Many of the Bible’s stories revolve around some kind of journey or the facing of trials and tribulations as a means of proving faith in God. While the written text of the Bible and other spiritual texts provide a black and white description of the events contained therein, and the medium of film provides a unique forum through which to tell these stories. Seen through the lens of one man’s faith journey, Robert Duvall’s 1997 film The Apostle serves as a commentary on how fate and free will are not mutually exclusive, and often instead become intertwined.
When the audience first meets Sonny as we see him throughout the film, he is a passionate, larger-than-life Texas preacher. Inspired by his upbringing and being introduced to the Church by an African-American woman presumed to be his caretaker, it is quickly made clear that the Church and preaching are central to Sonny’s life. As the film progresses, however, the audience sees instances of anger, jealousy and sadness, which may not be traditionally portrayed when looking at a zealous, God-fearing individual. While these images and scenarios can be initially jarring, they ultimately serve to round out the character of Sonny – and later the Apostle E.F. – by depicting his journey from start to finish – sins and all. While the Apostle E.F. and Sonny the murder are the same person in body, we see firsthand his spiritual journey from where he believed he “had it all” in his Texas congregation to where he found his calling in Bayou Boutte and eventually on the chain gang as the story comes to a close. By this assessment, it is reasonable to conclude that all of the decisions that Sonny/ the Apostle E.F. made over the course of his life – his free will – led him to various vastly different ministries where he was needed most, when he was needed most – an act of fate.
The cinematography and editing of The Apostle collectively help to further establish the importance of the journey that Sonny takes – literally and figuratively – over the course of the film. One example of this can be seen in establishing shots and transitions that show Sonny walking alone the vast majority of the time, effectively alluding to any number of Biblical figures walking alone in their faith, unaffected by being ostracized by many others. Another example comes from the use of continuity editing throughout the film. Speaking in a literal sense, by visually depicting Sonny’s journey from a suburban part of Texas to the far more rural Bayou Boutte, Duvall alludes to Biblical stories of journeying alone to an unknown place in search of God and/or salvation. In a more symbolic sense, the continuity of the film depicts Sonny’s transition to becoming the Apostle E.F., and how his perception of his faith and the role of God in his life changes along the way. Where we ultimately see Sonny’s fate sealed with him working on a chain gang, the importance of his actions leading up to that point is clearly depicted thanks to the chosen methods of editing and cinematography by the production team.
With this in mind, one of the many triumphs of The Apostle is that of Robert Duvall not only in the titular role, but as the director and executive producer as well. In his article for Church History, Conrad Ostwalt notes that, “Duvall’s portrayal of southern Holiness religiosity aspires at times to documentary status, and he seems as sensitive to his role as ethnographer as he is to his role as actor” (Ostwalt, 1999). We see this in many ways throughout the film, but it is worth noting that much of what makes this a triumph lies in what was purposefully left out or subdued in an effort to tell this story to a broader audience. One specific instance of this is the complete omission of glossolalia – or speaking in tongues – from the film. While visiting the KBBR radio station, the Apostle E.F. makes a specific note when talking to the radio DJ about not speaking in tongues, making a nod to this occurrence that is closely associated with Pentecostal sects of Christianity. This is important in the grand scheme of the story and shows a benefit of Duvall wearing so many hats, as he was able to make the executive decision to omit speaking in tongues from the film, and then address it quickly and succinctly as a plot point in order to offer a kind of explanation as to why it was left out. While some may view this as a kind of “dumbing-down” of these religious practices, I believe it was Duvall’s intent to avoid the alienation of people unfamiliar with the practices of Pentecostal churches in favor of developing the overall narrative and message of the role of both faith and free will in the life of an individual.
On the whole, The Apostle serves as a modern-day interpretation of stories that have been around for centuries concerning faith as it relates to free will and fate within the individual. In many of the ways that the Apostle E.F. is loud and passionate about his faith and relaying it to others, so is Duvall about telling this story to his audience, ultimately resulting in, “the portrayal of honest religious experience that vigorously embraces the full passion of humanity” (Ostwalt, 1999). The relevance of these stories is thereby reinforced for a modern audience, paving the way for future forays into this genre of film for years to come.