First Reformed - Film Review
THS Times film critic Lucas
★★★★★
First Reformed, written and directed by Paul Schrader, premiered at the Venice film festival in 2017. First Reformed follows Reverend Ernst Toller played by Ethan Hawke, who lives a quiet life that spirals out of control after a soul shaking encounter with an environmental activist, played by Phillip Ettinger and his pregnant wife, played by Amanda Seyfried. Paul Schrader, the writer and director of First Reformed, is also the writer of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull and the writer and director of the acclaimed masterpiece, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. First Reformed received great reviews from critics, however the casual audience weren’t as impressed with First Reformed. First Reformed is heavily inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s Winter Light as confirmed by Schrader himself.
A Nihilistic Priest who has an Environmental Awakening.
What happens to Toller throughout the film can be interpreted as many things - a midlife crisis, psychological breakdown, political awakening, religious reckoning or an environmental awakening. It could really differ from person to person but I personally think it is an environmental awakening. First Reformed clearly shows us that Toller is nihilistic who is politically and environmentally woke of his surroundings. First Reformed is easily Ethan Hawke’s best acting performance by far, should’ve at least been nominated for best actor at the Academy Awards. The way Hawke portrays such a thought provoking role really solidifies him as one of the best actors of the century and among the most underrated. Toller is affected by an illness, he drinks tons, pees red and after his encounter with the environmental activist and his wife, he becomes distant, people recognize this change in Toller but he is dismissive towards them and separates himself from others. First Reformed is a through and through epiphany and Hawke is too.
The Mastery of Paul Schrader.
The writing and direction of Paul Schrader is just a piece of art. His script is so formal and complex. After all, he did write the masterpieces Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. First Reformed is a different type of film however you can see it drew some inspiration from Taxi Driver, but mostly Winter Light. First Reformed wrestles with contemporary reality mixed with a dash of realism. As I stated earlier the script is so sophisticated and formal. One thing I love about First Reformed is the ending, it can be interpreted in two different ways and can vary from person to person. It honestly baffles and angers me how unknown and under the radar Schrader is to the casual audience. First Reformed is definitely the best film of the 2010s and among the most underrated.
First Reformed - Overall.
First Reformed is one of the best films made, the way Schrader writes and directs this is masterful, especially the script. Ethan Hawke is nothing short of his normal self, always turning in a great performance but First Reformed tops them all. The cinematography of First Reformed is just as great, done by Alexander Dynan. One of my favourite things about First Reformed is the ending. I love how it can be interpreted in two different ways, varying from reader to reader. Regardless of the interpretation, the ending catches you off guard and including myself made me feel empty and lost for words. First Reformed is one of the best and most underrated films made. It honestly baffles me how much people don’t even know this film exists, definitely A24’s best film yet. I give First Reformed 5 stars!