THE APOSTLE (2018)
- The Detail of the Dagger: The ritual dagger used by the cult features a design based on real 19th-century agricultural tools, reinforcing the connection between the peasants and nature as an almost sacred element.
- The Sacrifice and Celtic Circles: The scene where blood seeps into the ground was inspired by a Celtic ritual called Imbolc, which celebrated the fertility of the land. This detail connects the film to real pagan traditions.
- The Homage to The Shining: In the scene where Thomas watches the vegetation twist beneath the ground, Gareth Evans employed techniques similar to Kubrick’s in The Shining to convey latent evil. They used wide-depth lenses and stop-motion effects for visual distortion.
- Historical Parallels: The island and its cult reference the rise of utopian communes in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as the Oneida Community or the Shakers, which often veered into destructive fanaticism.
Oneida Community:
Inspired the structure of the island’s community, reflecting its utopian model based on radical religious principles and unconventional practices.
Shaker Community:
Influenced the austere aesthetic and focus on spirituality that connects humans with the divine through isolation and collective devotion.
- Oppressive Sound Design: The sound design is inspired by films like The Witch (2015) and Hereditary (2018), using organic sounds (branches, wind, creaks) to build tension, but also incorporates industrial crescendos reminiscent of composers like Jóhann Jóhannsson (Sicario).
PICTORIAL INSPIRATION
The Lady of Shalott
It captures the atmosphere of isolation and fragility, where the characters seem condemned by invisible forces, trapped in a dark beauty.
Painting by John William Waterhouse.
The Great Day of His Wrath
It evokes apocalyptic grandeur and the sensation of an unrelenting judgment that consumes everything in its path.
Painting by John Martin.
FILMIC INSPIRATION
Häxan (1922)
Relation: It explores superstition and fear in isolated communities, similar to how The Apostle addresses fanaticism and religious manipulation.
Synopsis: A hybrid of documentary and fiction that depicts the history of witchcraft from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.
Witchfinder General (1968)
Relation: Both criticize how power and faith are used to justify violence and control.
Synopsis: A witch hunter uses torture and murder to extort villages in England during the Civil War.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Relation: They share the theme of an isolated religious community with sinister practices.
Synopsis: A police officer investigates the disappearance of a girl on a remote island with pagan rituals.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Relation: The film shares the exploration of fanaticism and destructive ambition in a rural and oppressive context.
Synopsis: An oil tycoon and a preacher struggle for control and morality at the turn of the century in the U.S.