When the book “Another Man’s War: The True Story Of One Man’s Battle To Save Children” was released, author Sam Childers said, “All my life, from birth, it’s been a fight. And it always seemed to be another man’s war. I always seemed to be fighting for someone else. But it always came back to me.”
Today, Childers is still fighting the war to save African orphans, and his story has been adapted to the movie “Machine Gun Preacher,” starring Gerard Butler, Michelle Monaghan and Michael Shannon.
In addition, director Marc Forester brings a steady and experienced hand to this project.
“Machine Gun Preacher” is more about propagating the power of belief than discussing the question most religions are trying to answer. The story centers around Childers, a burly ex-con who finds Jesus after a close encounter with a stabbed alcoholic and a sudden hurricane. By accident, Childers is sent to Sudan where he decides to build an orphanage for refugees of a civil war, especially helping women and children of the war-torn country.
Yet, the movie does not try to describe Childers as a missionary redeemer, but as a self-doubting and ordinary man. The film raises the question of what will happen to Childers’ message when the initial surprise wears off. While pursuing his mission with no financial compensation, Childers’ message sometimes falls on closed ears. To some, he is just wasting his time, even though his message comes with an intense passion.
“Machine Gun Preacher” wonders how effectively an outsider can fight another man’s war, and whether we can vindicate ourselves from it.
