The Believer (2001)
The Acting Student’s Acting Movie
If I were ever to compile a list of movies for aspiring actors wanting to learn how to play complex characters, then I would put The Believer at its top. Ryan Gosling, in one of his earlier performances, is absolutely brilliant as a self-hating Jew turned neo-Nazi. The immense depth that Gosling achieves in his portrayal allows for an actually enjoyable viewing of a film with a difficult subject matter. Essentially, Gosling makes it a lot easier to understand a character that does not understand himself. While that may sound paradoxical (I know), the film is in fact a character study on a very convoluted person.
Based on the true story of a prominent KKK member discovered to be Jewish by a New York Times reporter, The Believer centers around Danny Balint (Ryan Gosling) and his inner struggle between heritage and belief. Once a very smart Yeshiva student, Danny constantly argued and looked for contradictions in his religion. He grew up to be a neo-Nazi and slowly worked his way into somewhat of an elite group of anti-Semites. Yet once he began being groomed to be the new face of the organization, he started going through serious inner turmoil about his beliefs.
The film is no cinematographic masterpiece and the production value reeks of late 1990s–early 2000s lower-budget cinema. However, Gosling does a hell of a performance, as does Summer Phoenix. A memorable scene, for example, is when Danny wraps himself in a Tallit under his shirt while vigorously doing the Nazi salute. Gosling manages to capture the pure contradiction that revolves around the film and fills the protagonist. He is so articulate in his performance that I became frightened and oddly absorbed by his anti-Jew speeches throughout the movie. It is haunting, intriguing, and cringing all at the same time.
The script is extremely well polished for the content at hand. It doesn’t just play out as a character study, but as a film about anti-Semitism and self-resentment. There are constant references and allusions to the Torah as the film intimately teaches its audience about Judaism. While director Henry Bean takes the chance to educate on an oppressed people, he more importantly attempts to study the figures that do the oppressing. Let’s face it, it takes a lot for a Jew to turn into a Nazi, so the rationale behind obviously becomes a large part of the film.
The movie may be tough at times for certain viewers, but that should not deter anyone from watching it. The ending alone is so beautifully constructed that I had to rewatch the film again right afterwards. Without giving too much away, I can say that the end is presented in a perfectly ambiguous manner. It’s the kind of ending that modern filmmakers and writers love to utilize; you will cry and you will get angry, but more than anything you will think.
Perhaps the film’s subject matter is a little outdated, but it’s rare to come across such an intellectually compelling work. Even if it leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, you will remember this movie like you remember a strange recurring dream. The dream that frightens you, but also makes you miss it when it’s over and gone. The Believer is available in instant streaming on Netflix, and I strongly urge you to go watch it, if only to witness one of the greatest acting performances of the last twenty years.
— Ilya Kundin
