What makes a person who they are? Is it what they are born into or is it what they make themselves into? Do we define ourselves? These are some of the many questions that
The Believer tries to explore in its exploration of character Daniel Balint, a raised orthodox Jew who becomes a Neo-Nazi. I took a course recently, Theologians Under Hitler, where we explored the culture and religion behind the Nazi movement so I was very interested in the subject matter. It is a subject that need careful handling and cannot just be used loosely or else it will come across as an insult; like
Life Is Beautiful came across. This was not the only reason I wanted to watch this indie flick from Henry Bean, it was also one of the earliest performances from the astonishing Ryan Gosling. I am a huge fan of his with some of his best performances that include
Blue Valentine, Crazy Stupid Love, Half Nelson, Lars and the Real Girl, and of course
Drive. I always enjoy seeing great actors and actresses roots and see what made them into the superstars that they are; see also Michael Fassbender and
Hunger. So read on if you want to see my thoughts on
The Believer...
The Believer follows the tale of Daniel Balint, a passionate Neo-Nazi who is vocal and physical about his beliefs. What makes Daniel stands out from most Neo-Nazis is that he is born Jewish and was raised in a Yeshiva yet still is one of the most anti-semitic characters on film. From the beginning as Daniel physically assaults a Jewish male he sees on the subway, to raising to power in a Fascist organization in hope to being it to America. While Daniel rises, his inner struggle between his people and his beliefs becomes harder and tougher to deal with. Will Daniel be able to live with his beliefs and his heritage? Will the Fascist organization rise to any power or will Daniel sympathize with his Jewish people?
