By Biray Alsac
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 13, 1998

Robert Duvall has a crisis of faith in 'The Apostle'

Photo courtesy of October Films Arizona Daily Wildcat Robert Duvall goes for a heavenly dip in "The Apostle."

In "The Apostle," Robert Duvall plays the role of Euliss "Sonny" Dewey, a vibrant and motivated Pentecostal preacher whose life begins to fall apart. First, a loss of control over his church and congregation devastates his spirits. Then, his mother's quick health deterioration adds to his depression. To make matters worse, his ex-wife, played by Farrah Fawcett, puts all hope of their getting back together to rest when she falls in love with a younger, more handsome preacher named Horace (Todd Allen).

Feeling betrayed by God, Dewey takes matters into his own hands. He channels the anger he feels toward his wife and the Lord into a life of violence and crime. One afternoon, under the influence of alcohol, Dewey's vengeance leads him to strike his ex-wife's lover with a baseball bat, killing him. Scared and shocked by his actions, he leaves town.

Robert Duvall's acting is incredible and well-deserving of the Academy Award nomination for best actor. He also directed, wrote and executive produced this film.

Unfortunately, the movie itself is not very impressive. The two hour and 10 minute length really feels like four hours instead.

Certain church scenes are lengthy and written in such detail that they simulate a real sermon on film. For those of us who didn't go to the film to get the church experience this becomes a bit intolerable.

Fleeing from the law, Dewey erases all traces of his past and acquires a new identity under the name of The Apostle. He ends up in an out-of-the-way town in Louisiana called Bayou Boutte. Bottling up his emotional turmoil, he begins to assimilate into the neighborhood as a car mechanic. Slowly regaining his faith, he befriends the town's old, retired preacher and convinces him to help build "the house of God."

Basically, the rest of the film is dedicated to building this church, while Dewey waits for the consequences of his actions to catch up with him.

Dewey's passion and determination in spreading God's word warps his view of the reality around him. He denies responsibility for his actions and convinces himself that the Lord has guided him in every aspect of his life. And if he makes any mistakes along the way (like, oh, I don't know ... killing another man, say), God will be forgiving as long as he keeps doing what the Lord "tells" him.

It gets to the point where God becomes an excuse in his life. You aren't sure whether Dewey does things for selfish reasons, or because he genuinely believes God is directing him. You begin to suspect his credibility as a honest preacher.

For example, the way Dewey interacts with his wife, using the love of God as a tool, is quite discomforting. He manipulates her to get her to pray, go to church and sing religious hymns with him. He consistently tells her that God wants them to be together so she should respect His decision.

The film really plays on the fact that Dewey's character is both psychologically sick and deeply religious. There is a fine line between the use of faith as guidance during times of trouble and need, and the use of faith as an excuse on which to blame your actions. Dewey definitely crosses that line.

I left feeling bitter. The fact that "The Apostle" was overly dramatic and preachy got to be much too heavy. However, justice is served in the end. So, I suppose it really didn't matter how much "our hero" prayed or preached, anyway.