The Forge

Jesus said, “All Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth, go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” We are called to be sheep to the Lord but shepherds of men. The Forge is a reminder of what our commitment to Christ means.

The Forge

Lost and bitter, recent high school graduate Isaiah is wandering through life without focus, prospects, or Faith when he stumbles his way into a life-changing Christian mentorship.

The Forge Review

For years, third-rate performers have woodenly navigated clumsy dialogue in glorified sermons costumed in the sheerest trappings of ultimately schlocky Christian films. However, thanks to movies like Cabrini and The Blind, the last few years have seen a Cambrian Explosion leap forward in the evolution of Christian filmmaking, with a handful of dedicated artists departing radically from what had become an unfortunate if well-earned stereotype.

The Forge falls somewhere in between. Although its two leads give much stronger performances than the material warrants, and its pacing and direction both help to raise the film beyond the stale and hamfisted Christian films of yesteryear, at its core, The Forge is a crisply produced pastoral message couched within a paper-thin narrative.

Ostensibly, the film is about an angry and lost young man whose father abandoned him and found himself rudderless in a society that values sloth and entertainment more than hard work and principled behavior, only to be rescued by a man of deep faith who challenges him to become more through the power of a Godly life. Regrettably, rather than using that as a foundation around which to build a compelling narrative that slowly increases the stakes and thereby the tension by spending time developing its main characters, the film fast-forwards its setups in a rush to get to its next sermon.

Structurally, The Forge relies solely on convenience to move the action from plot point to plot point, often ending in a short lesson (sometimes an actual sermon) that imparts just enough wisdom or religious courage to carry the protagonist through his subsequent underdeveloped trial. What’s most frustrating about The Forge is that the writers manage to scratch the surface of what could have been a genuinely engaging tale but seem unwilling to commit to the story.

However, while it may not be the next billion-dollar summer blockbuster, and film critics like myself may find themselves frustrated by its tell-don’t-show dialogue and undercooked plot and characters, its message is strong. Its leads are invested and talented, and each sermon’s dialogue, though narratively persona non grata, is biblically sound and spiritually powerful.

Properly employed at church camps and youth services, The Forge has the potential to be an impactful tool for awakening boys on the cusp of manhood to what God expects of them and the peace and strength that comes with following His call. Furthermore, The Forge preaches an equally necessary message of the importance of male leadership in the church and stands as a cautionary tale to those who would abdicate their responsibilities to Him and those in His charge.

WOKE ELEMENTS

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