THE FEUD

An offbeat comic view of small town life in the 1950s, THE FEUD is a gigantic sprawl of disasters triggered by an unlikely event. It starts in a hardware store in Millville, when Dolf Beeler from the neighboring town of Hornbeck attempts to buy some paint remover. An argument arises over whether Dolf can keep his unlit stogie on the premises where no smoking is allowed.

Contending he’s a policeman, a bystander named Reverton cuffs Dolf and pulls a gun on him. Dolf begs forgiveness and is released, but, upon learning that Reverton is a cousin to the store’s owner, Bud Bullard, he vows revenge on the entire Bullard clan. Dolf exclaims, “I got to pay them back. Our pride’s at stake!”

That night the hardware store burns to the ground. The next day a bomb explodes in Dolf’s car. The battle lines are drawn, and THE FEUD is on. Complicating matters is Dolf’s son, Tony, who is in love with Bullard’s daughter, Eva. At first, they try to keep their affections secret, but as the feud escalates, drawing in more family members and townspeople, the young lovers are themselves caught in the small town squabble.

Despite some good acting and stylish camera work, the film is too predictable and tends to drag. Moreover, it’s laced with lying, lust and obsession with revenge. God tells us, “Do not say, ‘I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man back for what he has done'” (Prov. 24:29). Instead, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath” (Rom. 12:18-19).

In fact, the whole feud could have been averted if Reverton, the bystander, had heeded Proverbs 26: 17. “Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.” Also, to its discredit is the way the film links guns to virility and pride, producing a false sense of power. Sadly, these people are given over to adultery, promiscuity, profanity, and obscenity. As Mark 7:23 says, “All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.” THE FEUD is not recommended.