Customer Reviews

Eye of God [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though non-linear, with numerous flashbacks, this film is extremely well-structured, as it tells the story of three people: an ex-convict who has embraced fundamentalist Christianity with a zealot's devotion, a young woman from an abusive background who befriends the ex-con, a teenager who has experienced the worst kind of abandonment and separation anxiety with far worse to come, and a sheriff narrator, whose cynical attitudes toward God are based on the experiences he reveals.

The young woman has a glass eye, the result of a youthful accident. The glass eye, of course, sees nothing, just as the woman herself cannot see the evil descending upon her until too late. And the eye of God -- symbolically made of glass too, also sees absolutely nothing as it allows evil to flourish in God's own name. (I doubt this movie is on Jerry Falwell's Top Ten List, and, if it were, he wouldn't be Jerry Falwell.)

The acting by all the principals and the directing are superlative. I hope someday this slice-of-life crime drama will receive the recognition it deserves and be released in a DVD version.

This movie is difficult to categorize, but it would make an ideal double bill with the Charles Laughton-directed "The Night of the Hunter," except that in the earlier movie, goodness triumphs. Not so in "The Eye of God."

Why this film has gone almost unrecognized baffles me, and this does not bode well as a statement about the filmgoing public. Why this film is out of print is even more unsettling. Tim Blake Nelson's elliptical editing may get in the way of some, but his deft hand with performers and pacing rivals any auteur. The story and screenplay have been sufficiently summarized before me herein. I do not recall a film tackling spiritual ambiguities in such an astonishing fashion since Michael Tolkien's 1991 THE RAPTURE. A dark, troubling slice of Southern Gothic, with a knockout performance by Martha Plimpton, EYE OF GOD will leave you thinking for weeks, maybe months.

An unsung, minor masterpiece of independent cinema from director Tim Blake Nelson. One of those rare films that mananges to say EXACTLY what it means to say-no more, no less (i.e., no pretension, no padding, no hammy grandstanding). Nelson tells his tale in less than 90 minutes, but the film will haunt you for weeks. The creators of the overblown, overlong and overacted "21 Grams" and "Mystic River" could have gleaned a few lessons from studying Blake's lean yet boundlessly deep screenplay about the dichotomy of good vs evil in us all. Nelson is obviously an "actor's director", and inspires lead actress Martha Plimpton (of the Carridine dynasty) to deliver her most accomplished performance to date as a somewhat dense but sweet small town waitress. Ample support is provided by Kevin Anderson as Plimpton's ex-con husband who has rushed her into marriage after a sight-unseen "pen pal" courtship. Anderson's character has "seen the light" and appears to be on the road to making a solid citizen of himself (then again, appearances can be deceiving). The under-appreciated Richard Jenkins (the father's "ghost" on HBO's "Six Feet Under") is a standout as Anderson's parole officer, as is a very young Nick Stahl (another HBO star-currently the lead character in "Carnivale"). Veteran thespian Hal Holbrook deserves a mention, with one of his better latter-day performances as the world weary sheriff. Lucinda Williams' aching cover version of Nick Drake's "Which Will" opens and closes the film; an interesting choice of music as it works perfectly in both setting the tone for the story and providing a fitting coda to the emotionally devastating final shot. I can't recommend this one enough. I also second the motion with the reviewer who pointed out that the director's commentary on the DVD is atypically insightful and Zen-like (like the screenplay!).

This is a wonderful study of the face of evil and its impact upon the lives of its characters. The narrative is nonlinear and may be confusing at first if one is not warned, but once a viewer is aware of this he/she should have no difficulty understanding the film. The storyline is initially split and follows two seemingly unrelated characters, which are somehow (at first we don't know) linked through a third subplot involving a small-town sheriff and some crime which has yet to be revealed. One storyline involves a teenage boy who has experienced the worst type of loss and is now emotionally alone in the world. And there is a small-town waitress who has established a relationship with an ex-con over years in a pen-pal program. The waitress has a glass-eye which is a symbolic reference to the movie's title. This glass-eye exists in the world of the inanimate, and the scenes of human despair and sorrow are reflected in and across it without judgment, action, or recourse, as the Eye of God viewing this world exists totally separated of its theater. At the film's end we are reminded of the story of Abraham and Isaac and that the actions of any Judeo-Christian god are very seldom held up to the same standards to which he holds his people. This movie took my breath away and haunted me for days after I initially saw it. It's memory still haunts me.

EYE OF GOD is a wonderfully directed and acted film. But, the real revelation for me is Tim Blake Nelson's commentary track on the DVD. Its a crash course for any film maker who wants to understand both the technique and philosophy of making a movie.
Nelson has a Zen-like clarity in describing how his film was made. Absolutely brilliant.

this movie touched me deeply. the acting was wonderfully real. the movie is a told through the events of two different poeple's lives. one, a young traumitized boy, and the other, a young, naive woman. At the end you see how their two lives where connected. I really liked how this movie was put together. the story continually goes back and forth between the two characters. the ending is filled with many climactic scenes that will leave a indelible image in your head. It made me cry. If you like touching movies, you should see this movie. Hurry...buy it!

This is easily one of my favorite films, and every aspect of the filmmaking is done to perfection. The climactic scene is nearly as powerful as anything I've seen in film. I also love the quietness of the film. From the softly spoken voiceover at the beginning to the gorgeous Lucinda Williams song that plays over the end credits, the lack of noise evokes the film's small town setting and adds to its emotional impact. I think the non-linear storytelling is a great quality too; not just a cheap gimmick, it actually enhances the experience of watching the story unfold. And Martha Plimpton's performance! To watch her in this movie is to forget that she's an actress. She deserves an Oscar for this role. I think it's tragic that this film is almost completely unknown. I hope that it has at least found an audience since its DVD release.

The original play by Tim Blake Nelson is a harrowing tale of love, religion, and illusions, and the movie tells this tale with full regard and respect to the play.

The story begins with love blossoming between a small town girl and an jail parolee who has found God during his incarceration (Plimpton and Anderson) but also with a terrible murder having been committed in the town. Slowly we find that things aren't quite right between the two lovers as she discovers she's pregnant. Meanwhile, a witness to the murder, a young boy, stops speaking due to the trauma of what he's seen. By the end of the film, all lives have intersected in one shocking climax.

In the same style and theme as LITTLE BOY BLUE, EYE OF GOD is small town ideals corrupted. It leaves you asking "WHY", feeling angry, almost scarred, and feeling entirely empathetic with the people on screen. It is true storytelling with a twist.

A stunning, deeply harrowing film. Martha Plimpton is remarkable, as always. The editing techniques are highly effective; the story is unique and hauntingly engaging. Highly recommended for (sorry for the implied pretense) lovers of serious, quality films.

This movie is one of the most brilliantly structured, well-made films I have seen. It tells the story of a young woman (Plimpton) stuck in a small town who has started a correspondence with a prison convict. He gets released, and when they finally meet, he turns out to be a sweet soul with a sincere commitment to religion. It seems like Plimpton has stumbled into an unlikely happiness, but we know something's not right because we're seeing her story in flashback. Somewhere entagled in Plimpton's simple story there's horror and tragedy, and it's not until the film's devastating final act that we realize what exactly the horror turned out to be.

This film has a dizzying array of themes shooting through it, all interconnected. What it means to be a victim, what it means to be a perpetrator, how being a witness to violence can be as damaging as being a victim of violence. It's a harrowing, brilliant, lasting film, and it's tragic that it's not available anymore. The title is lousy--maybe that's why it bombed. If you can ever find a way to get hold of this movie, see it! It might not be your idea of a good time, but it may change the way you think about the world, which is the most any movie can aspire to.