The story kicks off with the mediation of disputes in the late night police station. Father Gegan entered the police station for sexually assaulting a child, but under the successive care of the bishop and assistant prosecutor, he finally left without incident. The opening of just two or three minutes immediately revealed a shocking fact: In Boston, Catholicism and the law have woven together a rigorous and closed institutional structure, and the power of the former is often higher than that of the latter. It can be seen from this that if you want to shake and destroy this layer of structure, you need another powerful and absolute power (Power). Journalists who are protected by press freedom are undoubtedly the best candidates; they not only have the power of a “reporter’s pen”, There is also a right (Right). But journalists are also human beings. Although their professional identities may seem sacred, they still grew up within the same institutional framework. From the conversations between Mike (Mark Ruffalo) and Sasha (Rachel McAdams) on the balcony, you can know that religion Belief has long been internalized into a consciousness, which may indirectly explain why the information provided by Phil (Neal Huff) and lawyer Eric (Billy Crudup) of the Victims' Mutual Aid Society in the past has not been taken seriously. Therefore, the appearance of the new editor-in-chief Ma Di (Liev Schreiber) is particularly important.
Actually in Tom. Under McCarthy’s calm and down-to-earth narrative strategy that deliberately played down conflicts, Marty did not come to the Boston Globe in a heroic manner. He did not show a strong sense of mission as a reporter, and he did not seem to have a sense of justice as a person, as if he was on many issues. Zhong just happened to see a priest sexual assault case, so casual and somewhat unreasonable, so he appointed a new target for the focus group. If you really want to say it, it can only be regarded as "three fires for new officials to take office." Having said that, Ma Di is still a key figure in promoting the interview. Transferred from The Miami Herald, he is single, unmarried, and of Jewish origin. Various identities allow him to be independent of the mainstream social circle in Boston, and he is almost a complete outsider; or like The lawyer Mitch (played by Stanley Tucci) described it as an "outsider." Bystanders are clear. Ma Di’s "Qing" stems from the fact that he has no family involvement, nor has he been immersed in the local Catholic faith. He can withdraw and come and go at any time without interference from any factors. This is why Ma Di can always break free from the shackles at the right time, point to the core of the problem, and remind the focus group that the focus should be on the system of church institutions, rather than just expose individual priests.
Unlike Taiwan, Catholicism in the West has a direct and close connection to the society and even the thoughts and lives of individuals. This is especially true of the ancient city of Boston. After learning that the focus group is actively investigating the priest’s sexual assault cases, the lawyers in the church have repeatedly persuaded them to stop, "People need the church. The bishop may not be perfect, but he cannot be killed all at once because of a few black sheep. "Peter said. Just like Sasha’s grandmother, she goes to church three times a week. Religion and life are fundamentally interdependent. It is not only the dependence and sustenance of the soul, but also the greatest evidence for the establishment of values. In a scene in the film, Sasha accompanied her grandma to church. The priest said to the believers: "Knowledge (Knowledge) is one thing, but faith (Faith) is another." These words impressed me, but also deeply. Feel shuddering. Because in the Catholic world, it is clear that belief has already overridden everything and is the only value to be pursued, which also creates the closedness of the religious field. In other words, Boston, which is shrouded in Catholicism, is not surrounded by high walls and iron gates, but it is like a gated community. Think of the remote towns in Hollywood slaughter films that seem to be out of the world, where many rely on a single value to enable society to operate safely, but it also makes killings a viable means of maintaining peace. This is the way I feel in Boston at this time.
Before the "Boston Globe" revealed the scandal, the incident of priests sexually assaulting children had already existed, and it was not a single case, but why didn't anyone report it? Don’t the bishop, the police, the media, or even the families of the victims even know it? A black police officer told Sasha: "No one will accuse a priest." A mother of the victim pointed out painfully that it was the pressure from the church, friends and other residents of the parish that made them shut up. As for the "Boston Globe", it had received news many years ago, but it was only quietly carried in a small article. Following the investigation of the focus group, it was discovered that the number of priests involved in the case had expanded from 13 to nearly 90. The editor (played by John Slattery) was very surprised and thought that such a number could not be known. Yes, everyone knows it, but they all choose to keep it secret. Silent good people are an alliance of evil, don't think that not doing evil is a good person. The corruption of the entire system, so that the development of evil, is actually slowly nurtured by everyone's silence.
Since then, everyone is the perpetrator, and from another perspective, everyone may also be the victim. When Matt (Brian d'Arcy James) was checking the list, he suddenly found that one of the priests was living near his home, and then a sticker warned the children not to approach; Sasha after interviewing Father Ronald who had sexually assaulted children , Turned around and saw two boys frolicking by the door; Robbie (Michael Keaton) discovered that the coach of the high school team was involved in the case, and was surprised how lucky he was to escape. All kinds of coincidences seem dramatic, but they once again illustrate the inseparable relationship between religion and personal life. Don't forget that when Sasha talks to the gay victims, the park they pass by is next to the church. It turns out that these ingenuity are buried in the plain images, so even if the victim's scars are not used to show off the sadness, it is still fascinating, and the audience immediately has a deep feeling. Tom. McCarthy's low-key but powerful narrative is really brilliant, and it can't help but be convincing.
In addition, it is very commendable that Tom. McCarthy is not like most media who always link priest sexual assault cases with comrades in order to create sensational topics. He even deliberately separates the two clearly, asserting that the root of the problem lies in the church organization-a top-down criminal system. When facing Sasha’s question, Father Ronald admitted unabashedly that he had “played” with children. His plain tone made everything seem to be taken for granted; but he also emphasized that he had never “raped” anything. one person. After hearing this, Sasha asked him what was the difference between the two, only then did he know that he had been raped. Judging from Ronald's crimes and encounters, as well as the statements of other victims, it is not difficult to find that the occurrence of sexual assault is fundamentally a top-down power oppression. To put it more clearly, it is the power relationship between adults and children, priests and believers, and strong and weak.... All these unequal power relationships are created, and victims who are born in broken families may rationalize sexual assault as special. Caring.
Tom. McCarthy clarified in the interview that "Breaking Focus" is not criticizing the church, but trying to clarify why this happened. However, when Sasha no longer accompanies her grandma to church, and the faithful Mike feels that something is suddenly broken, or when she sees a series of church lists rolled up after the movie ends, I believe that the audience's hearts have long been unable to calm down. At this time, the scene of a group of children singing "Silent Eve" in the church has finally become the deepest irony.
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