Little Boy - good stuff

Rating: 9/10 (22 April 2015)

One of the knocks on "Christian" films is that they lack subtlety; the message is wielded like a blunt force instrument, and the story resolution comes by way of a pat ending, reached always through faith in God. Heroes and villains are drawn in stark contrast, and the heroes are the ones that believe in God the most. I don't agree it is a valid knock in all cases, but I appreciate at least that criticism, and see the point.
Then there is Little Boy. First, I would hesitate to call it a "Christian" film at all, as the message seems broader than that, but what the heck - call it a Christian film. In fact, call it a Catholic film. Perish the thought!
Little Boy is a meditation on many things - the belief that faith without works is dead; the belief that works without love are also dead; the corporal works of mercy. All of these are Catholic beliefs, some uniquely so. But they are also all human. Should we treat each other well because we love God? Or because it's right? Does it matter?
In the end, Little Boy is also a mediation on the nature of faith itself. Does our faith in God change God? Or cause him to do what we want Him to do? Or does our faith simply allow us to see what God does through the eyes of trust and love, through the eyes of a little boy gazing upon a father that he worships? The formula in a lot of Christian films is that faith helps us get what we want. The reality is that faith helps us to deal with what God wants. There is a big difference.
I enjoyed Little Boy, but not simply for its message of faith. We can all see ourselves in one character or another as they all deal differently with the tension of WWII. Overall, Little Boy is a touching and poignant film, well worth a shot.