I like to watch movies but the older I get the more and more I find myself being selective. I'm busy, I don't want to waste my time and I definitely don't want to watch something that I'm not comfortable with. So when I heard about "The Saratov Approach" I put it on my 'to watch' list. I missed the opportunity to see it in the theater so when my contact at Cedar Fort emailed me and asked if I wanted to review it I was ecstatic! I anxiously waited for it to arrive in my mailbox and then very gratefully watched it when it came.
At first I wasn't sure about the quality of the movie, probably because I was watching with my more critical reviewer eye, but as the movie went on I found myself leaving my reviewer self behind as my spirit was touched.
Oh, how I love this movie. And after talking to Garrett, the director, I love this movie even more. And let me tell you why.
***SPOILER***
There is this scene in the movie. It's the pivotal scene. It is THE scene. This scene makes the whole movie worth it. It speaks to me of things I've learned from life these past few years. If you've seen the movie I hope you know what I'm talking about.
Are you ready for it?
The missionaries see an opportunity to escape. It's risky but it could work. They've been handcuffed for days and Elder Propst figures out how to get them out of the handcuffs. Now they just have to attack the guy that's watching them and run away. They get all set up and ready to execute the plan when Elder Propst has a revelation. 'He has a plan for them. He will get them out of it. This is not the way.' So what do they do??? They put everything back the way it was, AND THEY HANDCUFF THEMSELVES BACK TOGETHER!! Batty told me that mothers have told him that their hearts broke into millions of pieces at that moment, that they wanted the missionaries to just run for it.
What faith. I feel like I have had to have some tremendous faith in my life, but to be free and then have the faith to put the handcuffs back on! There is so much to be learned from this one scene. Most often when I have had to have faith in my life it has been in situations that I can't control. I was there until the Lord, in His wisdom and timing, freed me. I had no other way to free myself. I hope that I would have that kind of faith if I were put in that kind of situation.
I had to ask Garrett if that scene was true to how it really happened to the missionaries and he said yes, that he worked very closely with the real missionaries and that they did all they could to make the movie accurate. No embellishing here. Most of the changes were made in condensing five days into 90 minutes.
***END SPOILER***Garrett also told me about some of the responses that he has been receiving. Members of other faiths, and even people without any faith, have responded positively to the movie. An atheist told him that it really made him rethink things. "The Saratov Approach" has been successful and has transcended the LDS movie genre to become a movie for all faiths.
If you haven't seen the movie, see it. And share it with others! What a great tool to plant seeds and bless the lives of others.
For more information about the movie you can check out the website at www.http://saratovapproach.com/ or find them on Facebook.
