Review of The Believer (2001) by Chris R — 04 Aug 2014

Very much a contemporary of American History X, The Believer is anchored by a powerful multi-faceted performance from a young Ryan Gosling. Whereas Tony Kaye's movie shows racism as a vile disease infecting, sometimes even against the wishes of the sick, those who encounter it, The Believer takes a much more introspective approach. Here Gosling plays Danny, a young man who speaks out fervently against the Jews, going so far as to call for their murder. When asked why he hates them, he simply replies, "I just do." The truth is much deeper then that. Danny himself is Jewish and it's a fact he's both disgusted and ashamed of his heritage. He champions Nazi ideals yet in a very telling scene when he and his fellow Neo-Nazi's raid a Synagogue to plant a bomb and one goes to wreck the Torah, we see Danny insisting they don't touch it. He says the Jews believe it's the word of God, written in fire and in these fleeting moments we see reverence of a religion he claims to despise. Later on, after the Torah is torn we see him tape it and attempt to repair it. Gosling brings a sort of tortured dichotomy to Danny that elevates this beyond it's own narrative weaknesses. This is his movie and he takes center stage, sometimes to the detriment of the other characters. However, because this is such an introspective piece we can forgive the other character weaknesses. This isn't about Neo-Nazis as much as it's about rejection of ones identity and self hate that can grow by dissent.

Earlier in the film, he and his fellow Neo-Nazis are required by a small town court to go to sensitivity training. There they hear horror stories from Nazi Germany from a group of elderly Jewish folks who survived through it. One tells the heart-wrenching story of how he barely survived, but his young three year old was not so fortunate. A solider impaled him on the bayonette of his rifle. Danny is moved by this and tries his best not to show it. His "friend" outright denies it happened, the Holocaust never happened. But Danny knows better and yet, from his outrage it soon turns to anger. He claims that had he been there, he would have done different. He would have killed the soldier. The elderly Jewish people, in comforting the distraught man, say he can't know that because he's never been tested like that.

This movie is Danny's test.