Two Thumbs Down
I'm a great fan of films that deal with spiritual issues, expecially those exploring the nature of reality and the power of our minds. I love "What the Bleep?" and "The Secret" and I'm looking forward to seeing "Celestine Prophecy" and "Way of the Peaceful Warrior." So when I had the chance to see "Illusion" I jumped at it.This movie seemed to have two good things going for it. First, it had Kirk Douglas, in what is billed as his final film appearance. Second, it had a plot that revolved around the power of our decisions to affect our life. However, the end product was quite disappointing.
It wasn't Kirk Douglas' fault. His part was outstanding and his acting was the high point of the film. I was appalled, however, by the message in the script.
Briefly, Douglas plays a rotten SOB movie producer on his death bed, who is visited by a supernatural messenger who shows him movies of his life. The theme is his illegitimate son, who Douglas has refused to acknowledge or have anything to do with. The movies show how the son's life has been on a downhill spiral, with an almost certain tragic ending. Douglas has a change of heart, repents of being an SOB, and causes a last minute intervention that saves the son from his tragic end. Then Douglas dies, happily redeemed.
There are two major problems with this message. First, it says that you can be a rotten SOB for your whole life and then when you're too sick to be rotten anymore you can make a cost free repentence and everything's OK. See, in the movie Douglas never had to do the work that he had been avoiding. He didn't have to get to know his son, spend time with him, get involved in his life, or make amends to him. Somehow in all his rottenness he had earned this visit from the messenger who straightened him out at the last minute, cost free. Now I believe in the grace of God, but is this the message to preach? Be an SOB until the last minute?
But this is not the worst message in the movie.
The way the son was depicted is what really got me riled. The script has the son severely affected by his father's rejection, with serious life purpose and self esteem issues. He drifts from one bad decision to another, steadily downhill and heading for a tragic end. The message of the movie is that the son is powerless to change this path without the father's intervention! They even use this as a promo - "The only person who could change the story of his life was the father he never knew." He's a victim! He has to be rescued! And that's a pile of crap. This is not "spiritual cinema" this is "anti-spiritual cinema". You can find that same message on Jerry Springer.
A much better movie would have resulted from allowing the son to meet teachers who opened his eyes to his own power over his life. He grows in consiousness, turns his life aound by using the spiritual power he has as a child of God, and determines to meet his father. Meanwhile the father, who is dying, is realizing that he has no one who cares at all for him He is surrounded by paid butt-kissers who are only there for the money. Into this scene walks the son, poised and confident, and forgives the father. Then the father dies. That would be spiritual cinema.
What's our message? Are we victims, or victors? Are we doomed by the effects of other people on us, or are we capable of taking control of our lives? I think you know the way I would vote on that. So don't fall for the illusion in "Illusion." If the writers of this movie had gone back to the original "Illusions", written by Richard Bach, they would have found this quote to give to the son:
"Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them, is up to YOU."
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