Review of The Shack (2017) by Filipeneto — 26 Mar 2020

The film that explains the essentials about God, from the point of view of most Christians.

All films have their target audience. There are no films designed to please everyone, even the most generalist. This film is, in essence, Christian. Therefore, it will not please atheists or the vast majority of non-Christians, and it does not seem to me to have been designed to convert atheists or other people to a belief or religion. It is a Christian film, yes, but aimed at those who, at least, believe in God and Jesus as His Son. And this is how I think this film should be analyzed, if we are to be fair and rigorous. Of course, I'm a Christian (I'm actually a Roman Catholic) and I go to Mass on Sundays. My view of this film will not be the same as that of a Christian who does not practice his faith collectively, or of a Jew, or of a person who believes in God but has a more Gnostic view, or a more abstract view of Him. Therefore, I will speak only from my perspective.

The script is quite good: Mack was responsible for the death of his violent and alcoholic father; then, already married and father of children, he has his youngest daughter kidnapped, apparently raped and killed by a child molester. Nor was the body found. For all this, Mack blames God, accusing Him, and sinks into his own pain. A while later, he receives a mysterious note, signed by "papa" (as he called God), asking him to meet him at the house where everything happened.

To begin with, the film makes an excellent use of the text and the symbols present in the Bible without, however, sticking too much to the sacred text. One thing I noticed when watching this movie with my girlfriend was that God is truly explained and the film answers a lot of questions and doubts about God and the way He acts. Another thing that is explained is that God is not the cause of evil. People choose evil, and God respects the choices they make. God does not present himself in one form, he can assume the face he wants and he reveals himself in the form of his three distinct people: the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, incarnated in people of both sexes and different ethnicities, symbolizing how universal it is God: God is God of everything and everyone, and loves even those who do not believe in Him. What happens in this film is a whole process in which God acts visibly in a person's life ... it's what we call a miracle.

I confess that I enjoyed seeing Sam Worthington in this film more than in others he did, like the "Titans" films he starred in. I think that here he had more space to show talent, since most of the film is based on dialogues between his character and other characters. Octavia Spencer and Graham Greene embodied God the Father in a masterful way. Israeli Avraham Aviv Alush and Japanese Sumire were equally good at bringing the two other people in the Trinity to life. As I said above, the choice of men and women of different ethnicities to give body to God was intentional and probably shows that God embraces everyone ... I don't think it was a choice based on the politically correct as I have read elsewhere. Anyway, the film is not a dramatic interpretation show, but it has its moments and a committed cast.

I am not a fan of Christian or spiritualist films, but I must recognize that this film has quality. At no time did I feel that I was listening to a Sunday sermon or the film was trying to preach anything. It is not a film made to convert nor was it made for unbelievers, but it is also subject to being loved or hated, rather than understood. But that is the price to pay for taking up such a delicate topic.