If you enjoy films with ambiguous endings, deep philosophical themes, and perplexing characters, First Reformed, directed and written by Paul Schrader (the guy who wrote Taxi Driver and Raging Bull), is your kind of picture. It’s a meditative, minimalist exploration of hope, despair, and personal redemption, centering on Reverend Ernst Toller, played by Ethan Hawke – a troubled minister at a small, historic church in upstate New York. Toller is grieving the loss of his son and wrestling with his fading faith when a young woman named Mary (Amanda Seyfried) seeks his help for her husband, Michael (Philip Ettinger). Michael is an environmental activist overwhelmed by despair over climate change and corporate greed, and his worldview begins to deeply affect Toller, setting him on a path of growing radicalization and inner turmoil.
To listen to a recording of our CineVerse group discussion of First Reformed, conducted last week, click here (if you get an error message, simply refresh the page).
The narrative begins with an absorbing premise: the meeting between Toller and Michael, in which fascinating ethical dilemmas are discussed. The dialogue exchanged here is expertly written and enthralling; however, our expectations that this will be a film focused on Michael’s conundrum of whether or not the pregnancy will be terminated are quickly upended after (SPOILERS AHEAD) Michael kills himself relatively early in the film.
Schrader makes some curious directorial choices, including the scene where Mary lies atop him and he enters a transcendental state of consciousness that shifts from tranquil visions of majestic nature to hellish imagery of environmental destruction. Consider, as well, the abrupt ending of the film, which suddenly cuts to black in the middle of a passionate kiss. Schrader also adopts a geometric aesthetic that harkens to the films of Ozu; recall how faces are often isolated in the center of the frame, for example.
Interestingly, Schrader chooses to shoot in old school Academy aspect ratio (1.33:1), explaining this framing as driving “the vertical lines, to get more of the human body in the frame.” It’s further evidence that he’s embracing a more classical approach to cinema reminiscent of past masters like Bresson, Dreyer, Bergman, and Ozu. Schrader invokes many of these master filmmakers in his 1972 book Transcendental Style in Film.
Slant magazine critic Greg Cwik found Schrader's direction intriguing,
writing:
“Invidious, at times startlingly beautiful, and at others startlingly ugly, it encapsulates Schrader’s cinematic philosophies, the testament of a man who worships film. It’s a churlish and controlled film, suffused with dolor yet agleam with the prospect of hope, each assiduous and apoplectic composition as neat and orderly as the garments Toller adjusts during his morning routine.”
What’s this film trying to tell us? First Reformed examines the conflict between spiritual belief and real-world existential calamity, a crisis of conscience in which a priest increasingly questions what he believes and supports, choosing to become a radicalized man of action instead of a man of words. Toller is torn between his responsibility to his church – which has become a corporatized entity funded by a right-wing, planet-polluting plutocrat – and his scruples, which eventually win out. Likewise, Michael’s moral quandary is explored, forcing the viewer to confront the question of whether it is irresponsible to bring a new child into a presumably doomed world.
The movie repeatedly challenges us, as it does Toller, to confront ecological morality – the grave reality of global warming, environmental pollution, and our responsibility as a species for destroying the planet.
Depending on how you interpret the ending, a major takeaway is that love can triumph over fear, anger, and self-destruction. Toller is driven to take up Michael’s cause after he commits suicide, embracing violence and terrorism as well as disregarding his worsening health. But Mary’s increasing presence in his life – especially just before he is preparing to become a suicide bomber – apparently changes his trajectory. Watching them kiss and embrace passionately in the final shot suggests that love and compassion will prevail and provide hope to both Toller and Mary. On the other hand, it’s equally likely that Toller has ingested the drain cleaner poison and only imagines Mary embracing him before he dies or experiences it as a heavenly afterlife vision.
First Reform is, of course, also about the corrosive power of grief, guilt, and deep personal loss. Toller’s life was shattered after his child was killed in the Iraq war – which the father encouraged the son to fight in – and his wife divorced him. Since that time, Toller has become more ascetic, isolated, and hyper-focused on his mission for the church and, later, his mission to honor Michael’s environmental activism, destroying his health with alcohol. His behaviors are likely fueled by a conscious or unconscious inclination toward self-sabotage. Ironically, he’s polluting his body just as human beings are polluting the Earth.
Similar works
- The works of Robert Bresson, including Diary of a Country Priest (1951) – in which an isolated clergyman grapples with faith and despair; and The Devil, Probably (1977, Robert Bresson) – about disaffected youth facing spiritual and societal nihilism
- Vertigo (1958, Alfred Hitchcock) – also featuring a 360° camera circle around two kissing lovers
- Winter Light (1963, Ingmar Bergman) – existential crisis of a pastor in a bleak moral landscape
- Le Samouraï (1967, Jean-Pierre Melville) – solitary, ascetic character moving toward inevitable doom
- Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese) – lonely, disturbed protagonist on a moral descent
- Works by Yasujiro Ozu (various) – meditative, restrained studies of human isolation and spiritual quiet
- Works by Carl Theodor Dreyer (various) – austere, deeply spiritual cinema grappling with faith and mortality
- Silence (2016, Martin Scorsese) – faith tested under suffering and doubt
- Calvary (2014, John Michael McDonagh) – priest faces spiritual crisis and threats in a hostile community
- A Ghost Story (2017, David Lowery) – meditative, minimalist reflection on existence and legacy
Other works by Paul Schrader
- Taxi Driver (1976) – writer
- Hardcore (1979) – director and writer
- Raging Bull (1980) – co-writer
- American Gigolo (1980) – director, writer
- Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985) – director, co-writer
- Light Sleeper (1992) – director, writer
- Affliction (1997) – director, writer
- Auto Focus (2002) – director
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