BROKEN VICTORY

BROKEN VICTORY opens with the caption “Not many years from now, a popular leader has risen to power. A faithful minority refuses to worship him.” Hence, we have another film about the Antichrist, and his effect on Christians.

Shortly, we observe a Christian family seated around the table taking turns reciting Scriptures like the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew. The father, Matthew, leads his family in reciting various Scriptures, and Nathaniel, Elizabeth, Joshua, and Miriam do well, but teenager Kevin stumbles over John 3:16,17. However, Kevin is mentally retarded, and the family helps him get the verses right.

Suddenly, bright lights flood the room, and police guards rush in confiscating Matthew’s Bible. The police drive the family outside, and the Colonel holds the Bible aloft, ripping pages out and dropping them into a fire.

Later, the family returns to their barrack-like quarters after receiving ominous threats from the Colonel. Earlier, they had lost their house and possessions, and each of them now wears gunnysack-like outfits.

Nevertheless, life goes on even in the police state of Antichrist. Given the present deprivation, Nathaniel and Elizabeth, who are married and expecting a child, decide to slip out at night and profess the Antichrist. After they leave, mother Sarah mutters something about “They’re going to deny the Lord with words, but not in their hearts.”

Thus, because of the expected baby, they cannot be faulted for leaving. Joshua and Miriam, too, have their struggles about leaving, but are persuaded against it. In the meantime, the Colonel carries out some of his threats and makes Kevin a ward of the state. Of course, the state plans to put Kevin and his friends to death.

At film’s end, the entire family knows they will die the following day, so they pray and remind each other of encouraging Bible verses such as Romans eight: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

Lamentably, BROKEN VICTORY lacks freshness and conviction. Despite veteran actors Jeanette Clift and Ken Lettner, the script remains stilted, largely due to the lack-luster story line. The people do not emerge as flesh and blood human beings. The setting with its overall gray quality needs a transfusion to make it believable.

On the other hand, BROKEN VICTORY deserves some commendation. This is a serious effort to handle an important, difficult subject and possibly with some careful minor changes could not only be greatly improved, but could benefit the Christian community.

BROKEN VICTORY was shot on a low budget, under time and financial constraints with which most non-Christian filmmakers would not be able to cope. Therefore, MOVIEGUIDE commends the filmmakers for their sacrificial commitment to getting the word out.

It is unfortunate that the church does not financially support these types of mission films as it should. Considering that the average evangelical Christian spends 6 times as much on movies and entertainment as he gives in donations and tithes, it is clear that there is a serious commitment problem in the church which is keeping us from fulfilling God’s call.

In the final analysis, BROKEN VICTORY is too typical of similar films on the same subject. The need certainly exists for a new approach to this challenging subject. In addition, Christians need some encouragement that if they refuse to deny Christ, the reward He gives more than compensates for any persecution. It is not all one-sided. After all, the truth about denying one’s life and finding it in Christ is central to the Gospel message.