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November 23, 2009
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Home > Movies > Reviews > 2002 |  
To End All Wars
| posted 11/23/2009



from Film Forum, 06/17/04

Marking the DVD release of screenwriter Brian Godawa's war film To End All Wars, Ron Reed (Christianity Today Movies) writes, "I should have loved this film: It's about self-sacrificing heroism in the face of impossible circumstances, the power of forgiveness over hatred, the futile tragedy of war and God's way of peace in the midst of it. The premise is a great one, and the story true."

But, unfortunately, he did not love the film. "Godawa (a Christian) brings a passion and wisdom to the task of rendering these truths into cinema that is in turn inspiring. Unfortunately, it may be his very eagerness to convey these insights that undermines the effectiveness of the story he seeks to tell. The filmmakers don't want this picture to be described as 'a Christian film,' but for all its strong language and refusal to solve every problem with a conversion, I'm afraid it still feels like propaganda. That's the real problem with 'Christian films'—their preaching. To End All Wars doesn't hand us pat answers, but it hands us answers nonetheless, or at least theme statements, in a way that leaves little room for ambiguity or mystery."

The few mainstream critics that have reviewed the film offer mixed reviews as well.



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