UNITED STATES
The Oregonian
Friday, July 29, 2005
By MARC MOHAN
BAD RELIGION -- The wide-ranging scandal involving sexual abuse by Catholic priests has appalled millions, both for its immense scope and for the depravity reported by the thousands of victims. It's difficult to even conceptualize the damage done while considering the affair as a whole -- which is why Kirby Dick's documentary "Twist of Faith" is so important. Looking at one instance of alleged abuse, the Oscar-nominated film focuses on Toledo, Ohio, firefighter Tony Comes and his quest for justice and peace of mind 20 years after being allegedly raped by a priest named Dennis Gray.
What gives "Twist of Faith" such power and immediacy is a technique that Dick had used in the documentary "Chain Camera." By providing video cameras for his subjects to film themselves, he achieves a remarkable level of trust with the subjects who are opening up their lives, in this case Comes and his wife. This leads to a level of intimacy rarely seen on movie screens, as Comes bravely allows viewers to see him at his most vulnerable, surely a tough decision for a regular sort of guy who drives a pickup and is a Buccaneers fan.