Child Of God is a darkly interesting film based around a central performance that is as startling as it is impressive. If you are unfamiliar with Cormac McCarthy’s original novel it is also a deeply uncomfortable and disturbing watch. After apparently being unjustly evicted from his father’s land Lester Ballard (Scott Haze) disappears into the wilderness, attempting to exist outside of normal social circles. Setting up home in an abandoned wooden shack Lester, with no outside influences and seemingly with few conscious moral boundaries, becomes increasingly isolated and the true extent of how far he has descended into depravity and desperation is violently evident.
There are possibly few performances that can compare with the intensity of Haze’s portrayal of Lester, a man pushed to and beyond the limits of social acceptability by his own troubled mind and the consistently unfortunate circumstances in which he finds himself. The values that human beings would normally adhere to are tested and ignored by a man who has no sense of self-regulation and whose inherent sadness pushes him further and further into desperation.
Even after watching this shocking and inevitable slide the full and horrific extent of Ballard’s actions are still shocking in the extreme. With only sporadic bouts of dialogue Child Of God is all about the balance between a nuanced and explosive performance delivered by Haze. James Franco directs his lead with a subtlety and almost voyeuristically guilty pleasure as he creates a feeling that he, along with the audience, are watching Lester’s sad tale from a safe distance.
Even in the most bleakly intimate and disturbingly unflinching moments there is never a sense of watching something designed and rehearsed, such is the naturality and conviction of the performance. Visually Franco has created a world that appears harsh and unfriendly, never giving the hapless Lester a chance of hope or redemption and further adds to the decline in his mental and physical state.
OVERALL SUMMARY
There is no doubt that Child Of God is truly a cinematic experience. This is not a film that worries about delicate niceties or social conventions, preferring to test and ultimately break the limits of moral acceptance. It may not be a film you will want to watch over and over again, but it is certainly one you will remember. For Haze it will be a challenge in his career to ever deliver a performance with as much depth as he has with Lester and for Franco this is clear indication that his future will be as much behind the camera as in front of it.
