The movie I decided to analyze is "The Reaping." This movie was released in April 5th 2007, directed by Stephen Hobkins. The main character Katherine Winter (played by Hilary Swank) is a former christian missionary. During one of her missions, she visited Sudan. After her arrival it never rained for a year straight. The people of Sudan blamed it on there presences so they decided to kill Katerine's husband and duagther as a sacrifice to god, so it will start raining again. Loosing her family in Sudan made Katherine turned her back on god and started teaching at a college lecturing on how behind every "miracle" is a scientific explanation.
One day after one of her lectures a man that Katerine never seen before approached her asking for help. His name was Doug and he walked with Katerine to her next class informing her on the reason he had came to see her. Doug tells Katerine that in his little town called Heavan, the river has turned as red as blood. Katerine is quick to brush him off and tells him their could be hundreds of chemical reasons why the river changed colors and states that she research's more religiously spiritual miracles. At that moment that's when Doug tells Katerine the whole story of
how the town members believe a little girl named Loren is the one to blame and when she killed her brother, that's when the river ran red with blood. Doug also tells Katerine that the town members believe the river turning red is the beginning of the 10 plagues.
The Departure
The Calling:
Relating this to the Hero's Journey this is the calling for the start of the adventure as Joseph Campbell would say. Doug going to the college seeking for Katerine's expertise in finding a solution to their mysterious problem.
The Refusal:
Prior to the initial calling by Doug, the priest Katerine used to be dearly close
in the past has been trying to get in touch with her but because of her drop in faith she has been ignoring his calls. With no escape and being handed the phone she has no choice but to speak to him and that is when he tells her that she is in great danger. The priest call is like the'refusal of the call' to the duty but Katerine thinks about what he says but still decides to go to
Doug's town to investigate.
Crossing the First Threshold:
Heading to her destination with her partner from the college driving, they are surrounded by trees and are in the middle of no where. Joking about their surroundings, Katerine's partner Ben turns on the radio and all that is playing is a preacher saying god is everything and everywhere. Even their cell phones don't receive any type of service. Once there Katerine and her partner has reached the town of Heavan, they have entered the threshold.
Initiation
The Road of Trials:
While there Katerine has more emotional battles then psychical. She is challenged with her past and over coming the tragic lost of her husband and daugther. Occasionally having flash backs of when her family were killed, Katerine is forced to continue to get over their death in order to try to solve this mystery. As well as time goes one, the 10 plagues are going on in the town.First its the river, then dead frogs, flies, death of livestock, lice, boils, hail, locus and the death
of the first born.
Supernatural Aid:
Katerine's supernatural aid or the person who helps her is the priest. After doing all of the routine sampling and collecting data Katerine is faced with result she never thought would be possible.It turns out that the river is human blood and she turn to the priest for help and answers. Being in doubt that she is the chosen one and that she can help save the town the priest ensures her about what she must do. He also gives her insight on the biblical history of what she in encountering and tells her how she must solve this problem.
Return
After finding out what it is she must do, Katerine is able to defeat what turns out to be a colt that runs in the town. While the town made it seem like Loren was to blame for the plague happening and that she must die. It turns out that the plague happened to protect Loren from the town members. Katerine was sent there to kill the little girl by Doug but because of the priest help, Katerine was able to do the right thing and save her. Katerine's return is when drives away with loren in her arms.
Photo: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/84/The_Reaping_Soundtrack.gif
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