The Saratov Approach

I served as a missionary in Region 8 of the Philippines in 2003 and 2004 (epicenter of the destruction from Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 by the way). In March of 2003, it was apparent that the US was going into Iraq and it irritated an extremist group in the Philippines. I was living in a town called Burauen and army officials visited the local schools one day, warning the students to be careful. My companion and I voiced our concerns to our zone leader by telephone and he told us to come to his apartment in another town the next morning. Our concern was made known to the mission president so that he would be aware of the action that was being taken but he immediately overruled the zone leader's decision. He wanted us out of town immediately and sent his Filipino office elders to get us instead of his American assistants. It was a little scary from the moment the office elders banged on our door that night until the next day when the danger calmed down. This whole incident did result in my transfer from Burauen. During that week, my companion and I joked about making a movie showing us being trapped in our area and our fellow missionaries sneaking in to rescue us. I also secretly wished to have the opportunity to teach terrorists. I was quite naive. "The Saratov Approach" depicts a true kidnapping incident that for some odd reason I never knew about. The best characteristic of this movie is the cinematography and even though the show wasn't perfect, it was extremely impressive considering past LDS films.

"The Saratov Approach" brings to my mind the filmmaking style of Tony Scott, Paul Greengrass and Ben Affleck in that realism was achieved. All these styles utilize handheld cameras, which I feel does wonders in emotionally connecting with the audience. The cinematographer of "The Saratov Approach", Jeremy Prusso, deserves the most applause from anyone working on this show. The use of Russian titles and archival footage also created the appropriate mood. The only mistake I can see from a cinematographic standpoint is the scene where the elders discuss why they decided to serve a mission. The handheld camera shots sort of distract us from the spiritual emotion being emitted. The movie did have shots that were not handheld and this scene would have been a great time to have use a more subtle style of camera work. I am guessing however that this was the director's choice. The script I feel could have been a bit better also. The start of the film had a few too many ironic lines for example. You don't want to overemphasize the ominous feeling leading up to the kidnapping. One line that I thought was unnecessary was when Elder Tuttle repeats, "The Mormons will be exterminated". The irony is apparent to begin with and we really don't need the emphasis. The rest of the script was not able to perfectly match the realistic look of the film. Still, there were some good examples of writing in this movie. The English lesson we see at the start of the movie is sentimental for me. I like how Nikolai answers the door immediately when the elders arrive to teach. That more than anything is a red flag. The NBA debate scene was quite realistic because it is the kind of conversation that missionaries have all the time as a small break from their service. I had plenty of moments like this on my mission. In the case of this scene, the elders use it as a break from their terror.

One important plot point in "The Saratov Approach" is that the ransom must not be paid because the situation is bigger than what it seems. We see this part of the story being depicted in both the US and in Russia. If the church pays the kidnappers, it will endanger not only every other missionary in the world but also ordinary members of the church. The characters in this movie are tempted to give in to fear & sacrifice their faith and this is a powerful motif. The Tuttles receive a cheque out of nowhere but they understand immediately that they can't use it and I like the shot that ultimately shows what happened to that donation. It causes the audience to be active in their viewing experience. In Russia meanwhile, the missionaries have a chance to escape but it requires them to be violent. They pray for guidance but don't receive an answer to their prayers until the last possible moment. The music of this scene creates genuine tension. I believe God will let us make our own decisions and stop us only if it is the wrong decision as long as we are in tune to His spirit. The missionaries follow this spirit and we later learn why they were prompted to do so. The elders rely on their faith to save themselves, willing to sacrifice for other missionaries. It's not just them that have been kidnapped. In reality, it is the whole church (the name of which is on their nametags). Also, the elders follow the example of another name on their tags. Christ died for all and the missionaries may have to die for others as well. The kidnappers are depicted as bad but not evil, even Sergei. His tattoo ends up making all the difference in this story for both the fate of the elders and the kidnappers. The ending of this film was quite satisfying because I was afraid the movie would end too soon. The end text shows how the kidnappers were dealt both justice and mercy. This is an important attribute of God as well. I also applaud the use of the Standard of Truth in Russian.

In terms of the casting of the film, I felt that the missionaries looked too old. Having said that, I am betting it was hard to find age appropriate male actors who were not serving missions at this time. Anyways, all the actors in this film were amazing. I have seen Corbin Allred in films before and I have even edited my own version of a scene of his from "Saints and Soldiers". That was while I was in university. I remember Alex Veadov from "Air Force One" despite his brief role in that movie. His eyes are memorable and his work in "The Saratov Approach" is the best out of anyone. I didn't recognize Bruce Newbold without a beard. The FBI agents however looked too much like church members in this movie. Those scenes almost resembled a home teaching appointment in terms of appearance. That is just a mirror problem because the film's design for the most part really did feel like 1998.

This movie has some great Christian themes that are incorporated in a film that utilizes a very realistic style. The cinematography will get everyone's attention. Even though the "The Saratov Approach" had some problems, it was still an amazing movie. LDS filmmaking seems to be getting better and better as well as more diverse.

4 Stars