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Rob Edelman: The Brand New Testament

I see countless films at festivals and press screenings and during their theatrical runs. But I do not see every film. So when I discover and am enamored of a title that I somehow had missed, it is an extra-special treat. One such film is THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT, directed by Belgian filmmaker Jaco Van Dormael, which has just been released to home entertainment.

THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT is clever and original, a visually inventive satire and a pleasure to watch. To be sure, it is provocative. Extremely provocative... It is the kind of film that you either will savor or despise, and this has nothing to do with its aesthetic. You will in fact be drawn to or repelled by THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT based solely on your politics.

At the center of the film is a ten-year-old girl who just so happens to be the daughter of God. Her name is spelled “EA,” which likely is short for Eve and Adam. However, given who they are, she and her parents are not what one might expect; in other words, there is nothing heavenly or otherworldly about them. They reside in a cramped Brussels apartment. Her father-- or, God-- is loud and coarse, a strict, stubborn disciplinarian and mean-spirited bully. He resembles an overweight middle-aged male, the kind who sits around in his undershirt sipping beer and endlessly complaining about everything.

He also rules his household. “On TV, we can’t watch anything but sports,” the daughter reports, as a hockey game is seen on a small television monitor. Plus, this God derives great pleasure from sitting at his computer and determining the less-than-cheery fates of countless humans. Then there is his bathrobe-clad wife, who is described as “a pathetic woman, 100 percent certified sloppy.” She is perpetually silent and, when she doesn’t embroider, she sits at a table and contemplates her baseball card collection. 

The scenario follows what happens when the little girl escapes her narrow world and runs off into the real world. For after all, her older brother, who is named JC, has previously done so. She is pursued by her father-- or, God-- and the key to the story is the manner in which he is dealt with upon leaving the sanctity of his abode.

At its core, THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT is an assault on religion and the use of faith as an excuse for casually accepting the world’s horrors. For after all, a terrorist may attack, maim, and murder dozens of innocent individuals and a person of a certain political persuasion will respond not by considering the implementation of laws that might curb such violence. That person will suggest that all we can do is visit a house of worship and pray.

THE BRAND NEW TESTAMENT also puts forth a philosophy about the meaning of life. Here, Van Dormael asks us: If you knew how much time you had to live, within days, minutes, and even seconds, what would you do? How would you change your routine? How would you change your life? And his answer is: Do what you want to do, even if it means living in the most outrageous manner. With this in mind, perhaps the most familiar BRAND NEW TESTAMENT cast member is Catherine Deneuve. And the manner in which her character changes her life is at once shocking, and hilarious and, when you think about it, completely understandable.

Rob Edelman has authored or edited several dozen books on film, television, and baseball. He has taught film history courses at several universities and his writing has appeared in many newspapers, magazines, and journals. His frequent collaborator is his wife, fellow WAMC film commentator Audrey Kupferberg.

The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.

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