As a writer, my reaction to something well written (be it play, movie, novel, poem, advertising copy...) is usually "Dang! I wish I had written that!" It was on my lips as I left the movie theater after watching the movie Freetown (and in the back of my head for the two hours prior).
One thing I loved was how seeds of future actions or plot turns were carefully sewn into the script without feeling forced or out of place. For instance, a fun scene illustrating street contacting in Monrovia effortlessly establishes that an elder is having a hard time with a cold contact approach to proselyting ("opening your mouth"). This elder later opens his mouth at just the right time, which was immensely satisfying. Little moments like that are found throughout the movie, making it feel like all of the little threads have a through-line.
The journey of the movie is both a physical journey to Freetown and a spiritual journey for the man charged with keeping the missionaries safe. This charge bookends the events in the movie and spurs him on in the physical journey, which moves him along in his spiritual journey too. Issues of faith and practicality are the central struggle in the story but the script doesn't sermonize. A well placed word or phrase (or no words at all) speak more than a monologue could. The write trusted the powerful images on the screen and did not let the characters talk more than they ought to.
The movie shines in many aspects, of course, (not just the writing) and the story itself (a true one) is incredibly compelling. There were shots that created images not soon forgotten--the line of baptismal candidates queued up beneath the lookout holding a semi-automatic rifle, the convert on the bus with religious icons on the window behind her, the return of one man when two were expected (with just the closing of the door and no words). It felt like every shot was rich with information about life in Africa, life as an African missionary, and life as an African Latter-Day Saint. My heart thrilled to see their faith and courage.
The only complaint I had (besides wondering sometimes why no one thought to barter with those big, shiny watches they were wearing) was that there was one character we don't quite see safely to the end of his story. Those of you who have watched the movie might know who I'm talking about. The rest of you should stop reading right now because I won't be able to rest until I know......
What happened to our LDS rebel friend?? I half expected him to come tumbling out of the car on the ferry but he was nowhere to be seen. I love that he made his stand at the end, but he still seems very unsettled to me. Where did he go? What were the consequences of his bold action? Earlier we are given to believe that helping the missionaries would have dire consequences but the bad guy seems so thwarted at the end that I don't feel like his threat is credible anymore and yet I don't know for sure that this is the case. Also, the rebel is asked several times to join the group fleeing but he chooses to stay with the rebel group. Then he breaks with the rebels but doesn't join the fleeing group? Perhaps this is a minor point, but it stands out as a loose thread when all other threads are so beautifully tied off.
Overall, this was a highly engaging film. I enjoyed watching it and encourage you to do the same. This film with stick me for a long time (and not just because I dearly wish I had been the one to write it).
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