“Forging Masculinity”
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A Review of The Forge by Nick Olszyk
Distribution Service: Theatrical
MPAA Rating, PG
CNS Rating, Not Rated at the Time of this Review
Reel Rating, Four out of Five
The Forge is the ninth film by the Alex Kendrick, who by this point has cemented himself of one of the prominent Christian filmmakers of the early 21st century. He splashed into Hollywood with Facing the Giants and Fireproof in the mid 2000s, demonstrating that explicitly Christian movies could be theatrically profitable. War Room was easily his best film and his first to reach #1 at the box office. Now we have The Forge, which isn’t a strict sequel but takes place in the same JCU (Jesus Cinematic Universe). While not surpassing its predecessor in quality, it nonetheless proves to be a powerful story of discipleship, encouragement, and true masculinity – a potent antidote to the listlessness of our age.
Isaiah (Aspen Kennedy) suffers from a bad case malaise. More than a year out of high school, he has no job, no college plans, and no idea what to do with his life. Mostly, he plays video games on the internet, shoots hoops at the local court, and annoys his single mother. She finally gives him an ultimatum: get a job to pay rent or move out. “You’re kicking me out of my own house?” he complains. “YOUR house?” she gasps. He relents and agrees to go job hunting, finding little success from closed gaming stores or strict coffee shops. His luck changes when he applies for a job at Moore Fitness, an exercise equipment factory. While writing the application, he insults a random person he doesn’t know is Joshua Moore (Cameron Arnett), the company president. Instead of expelling him on the spot, Moore decides to take the lad under his wing, sensing something greater down the road.
Soon this ugly duckling of a lazy, entitled boy is learning to become a swan of great responsibility, but not without bumps along the way. Late on his third day of work, he gets a major dressing down. “When you’re late,” Moore tells him, “Your coworkers must make up for you. It’s shows disrespect.” Moore meets with Isaiah three times a week for “life lessons,” which include spiritual direction. On night, recognizing through tears his own sinfulness and sloth, Isaiah gives his life to Christ. From that point on, everything falls into place. Not only does he pay rent, but – like an AA member – pays reparations to all those he wronged. This opens possibilities he never thought possible from the One for whom all things are possible.
Our modern culture doesn’t have much to offer desperate young men. The options social media give are either feckless weaklings that indulge every pleasure like Woody Allen or misogynist egomaniacs like Andrew Tate. Given his father bolted early in childhood, Isaiah is set up for failure. Fortunately, Moore steps up to the plate. Being a man is ultimately being like Christ: someone who lays down his life for others. A man accepts responsibility for his neighbor and does the work needed to provide for his family and community. He also must “get rid of anything that gets in the way of Christ.” For Moore, this meant golfing. For Isaiah, it is porn, arrogance, pride, and – worst of all – video games.
Orson Welles once quipped that “there are two things that can never be honestly and successfully portrayed on screen: sex and prayer.” As for sex, it certainly isn’t for lack of effort. As for prayer, The Forge proves him wrong. Characters frequently pray both individually and as a community, both formally and spontaneously. Isaiah has a beautiful Jacobian moment where he wrestles with God’s commandment to forgive his father. On the surface, it appears like he’s just walking in circles talking to himself. Yet in context with the cinematography, writing, and music it is clear he being molded into a mature man of faith through great suffering. Bringing in tropes from War Room, Isaiah’s mother enlists a series of friends in prayer when he has a major crisis, including the undaunted Miss Clara (Karen Abercrombie) who prays with a ferocity that would rival Joan of Arc or Anthony of Egypt. “People treat prayer like a spare tire,” she tells Isaiah. “But it needs to be your steering wheel, the thing that drives everything.” Paul says the same thing in 1st Thessalonians 5, although without the automative metaphor.
The last theme is the necessity of fraternity. Isaiah not only decides to become a Christian but express a desire for “discipleship.” Moore then invites him to a bimonthly dinner where other male mentors and mentees share their faith. A year into this fellowship, Isaiah is presented with a ten-pound sword and told to hold it parallel to the floor. Within a minute, his hand is wavering until one by one the other members place their fingers under the blade. No one can handle the pressures of life alone; as men, we need to lean on each other and, when necessary, hold one another accountable. This also includes patriarchal blessings from one man to another reminiscent of the Old Testament, and these scenes are remarkable in the way they directly oppose the anti-masculine sentiment in our culture. Of course, Catholicism has long understood this need with monasticism, church hierarchy, parish cohesion, and Knight of Columbus pancake breakfasts. It’s nice to see the nod from Protestants as well.
There are still whiffs of old school Kendrick mistakes, including a ridiculous plot twist halfway through that still confuses me. However, despite a slow start, The Forge crescendos into a magnificent story of great power. It also might be good viewing for any Gen Zs that might be failing to launch.
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