I recently saw The Forge and I can say it was one of those Christian films that will stick with me for a while after. The film is inspiring, emotional, and rich with lessons in faith, responsibility, purpose and spiritual growth. It is not only a movie to watch for entertainment, it's a movie to watch to think about life and God.
Isaiah is a young man who recently graduated from high school, but has little idea of the direction his life will take. He spends most of his time playing video games, and trying to get out of doing things. His mother is concerned as she wants him to take life seriously. As the story unfolds, Isaiah is privileged to serve and become acquainted with others that mold his character and lead him into a better way of doing things.
I enjoyed one aspect of The Forge: the struggles of the main character are realistic. A lot of young people today have the same issue as they don't know what to do with their lives. Isaiah's experience teaches us that success is not achieved through "sloth" or "thoughts"! It comes only through discipline, learning, hard work and above all, trusting God. That he was slowly transforming from a carefree youth to a thoughtful adult was very entertaining to watch.
A second beautiful thing about the film is the mentorship. The older men who mentored Isaiah did not provide him with mere advice—he received their time, energy, and prayers to help him become a better person. This startled me to remember that we all have a need of godly mentors in our lives. Proverbs 27:17, "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. This verse is depicted well in this film as it shows the power of good influences.
I loved the strong Christian message in the film also. The Forge takes God to the heart of the film, whereas other films talk about the word of God only superficially. Prayer and Bible study, discipleship and obedience to God are naturally integrated into the storyline. The movie teaches that having a good job, or making money isn't the only sign of success, and that it is the person that God wants us to be.
Acting was good and realistic. The role-players were very convincing in their performances and the emotions conveyed were genuine. I was able to relate to the characters and what they were going through. The relationship between Isaiah and his mother was particularly moving as it revealed the love, patience and concern that is often felt by parents towards their children even when they fall for wrong.
The film's production was also very good. The scenery was well captured, the music was appropriate to the emotional parts and the timing of the scenes held my interest. The film has a long running time, but never did I feel bored; everything was part of Isaiah's growth and the message of the film.
I took some lessons from The Forge. Reminded me that growth does not occur in an instant. God uses people, challenges and experience to mold us into what He wants us to be. It also helped me to be aware of my spiritual life and to value those who give me godly guidance and correction.
I think the only thing I would have to say is that there were a couple of parts that were somewhat predictable. This does not diminish the impact that it has on messaging, however. The emotional effect and the spiritual message is strong enough to keep audience engaged.
The Forge is a good Christian film overall, and it's a film that offers some really good lessons about faith, purpose, mentorship and personal transformation. It invites viewers to put their faith in God's process; God works in the ways metal is worked in a forge. I would highly recommend it to young adults, families, church groups, and anyone who wants a film that has a positive and life changing message.
My Rating: 9/10 ⭐
The Forge is inspirational, heart-felt and spiritually uplifting. It is a film that not only delights the audience, but also prompts them to think and learn. It motivated me to be more disciplined, to seek wisdom from God and to have faith in God's plan for my life.
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