebrew Faith. What follows is a character study that examines the duality of Daniel's personality and the conflict that the huge philosophical chasm creates for the very intelligent young man.
Ryan Gosling is, in a word, brilliant as the conflicted Daniel. The young actor is articulate and driven by demons as a budding neo-Nazi and commands the screen with his presence. Daniel is a repressed character who, despite his protests against the world's Jewish population (except for the Israelis whom he respects and admires), still embraces his former faith - even as he participates in destroying a local synagogue.
Those supporting the captivating Gosling - Theresa Russell, Billy Zane and Summer Phoenix - pale next to the film's star and title character. Of the three, Phoenix fares best as the knowing young woman who falls for Danny. Russell and Zane are little more than stick figures, especially next to Gosling.
"The Believer" was inspired by the true-life story of Daniel Burros, a member of the Ku Klux Klan in the 60's who committed suicide when the press revealed that he was a Jew. Helmer-scribe Bean updates the tale to present day - if you've ever read anything from Morris Dees' Southern Poverty Law Center you would find out that the skinhead/neo-Nazi problem is more rampant than ever. Making the story contemporary furthers its power and impact.
Several times, while watching "The Believer," another skinhead flick, "American History X," came to mind. The latter flick, in comparison, comes across as a wannabe. The new movie, mainly because of the fabulous acting job by Gosling, the solid, well-told story and tight direction by Henry Bean, is hands above the better film. The photography by Jim Denault is done mostly in close ups and has a claustrophobic feel, though this works well when Ryan Gosling is the camera's subject.
This is top-notch independent filmmaking and should not be missed. I give it a B+.
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