2 of 5

I asked Solomon, who is remarkably softspoken and humble, about the biblical quality of his hero's name. "I called him 'Manual' because of what he is capable of—Manual means 'by hand.' I didn't mean to use 'Emanuel' to give it any kind of religious connotation." He paused and smiled. "But then again … I did call him Manual Jordan—didn't I?"

His instinctive storytelling might reveal more "religious" truth than he intends. His characters seem ignorant of God's grace, even as they extend it to each other. Manual seems resolved to saving himself "by hand," but there's a hole at the center of his life that the gospel would fill perfectly.

Most mainstream movies make me eager to part company with their shallow, ill-mannered characters and cheap answers. Solomon prefers to leave us with important lingering questions. Just as he sometimes wonders what happened to that incarcerated teen, we are left wondering where his metropolitan pilgrims' progress will lead them. Do they have any inklings of real hope? Have they learned lessons that will quench their longing for relief, levity, and joy? These questions suggest that the movie's work is not over after the credits roll. That's when we have the opportunity to turn to our fellow moviegoers and really get to the heart of things.

"I'm not coming at this from a Christian perspective, although there are parallels for sure," the storyteller  says cautiously. "I'm not coming to this film from a place of knowledge. I was trying to really explore questions."

Whatever Solomon's intentions were, the film's heavy spiritual subtext has not gone unnoticed. "Some members of the secular press have just attacked me for trying to make a Christian film. Initially, I got mad. I asked, 'How do you get that from this story?' And then I was kind of amused. Everyone has a right to read in what they want. But then I started thinking about it and I said, 'Well, what's wrong with that anyway? What if I was? Why not?'"

Alex Field (Relevant) calls Levity "one of the most spiritually challenging films of the year so far. [It explores] themes of forgiveness and belief in God, or rather, a man's lack of belief in God juxtaposed with his paradoxical need for forgiveness from God. Solomon … launches a massive achievement with Levity. The story is clearly a spiritual one and could be the central metaphor in any number of sermons on redemption. Go see this movie, and you'll see what one guy in Hollywood has done better than just about every 'Christian film' ever produced."

Phil Boatwright (Movie Reporter) says, "The viewer is not unsettled by the film's turmoil, but ultimately uplifted by the story's hopeful conclusion. Although rated R for its emotional intensity and the obscenity sprinkled throughout, none of the content is of an exploitive nature. Everything said and done further develops the characters … as they go down the road to redemption." He sees "a great deal of symbolism and imagery, which suggests Christ's atonement (even if not intended by the filmmaker). I found Levity touching, insightful, completely involving, and extremely moving.  The best film so far this year, because it deals with a commonality—man seeking forgiveness."

next page... |  2 of 5

share this page

April (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47