Mid Week Movie Review

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    When I was a growing up, nothing really good came out of Russia except Mikhail Baryshnikov. Back then, it was the USSR, but most people called it the Soviet Union. Whatever it was called, Russia evoked fear and dread. Chernobyl, the KGB, War and Peace—these were the subjects of nightmares. But it's different now. There are some really cool things going on in Russia. Maria Sharapova was the most Googled athlete last year. Prime Minister Valdimir Putin shoots tigers. Well, maybe that's not exactly cool, but it is macho. And now Russia is making crazy science fiction movies. Thanks to Kevin Tracy, who mentioned this movie on his blog, I have become a fan of Russian sci-fi. This movie has it all and, as a bonus, it's full of Christian themes and imagery. The hard part this week is writing a blog about it and not a novel. Oh, yeah. That's been done already.

    Night Watch (R) is a high speed, science fiction, fantasy film based on a series of books by Russian writer Sergei Lukyanenko. In Lord of the Ring's style, the story begins centuries ago with a battle between the Warriors of Light and the Warriors of Darkness. When it becomes clear that they will destroy each other, a truce is called. Each side forms a watch force composed of "Others", humans with supernatural powers, to insure the truce is kept. With both sides policing each other for truce violations, the balance between good and evil remains equal. In present day Moscow, the balance becomes threatened when Anton Gorodetsky (Konstantin Khabenskiy) hires a witch to help him reunite with his estranged wife. The witch informs Anton that, if he consents, his wife will return but her unborn child will be killed. At the moment Anton agrees, he slips into a place called the Gloom where he sees the Light Others arresting the witch for her crimes. He discovers, by accident, that he, too, is an Other. He chooses to join the Light Others and becomes a policeman on the Night Watch. Twelve years later, while hunting vampires, Anton finds his son Yegor (Dmitri Martynov). He also discovers a woman named Svetlana who has been cursed with a vortex of doom. Anton has to use all his strength and skill to save his son and stop the woman from destroying the world.

     In the beginning I was reluctant to write about this movie. I will say that this is not a movie for small children. In fact, I think they will be terrified and have nightmares for weeks. In light of the Twilight popularity, though, I think teenagers will probably love it. I don't think they will be bothered much by the language, and after a few minutes, they will get used to subtitles anyway. I should mention that there is obscene language and one scene of brief frontal nudity. On the whole, though, I believe the entire film can be viewed from a Christian perspective. I was troubled by only one concept—the idea that good and evil must remain in balance or equal. This idea is, in fact, antithetical to Christianity. Keeping that in mind, I still enjoyed the movie and believe that Christians can find ample discussion topics. I think most viewers can pick up on obvious themes like abortion, free will, and good vs. evil. But I did find some other interesting themes lurking behind the gore and special effects.

    The main characters in Night Watch are Others. Each one, at some point, has made a choice to use their abilities for good or evil. Their decision is permanent. The Others are virtually invisible to humans, yet they are around either to protect them from or subject them to evil forces. The Light Others, mostly shape-shifters and seers, intervene when they discover evil forces at work. The Dark Others are mainly vampires and witches who prey on people, enticing them into evil behavior. This concept is very similar to angels and demons. Angels can be found in almost every book of the Scripture. They are protectors, messengers, and guides. Some are mentioned by name. God created the angels before he created man. He created these spiritual creatures to share in the joy of heaven, but God also created them with free will. Unlike humans who can reject and embrace God at any time, the angels may make this choice only once. The angels who visited Sodom and Gomorrah, the Archangel Gabriel who spoke to Mary, and the angels who comforted Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane all made the choice to love God in the heavens. God sends the angels to help do his work on earth. For many Christians, the angels offer them a glimpse of heaven. But there are angels who rejected God. Satan was created one of God's angels. When he recognized that he could never be equal to his Creator, he rejected God. God cast him down from heaven and other rebellious angels joined him. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 25:41 that Hell was "prepared for the devil and his angels." They can never repent and return to heaven. The devil and his demons have one purpose—to convince humans to reject Christ through sin. Some Christians in current times have a tendency to reject the idea that Satan exists. Other Christians bestow the devil with too much power. This is a good time for Christian parents to remind their teenagers that Satan only has power in their lives if they allow it. There is no power greater than God, the Almighty.

    One central theme in Night Watch is the destructive power of guilt. Anton is consumed by his feelings of guilt regarding his wife's abortion. Even though he is a Light Other, he lives in total darkness. His thoughts often return to the events on the evening he visited the witch. He questions every decision he makes. At times, his guilt is so overwhelming, Anton is not certain that he is doing good. At the same time, the cursed Svetlana has become so distraught by her own guilt feelings that she begins to destroy everything she touches. It is human nature for people to feel guilty over their sinful actions. The reality that the sin causes pain and sorrow, particularly to loved ones, can be debilitating. The Lord knows the detrimental nature of guilt. Therefore He offers forgiveness. Christians often find healing and peace through confession, even when it's offered with private prayer. Christian parents can use this opportunity to share with their teens the need for repentance and the power of God's forgiveness. Illustrations of God's mercy and forgiveness can be found throughout the Scripture.

     I'll admit I was perplexed after I watched Night Watch. When I finished watching it the first time, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. After I logged onto Netflix and put the sequel Day Watch in our queue, I knew I had to blog about it. At first, I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. I thought it was obvious, yet I was confused. I think Christianity is like that sometimes. Some things about Christianity seem so simple. Other Christian concepts seem to defy explanation. That, I suppose, is the Mystery of Christ.