directed by:
Matthew Ewald written by: Matthew Ewald genre: Horror, Science Fiction |
"Forgive me, lord. I'm about to make new ghosts." How cool does that sound rolling off the tongue? As a matter of fact? I'm not scared to admit it... I really enjoyed this short film from Matthew Ewald. "And God Remembered Babylon" is the perfect example of how for some, the desolation of the pandemic spurred the creation of something that, in my opinion, is pretty damn cool. It's not always about perfection or budget - it's about getting out of your own head and creating something. In this particular case, it sure doesn't hurt that that "something" ended up being a great short film. That much I do know.
"And God Remembered Babylon" focuses on Joel, a soldier, and part of the clergy. Father Joel Barton is no stranger to killing. It is WW2, after all, and he is a soldier, but he hasn't forsaken his duties to humankind and the church. This war has been brutal to him. That's definitely no secret right from the get-go. What could, at the start, be the story of a man losing his mind quickly changes direction as Father Barton enters the black barn. This isn't about a soldier succumbing to P.T.S.D. at all and, in fact, is the story of good versus evil—God versus the devil. You'll quickly recognize the stakes and wonder how you could have missed them even from the start. Bottom line? As I wrote above, I really enjoyed this film. "And God Remembered Babylon" has a very small cast - this is a pandemic film, after all. For the most part, however, it's just Father Barton played excellently by Ewald himself. There's a lot of narration as Joel lets us in on his thoughts, and you may be thinking that it all sounds rather dull. Honestly, I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking that before watching but the truth of the matter is this: you would be wrong. I'm not stating that this production is without its faults but on the whole? It's pretty damn impressive.
The atmosphere of this flick is key. Sure, the writing is good, and the dialog is good - but what makes this ultra-micro-budget work is the blisteringly fast editing style and an excellent sound design. Ultra-fast editing isn't always the answer, believe me... but in this case, it works like a charm. Now, reader, I can honestly say that I wasn't a fan of the scene just before the end - and it would have been cool just to cut to the cemetery commentary - but who am I to judge? At the end of the day, "And God Remembered Babylon" was a quick diversion that did what was intended. It entertained. What more could anyone ask? Four stars and highly recommended. |
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