Customer Reviews

Devil's Playground [VHS]

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First of all the Amish women wear white prayer veilings/ coverings. They are not bonnets. Bonnets are black and/or dark blue and worn over the prayer veiling.

This movie moved me to tears. I am a Mennonite who grew up among the Old Order Amish and Old Order Mennonites in Lancaster County Pennsylvania. Many visitors do not understand our way of life. People complain that the Amish are not well educated, well just last week I had an 8 year old Amish girl wait on me at her father's store. She tallied the five items that I bought on a battery operated cash register and cheerfully gave me the correct change counting it out into my hand. This is in such contrast to the urban young man I met about a month ago at McDonalds who although he gave me the incorrect change, argued with me for about three minutes until he finally, finally saw that he had made a mistake and then still had a major attitude because I pointed out that he had given me the incorrect change.

Many people do not understand us of Anabaptist origins. They romanticize the Amish, they act like they are somehow holier than thou, etc. etc. The Amish themselves realize how human they are.

We are descendants of the most radical wing of the Reformation. Only once you are an adult and are able to choose for yourself are you expected to "join church" and take that baptismal vow. The Amish take that promise perhaps too strongly. My own parents suggested that "you join our church because you are living with us now, but when you move away from home feel free to join another church."

Perhaps the most moving part of the movie to me is when Faron takes out the Ausbund, the oldest Protestant hymnbook in continuous use and talks about the people from the 16th century being able to die for their faith. In spite of talking like a street hoodlum, Faron respects the deep conviction that our Anabaptist foreparents had in being willing to die for their faith. He says "those people were willing to die for their faith, man I don't know if I could do that."

I am somewhat passionate in my defense of the Amish faith. The movie represents that ALL young people go through this phase. However, not all are as rebellious as these young people. Many remain at home and eventually join the church of their parents without being too wild. Some gatherings are hymnsings and not wild beer, drug induced orgies. The filmmaker of course would not have been able to interview such young people, because they would not allow themselves to be interviewed.

This film is to be commended for its documentation of young Amish persons who are going through a rite of passage. The human spirit remains bouyant and almost 90% rejoin the church of their parents. Remaining in the Amish community has been likened by some in choosing to join a religious order. There is safety, contentment and acceptance for you if you follow the Ordnung.

If anyone has further questions, feel free to email me at the address listed here.

If all you know about the Amish comes from seeing the movie "Witness" or passing the occasional buggy by the side of the road, many of the images in Lucy Walker's understated documentary will be jarring. Girls in 19th century dresses chug beer from plastic cups, a small-time Amish crank dealer hides his stash inside a matchbox, and teenagers dance at a raucous party that, apart from the white bonnets dotting the crowd, could be happening anywhere. The great achievement of Walker's film is to show how this is all less incongruous than it seems.

When Amish teenagers turn sixteen they are encouraged to leave their communities and experience the pleasures and conveniences of life in the outside "English" world. This period is called Rumspringa (literally "running around") and is intended to ensure that the Amish who come back into the fold will have made a conscious choice to do so. The appeal to free will is well-intentioned, but ultimately disingenuous. When given their first taste of adult freedom, Amish teenagers do what any other teenagers do: they drink too much, have sex, and spend a lot of time driving around in cars. For most teenagers this is just a phase. For the Amish it's the preliminary to the most important decision of their life: whether or not to join the Amish church. The subjects of Walker's documentary are no better prepared for the trials of adolescence than any other group of sixteen year olds, and it comes as no surprise that most of them, after a few tumultuous years, seem ready to return to a way of life that represents family, security, and a rock-solid sense of identity.

Rumspringa, an Amish elder says at one point, is really a vaccination. You get just enough of a taste of the outside world so that when you give it up you won't wonder what you're missing. His candor is winning, as is the level-headedness of most of the Amish elders Walker interviews. Her main subjects are the kids, but they are in many ways like deeply religious small-town kids anywhere: confused and self-obsessed, but basically decent, and given to projecting a theological dimension onto the normal pains of growing up. Beneath the strange clothing is a familiar conflict between piety and hell-raising.

It's in the interviews with Amish adults that the most intriguing aspects of Amish society are revealed. Despite the horse-and-buggy trappings, the Amish are not opposed to technology per se, just technology that they consider disruptive to their way of life. So cars and televisions are out, but a solar-powered battery charger is fine. (You can imagine a hippie commune reaching a similar conclusion after much earnest debate.) Their attitude towards sex, while hardly permissive, is surprisingly laid-back and pragmatic: a little premarital fooling around can be overlooked as long as it leads to an Amish marriage and Amish children. The adults interviewed for this film come across as relaxed and candid, and have none of the prickly self-righteousness you find in other religious conservatives. Their condemnations of the outside world are rote, without any real heat. It appears that in choosing never to engage the modern world, either as participants or evangelicals, they feel little need to either judge it or defend themselves. In their inwardness, the Amish seem more like Hasidic Jews than Christian fundamentalists.

But Hassids still drive cars. Despite their conviction, you still come away wondering how long the Amish way of life can last. In one telling interview, a preacher bemoans the way work has changed. Fifty years ago, he says, Amish children would have stayed home and helped out on the farm. Now they go to work in a factory, get some money, and the next thing you know, they want to buy a car. Now here's a battle that started back when everyone drove a horse and buggy. For family ties and religious values to overwhelm teenage rebellion is the easy part. The hard part comes when an agrarian way of life squares off against factory jobs and pocket money.

The subject matter of "Devil's Playground" makes it sound like a bad comedy sketch: It's about Amish kids gone wild.

That description evokes images of girls in white bonnets partying down, and chain-smoking boys cruising around in their buggies. And while the movie does in fact present such scenes, it's actually a serious, non-glamorizing, non-patronizing look at cultures, religion and youth.

When children in the Amish community turn 16, they enter a period called rumspringa, during which they're exempt from the restrictions of the church and are allowed to experience the outside world before deciding whether or not they want to permanently commit to the Amish way of life - they have to face temptation before they can reject it.

And the teens in "Devil's Playground" almost immediately take to temptation and what they call the "English" culture like nobody's business. They don baggy jeans and visors and doo-rags, get pierced, absorb videogames and MTV, buy cars and move out of their parents' homes.

"If I was living at home," says one Amish teen, "I couldn't have 200 channels of DirecTV, stereo, Nintendo and a fridge full of beer."

"Devil's Playground" focuses on several different teens during their rumspringa:

One moves into a small trailer and hosts a seemingly non-stop party for two years before he simply decides to go home and commit to his religion.

Another leaves behind her family and fiancee so she can go to college, and the scene in which she tries on the plain dark wedding dress she made as a girl but no longer needs is both terribly sad and incredibly hopeful at the same time.

But the central figure in the movie is Faron, a preacher's son and a methamphetamine dealer whose life spirals out of control and into serious trouble, on camera. Faron's ups-and-downs are vividly chronicled, and even when he's making terrible decisions he's an interesting and articulate presence.

By the end of the movie - at which point it's claimed that about 90% of Amish teens do eventually commit to their religion for life - he's become an unlikely but sympathetic spokesperson for a group he appears to be leaving behind.

"Devil's Playground" is a surprisingly sober, thoughtful and provocative film that casts an objective eye on an unusual phenomenon. The DVD includes an incredibly informative commentary by writer-director Lucy Walker, producer Steven Cantor and editor Pax Wassermann, who explain how they got access to the Amish community, how they found their subjects and how they organized the stories and information they gathered.

A few years ago after my grandmother died an Amish family tried to buy her farm. They seemed like friendly God-fearing and simple people to me. I thought that they were naive. Then I saw newspaper stories of how most of the drug trade in her area was being run by Amish and how Amish youth - and Amish "biker gangs" had a reputation for being the roughest segment in the community. The newspaper stories didn't make sense to my preconceptions of what the Amish were like and the typical stereotypes about them.

How do you learn about the Amish? Most books written about them or novels/movies with Amish characters are written by people who aren't Amish. This movie deals with Amish youth, but interviews actual Amish people. Now things make sense to me.

When Amish turn 16 they begin Rumspringa - which translates into "running around." They have the next 5 years to decide whether or not they will "go to heaven or to hell" as some of the Amish in the movie put it. They leave their Amish way of life to enjoy the comfort and temptations of the outside world. By the time they turn 21 they have to decide whether they are going to return to the Amish church - and way of life - forever - or live in the outside world and be disowned by their family.

90% of the Amish return to the Amish church. In the movie you can see why. With little education or job skills they have a difficult finding away to have a good life in the outside world. It easier for them to go back to the stability and comfort of their families - get married and build a family for themselves. As one of the Amish adults in the movie put it - they have a more easy going and stress free life than those on the outside.

That's the positive way to look at things. The negative is that they have to give up their independence and individuality to the greater community, which cannot be an easy thing.

The Amish use of technology is an example. Cars are dangerous because they would provide mobility and bring Amish to the outside community. TV's provide temptations and would cause Amish to think about leaving. However, a battery pack is no problem. Everything is centered around the larger community.

Movie gives a great glimpse into Amish life in their own words.

This award-winning documentary exposes the Amish tradition of "Rumspringa," where sixteen-year-olds are released from their traditional roles, and allowed to investigate the outside world, and experience life outside the Amish community. The documentary follows several Amish young people, focusing primary on Faron Yoder, a pastor's son who becomes a drug-addict and dealer, and struggles to find his own path in life. But, while this is definitely not a pro-Amish film, neither is it strictly anti-Amish either. Instead, the film presents the experiences of these young people, as some move off into a new life away from the Amish community, and some return to become faithful and contented members.

I must admit that this is one of the hardest movies I have ever had to review, as my own thoughts about it go in many different directions. First of all, the Amish community is not a unified homogenous whole, and some churches have different ways of doing things than others. As such, this movie is slightly misleading, as it seems to suggest that the experiences shown are common to ALL Amish young people. Secondly, while the makers of this movie followed those young people who enthusiastically embraced the sex-drugs-and-rock n' roll lifestyle, I happen to know that not all Amish kids on Rumspringa do.

But, that said, this movie does follow real people, living real lives. The movie is powerful and thought-provoking, and really brings you into the lives and experiences of these young people. In the Special Features section of this DVD, among the deleted scenes is one entitle "Perspectives on Amish Life." I really wish that that scene was included in the documentary, as it does help put things into perspective.

Overall, I found this to be a really good movie - at times charming and at times heartbreaking. Did it make me happy? No. But, am I glad I watched it? Most assuredly. I highly recommend this movie to you.

I was Amish and I know some Old Order Amish people. I was a Swartzentruber Amish, a more strict Amish sect then the Old Order. In face the SA are a brake-off of the OOA years ago. I work for a house builder crew, owned by OOA brothers. I have discussed the movie with my boss, Allen, and he said that he knows that a lot of things happen in the OOA youth groups that should not.

The New Order Amish have hardly any such problem as the ones in the movie. The NOA are a more closly knit group then either the SA or OOA.

The SA on the other hand do not allow their teens to experince any of these things in this movie. When I was 10-14 I was sneeking out of the house to go to my "Enlish" brother's [now a Srg. in Iraq] house to watch TV.

But I personaly never had the beer parties that were in the movie, exept for about 2 weeks when my parents where away to sell our old house, 20-30 miles away!

But as far as the OOA go, yes the movie is vary real.

But keep in mind that not all Amish are like the ones in the movie.

"The Devil's Playground" is what the Amish refer to the modern world as. When an amish teenager turns 16, he or she is allowed to leave the community and join the modern world. It's called rumspringa. After this period, which could take months or years, the teenager is allowed the choice to either join the Amish church or join the modern world.

The reasons for this tradition stem from the core beliefs that began the Amish church. The Amish church began because of the belief that babies should not be baptized, and only a person of accountable age can make the conscious choice to become a Christian. In the same spirit of free will, Amish teenagers are encouraged to enter the real world for a time in order to know what they're giving up.

But Amish teenagers don't really get into it, right? They don't even know how, having been brought up under the strictest rules their entire life. Definitely not so. The documentary shows Amish parties, and they are just as wild as anything OSU can produce. It is a little stupifying to watch a group of 17-year old girls wearing bonnets and snorting crystal meth (Boys typically wear "english" clothes during rumpsringa. Girls do not). There is literally an Amish word for a teenage boy and girl sharing a bed. This is all sanctioned and permitted by the Amish elders, although they obviously stay far away from it while it is taking place.

The film features three main people: A young man with a crystal meth addiction trying to decide whether to join the church (But ultimately doesn't), a young girl who happily goes back to the church, and a girl who joined the church only to leave again (Which is anathema to the Amish).

The young man, Faron, describes the process of rumspringa as a "vaccination". "You get a small dose of the real world and that prepares you for defending against it. Then you can go back to the church happier because you made the choice." And most do make that choice.

According to the film, 90% of the teenagers go back to the church, which is its highest retention rate since its founding. But what Faron discovers, and what you will while watching this film, is that those in rumspringa often don't really experience what the world has to offer. They live in small houses in groups of other Amish and get to experience all kinds of drugs, sex, electronics, and music. But what some of them never learn is that's not all the world has to offer. The girl who joined only to leave again is delighted to enter college, something she never imagined for herself. Most Amish teenagers leave rumspringa with no more of a concept of how big the world really is.

This film is also a fascinating insight into the Amish in general. It was a difficult film to make, since most Amish do not allow themselves to be photograped. One of the stereotypes that is rapidly dismissed is that the Amish shun technology simply because it is technology. Most Amish carry cell phones (!). As an Amish elder put it, "The question is whether this particular invention will promote family and community, or whether it will tear it apart."

Though clearly a documentary, The Devil's Playground is also a narrative in its own right in the way it allows you to get to know the real people of the Amish community in a way you otherwise never could. As someone who grew up in a Mennonite community myself, it was a huge eye opener for me, and one of the most educational 90 minutes I've ever spent.

Anyone still sharing the common stereotypical image of the Amish culture should watch this film. "Devil's Playground" is a fascinating, sometimes shocking and sometimes deep view into the clash of one form of life with another. The main theme is the practice of "Rumspringa," the period when Amish teens turn 16 and are allowed to venture into the outside world and taste exactly what the vices of secular culture are. In unrestrained detail we hear and watch as these teens, kept in such a closely structured community, experiment with drugs, alcohol and sometimes just simple freedom. Anyone who thinks Amish people are not in tune with the times should see the clip of the young Amish girl talking about how much she enjoyed Ozzfest '99 and watching Godsmack peform. Yet this isn't a documentary version of "Kids" with endless shots of sex and debauchery, it is a powerful exploration of themes as universal as the importance of personal faith in what you believe in and when it is confronted by something that deviates from that particular form of thinking. In a way "Devil's Playground" speaks to all of us with the idea of finding yourself, beginning to think for yourself and make your own decisions about what route your life will take. There are heartbreaking moments when some of the confused characters here almost lose their way in a haze of pot and sadness. In a way the film may even be a commentary on the results of a community so cut off from the outside world that when someone ventures out they have no idea as to how to deal with dangerous vices. Director Lucy Walker here has made a documentary that grips soley with it's material, without the aid of fancy editing or even a great score (the music is really just simple techno touches added for mood) she brings out the feelings and doubts in these people's lives. The fact that these are real people makes the film even more riveting, especially when we see the wheels turning in these 16 year olds' minds as they literally ponder whether they will indeed go to Hell or not. "Devil's Playground" is full of emotion and daring investigative work, giving us a glimpse of a world we seldom are allowed into. An important document and intriguing, highly engaging social commentary.

Please note that the rites of passage chronicled in this movie apply to the Old Order Amish, but not the other 'plain churches'. For example, the Beachy Amish are free to own cars, use electricity and are often PC experts, but shun immodest clothing, plus radio and live TV because of the frequent negative input from these media. As a result, the Beachy young people do not go through these regrettable experiments in the modern world, and thus they do not risk losing both their faith and culture.

What an interesting film! Before watching this film, I had imagined that the Amish lived in their own perfectly formed bubble, isolated from the rest of the world. While I'd never want to live like them, I had a certain amount of respect for their premodern way of life.

After this film, I see the Amish in a whole new light-- as real people, with more than a touch of white trash, afflicted by the same concerns of most deeply religious folk in the Bible Belt. Sure, their religion and way of life are more extreme, but the kids set loose at age 16 for their "rumspringa" are like kids everywhere-- maybe just a bit more lost at sea as a result of their strict upbringing. When Faron struggles with meth addiction during his rumspringa, I came to appreciate the importance, and maybe necessity, of deep religiosity in some people's lives. The amazing fact is that over 90% of these rumspringa kids return to the flock when their time is up! Even so, the antiquated Amish religion and its aged, bearded wise men seem so quaint, so antiquated compared to the temptations of the Devil's Playground of the "English" (i.e., us).

Watching this film is a learning experience-- the documentary is up there with "Dark Days."