Ritual
by Stanley Bennett Clay
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Angelle Brooks, Clarence Williams III, Denise Nicholas, Shawn Michael HowardDirector: Stanley Bennett Clay
Cinematographer: M. David Mullen
Composer: Curt Sobel
Editor: Nicholas Eliopoulous
Editor: Michael Schultz
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 80 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-10-26
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Urban Works
Movie Reviews of Ritual
Movie Review: Christ-like gay son tries to save family
Summary: 4 Stars
A father-daughter and mother-son dynamic is played from several angles with the twist that the son, Mason, is gay. The son's initially simple quest to heal family tensions leads to moments of self discovery for all of the characters and eventually to various extreme behaviors on Mason's part, possibly to manipulate the desired outcomes, or possibly as a reaction to what he is drawn into. The Mason character is quiet and steadfast, leading to a sense of mystery about just how much he really knows. Other reviewers have mentioned one (spoiler) shocking scene. That scene is instrumental to the plot, to understanding the game that Mason is playing, and the explicit nature of it is necessary to make the point of what is unfolding. If you don't understand that scene, I think you are missing an important point.
My initial impression was that Mason was a study in the syndrome of the gay son trying to be too perfect, but the ending is hauntingly ambiguous on this point. Having spoken with the author today (very briefly), he was more interested in the religious metaphor aspect of it, and thought of the gayness as less critical to the theme.
This was a surprisingly good film, exploring race, shattered dreams, workaholics, and using sexual orientation to add tension to the relations. It was not a standard fare kiss-and-be-happy film. If I had to criticize it on any front, I'd say the characters, while well acted, were too extreme in their various roles to be fully believable.
Summary of Ritual
Gotham Entertainment and the Raslan Company of America present Ritual, a powerful psychological drama written and directed by Stanley Bennett Clay, based on his award-winning stage play. "RITUAL" stars Clarence Williams III (The General's Daughter), Denise Nicholas (CBS-TV In The Heat of the Night), Angelle Brooks (The VIPs), and Shawn Michael Howard (Above the Rim). Leon Becker (Clarence Williams III) is a successful and wealthy Malibu attorney and the patriarch of a seemingly perfect and harmonious family. Leon sees his brood not only as the pinnacle of personal achievement, but also as an example to all that the great American Dream is attainable, even if you are Black. But underneath the surface, the Beckers are a family in crisis. Leon is completely oblivious to the trials and tribulations that exist in his home and is equally detached from his ethnic soul. Wife and mother Sylvia (Nicholas) is on the verge of alcoholism and is threatened by her daughter Teresa (Brooks), a cunning "Electra" who seems to want to replace her in the house and, perhaps, the bedroom. And Becker's brooding son Mason (Howard) drops out of his Ivy League school and returns home to confront his family's problems. Yet, all these trials-by fire are the challenges along the path to survival for this American family.Drama DVD Video
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