Movie Review: I Heard the Bells

 

Michael's Movie Grade: A-

A wonderful faith-based Christmas film. 

This movie marks the feature film debut for Sight and Sound Theatres, which puts on elaborate Christian themed plays (often with big special effects) often times telling stories from the Bible. This is an especially impressive film debut and simply great movie. Rather than telling a story from the Bible, this movie tells the story of how the poet Henry Longfellow wrote the words to the classic Christmas carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. They adapted to the movies very well. This film never feels stage bound, but instead very cinematic. Rather than staying for a long time in one place this film will move to many different locations over the course of the film. All these locations are given a real authenticity. As well as this the camera does not remain stationary and the cinematography is often excellent. This movie is also less effects heavy than the company's plays. This is very important because while these effects are jaw dropping on a stage, in a time with many effects heavy films, they would just get lost in the shuffle in a movie. These effects also while they would feel at home in many biblical stories, would feel out of place in a film like this. 

Beyond just the technical aspects, this is simply a very moving film. This movie is quite sentimental, yet the sentimentality always feels genuine and never forced. A major reason for this is that we truly grow to care about the characters here. Our main character, his wife and his oldest son are all fully fleshed out characters with many virtues as well as all too human faults. Yet none of these faults ever make the characters unlikable, but only more human and real. All this is helped by a wonderful cast who bring the heart and soul out of each character. The story is also a wonderfully touching one and it is told in a way where every emotion rings through. This movie lightens many of the darker moments with some humorous moments. However these moments are truly funny and seem to come naturally out of the story instead of feeling forced in. They also never take away from the impact of the drama. This film can be a bit of a tearjerker, but it is an incredibly well made one. This movie also does a wonderful job getting across in Christian message. It does this in a way that makes this feel like a film instead of a sermon, but where the message is still just as clear and powerful as in a great sermon. The message comes directly from the story and there is never a moment when the film stops so a character can preach it to us. As a Christian I fully agree with this message and appreciate they intelligent and cinematic way it is conveyed. 

A wonderful movie.