The burden of guilt is a common theme in films. From
Christian Bale’s skeletal performance in The
Machinist (2004) to Tim Burton’s emotional hedge maze of a fish tale, Big Fish (2003), atonement is a powerful
motivator for character development. Even more powerful when guilt is the
product of another’s death. As Vladimir Nabokov once wrote, “It was something
quite special, that feeling: an oppressive, hideous constraint as if I were
sitting with the small ghost of somebody I had just killed.”
Writer/Director Scott Teems new film The Quarry is the latest to focus on this topic. One of several films
originally scheduled to premiere at Austin’s cancelled SXSW 2020 festival,
Teems’ new thriller is headed to VOD this Friday. Starring Shea Whigham (Joker, Take Shelter) and Michael Shannon (The Shape of Water, Knives
Out), The Quarry centers on a
mysterious new preacher in small and struggling Texas border town. The
Preacher, played by Whigham, arrives after committing apparently two serious
crimes, one witnessed by the audience in the first ten minutes of the film. As
he begins to settle in and get to know his congregation, the new leader of the
church finds himself pulled into an investigation by the Police Chief (Michael
Shannon).
Based on Damon Galgut’s novel by the same name, Teems
adapted the post-apartheid South African story to fit America’s relationship with
its southern border. The Quarry examines
the complexity that exists between a decaying rural America and its immigrant
residents. Although the dialog is heavy-handed in some places, the film does
not shy away from criticizing how we decide which faces are trust-worthy. This
gives a tale otherwise focused on coming to terms with one’s choices a multifarious
dynamic and feels appropriate for the times in which we currently live.
The most intriguing aspect of The Quarry is the question it poses regarding the connection
between a sinner and their god. Does sin separate you from God or is it the
ultimate bridge to him? The film dedicates much of the screen time to exploring
The Preacher’s relationship with God and sin’s ability to blur the lines
between humility and lunacy. In the words of Joseph Conrad, “Over the lives
borne from under the shadow of death there seems to fall the shadow of
madness.”
Ultimately, The Quarry
fall short of sticking the landing. However, this is not due to any lack of
performance. Michael Shannon’s portrayal as a flawed salt of the earth everyman
provides a grounded backdrop to the highly emotional exchanges between Shea
Whigham, Bobby Soto (A Better Life), and
Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of
Grace) who play the town’s local residents. The chemistry between Whigham
and Soto is powerful, drawing audiences into the seriousness of the subject
matter. The issue lies in the script. Most of internal struggle with The
Preacher concerns itself with him coming to terms with the second crime
committed. However, this crime is the result of the first. Except for a few
limited flashback montages, the audience is not really acquainted with the ‘original
sin’. The result is a one dimensional come-to-jesus moment during the climatic
conclusion, robbing the story and the audience of connecting to the lesson in The Quarry. Nevertheless, the film is
still worth checking out.