Persecuted Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.5

Persecuted Blu-ray Movie Review

Guilty.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 28, 2014

Sweeping Hollywood epics of decades past that take the audience back into Biblical times (The Robe, The Ten Commandments), the occasional modern blockbuster (The Passion of the Christ), and contemporary, feel-good, mid-scale pictures with firm big studio backing (Heaven Is for Real) notwithstanding, the Christian film has more often than not relied on substance rather than cinematic wizardry, word of mouth rather than multi-million dollar advertising, and a little bit of faith to sell audiences on a movie and drive home a message. Many films that fall under that increasingly broad umbrella find quite a bit of success and are even beginning to blur that line between big message and obviously humble roots. Pictures like Ragamuffin and God's Not Dead are excellent examples of how far the Christian film has come in terms of raw messaging power (the former) and a blend of technical proficiency and purpose (the latter). Persecuted clearly wants to have its cake and eat it too, to spread a powerful message and achieve technical mastery on a relatively small budget and without a lot of Hollywood muscle behind it. Unfortunately, the movie falls almost completely flat, even with a good bit of Christian/conservative star power in its corner.

On the run.

United States Senator Donald Harrison (Bruce Davison) is pushing legislation dubbed "The Faith and Fairness Bill" that he believes would "unite all faiths" and usher in a new era of peace on Earth. He only needs to sell the general public on the idea, and who better to carry the message than popular evangelist John Luther (James Remar), a reformed sinner who has gained a massive popular following. Luther rejects Harrison's advances. Soon after, he's framed for a murder he didn't commit. Now on the run, he must clear his name with the help of his father (Fred Thompson) and wife (Natalie Grant) while exposing Harrison and the government and religious corruption that have overtaken the highest levels of faith and the federal government.

Persecuted muddies its own waters not with the story it tells but rather with the unintentionally lackluster approach it takes in doing so. The picture feels continuously forced, needlessly dark and overly stylized, and heavy-handed not so much in messaging but in its overzealous plotting that ultimately yields a fairly empty affair. The plot fails to capture the imagination not so much because it's unbelievable in a "that could never happen here!" sort of manner but because it's so flat and predictable, even through the haze of all that's going on around it. What might have been a telling tale of and a warning on the undermining of religion for political gain and selling religion for personal promotion instead becomes a routine, and dull, chase Thriller that rarely captures the imagination and maneuvers through standard contrivances and conveniences along the way. There's a better story here, somewhere, one with purpose, but that film is sadly lost in a clutter of uninteresting characters and a basic, linear structure that clearly wants to put all its proverbial eggs into its messaging basket rather than subtly weave a greater theme around a more complexly exciting and purposeful exterior.

Additional disappointments abound. Even at a crisp and audience-friendly 90 minutes, the picture struggles with pacing, both in its needlessly dark and draining noir-inspired rabbit hole plot accelerants but also later once the details are ironed out and the movie becomes little more than the typical "race against time" that sees the main character clandestinely maneuver his way towards the front of the metaphorical dark tunnel of corruption and evil that has engulfed his life. The picture never finds any sort of minutia, instead painting with broad character and plot brushes that leave the movie feeling empty, whether in its depiction of religious and political corruptions or in the way it builds its lead characters. Performances are disappointingly but unsurprisingly flat, disappointing considering the talent involved and unsurprising given the lackluster script. Persecuted features a cast that will be recognizable to many, and particularly to Christian and conservative-leaning viewers. Amongst the leads are the familiar faces of James Remar and Bruce Davison, noted character actor and former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN), Christian singer Natalie Grant (lately in the news for her early exit from the Grammy Awards), and Fox News television anchor Gretchen Carlson.

Persecuted Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Persecuted's Blu-ray delivers an uneven viewing experience. On one hand, details can, and frequently do, excel. Complex facial lines, for example, present virtually no problem in replicating either the most coarse, age-defined line or subtle wrinkle alike. Image clarity can be outstanding, particularly in brighter exteriors where background details are tactile and complex. On the flip side, details can sometimes appear overly pasty and smooth. Colors suffer from a similar fate, often looking gorgeously vivid in brighter scenes but failing to find a real consistency, sometimes appearing overly warm or processed. Black levels are the real problem here, frequently crushing out the screen, and heavily so. Noise is another issue to contend with, notably across darker backdrops. When it's on, it looks fine for a lower budget Blu-ray, but its inconsistency and absorbing blacks keep it from receiving more than a middling score.

Persecuted Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Persecuted's Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack fares a little better than its video counterpart in terms of raw quality of presentation. It can be fairly big, with good generalized crowd din heard at the beginning and some hefty action effects later in the film doing well to fill the stage. Gunfire near the end is particularly satisfying, not quite realistically delivered but playing with sufficient pop, clarity of delivery, and natural stage placement. Music is well defined and spacious, enjoying solid clarity and the sort of near effortlessness listeners have come to expect from midlevel Blu-ray movies. Dialogue is clear and focused in the center but does suffer from a noticeable, but brief, lip sync issue at the 2:28 mark. Overall, however, this is a good, polished presentation from Millennium Entertainment.

Persecuted Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Persecuted's Blu-ray box advertises a commentary track, featurettes, and interviews, but no supplements are included on the Blu-ray disc. They are, however, available on the included DVD.

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Director/Producer Daniel Lusko, Cinematographer Richard Vialet, Editor Brian Binkman, and Composer Chris Ridenhour deliver an evenly spoken and insightful track that covers in detail the story themes in the film and in the real world, characters and performances, technical details, and much more. The filmmakers do a commendable job in better selling the film than the actual picture. Fans should be interested in giving this one a listen.
• "Making Of" Featurette (SD, 6:40): Cast and crew recount the story and characters.
• Daystar Network Interview (SD, 6:23): Writer/Director Daniel Lusko and Actor Fred Thompson chat with television hosts on the Christian network. Discussions include the project's origins, the picture's story and themes, and their testimonies.
• Previews: Additional Millennium titles (also included on the Blu-ray disc).

Persecuted Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Persecuted is really no different than the everyday generic Thriller. It just substitutes issues of faith and a reformed man of God in the lead and corrupt government officials and religious leaders for whatever generalized villainy that usually populates these sorts of movies. The real problem, really, isn't so much with the messaging but rather the execution. The film is uneven at best, poorly developed and unnecessarily moody to the point that shoddy atmosphere and a slightly muddled story overwhelm the core plot and themes. Even the target audience may find this one a little hard to swallow. Millennium Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Persecuted features hit-and-miss video, solid audio, and a few supplements that only appear on the DVD. Rent it.