Barnes & Noble

A riveting, thought-provoking, and complex work, this winner of the 2000 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival has been kept under wraps for too long. Initially shunned by distributors because of its daring, controversial subject matter, the film was first aired on Showtime and finally made it to some theaters in the spring of 2003. Inspired by the true story of a Ku Klux Klan member who was revealed to be Jewish in an article in The New York Times, The Believer recounts the transformation of a clever, argumentative yeshiva boy from Brooklyn into a violent neo-fascist skinhead. Canadian actor Ryan Gosling anchors the film with his volcanic and unforgettable portrayal of Danny Balint, a young man trapped in a vortex of destructive psychological contradictions. Director and screenwriter Henry Bean (Enemy at the Gates) appears to know his terrain, depicting with gritty verisimilitude both the clandestine skinhead world and the insular community of committed Orthodox Jews in New York. Billy Zane and Theresa Russell are convincing as Danny’s mentors in the right-wing underground. Russell is particularly effective, masterfully incarnating "the banality of evil." Summer Phoenix has an interesting turn as their brilliant but unmoored teenage daughter. Although Bean’s screenplay raises more questions than it answers, and at times strains credulity, it is never less than engrossing, intellectually challenging, and emotionally explosive. The Believer, a significant work that has sparked more than its share of debate, builds to an understated yet heart-pounding and devastating climax. David Sobel

All Movie Guide

In this powerful and disturbing drama, Danny Balint (Ryan Gosling) is a member of a gang of racist skinheads who espouses a vile but well-articulated philosophy of anti-Semitism. Danny also has a secret -- he is a Jew, and was a top student in Hebrew school before he began to ask too many questions about the deeper implications of the teachings in the Torah and the Old Testament, leading to his expulsion. Angry and confused, Danny began to explore the philosophies of the neo-Nazi movement, which he soon came to embrace through a mixture of anger over the tragic history of the Jewish people, bitterness over his experiences in Hebrew school, and a loathing of himself. Danny soon becomes a key member of a skinhead sect led by Curtis (Billy Zane) and Lina (Theresa Russell), but while Curtis and Lina believe that the desire for cultural assimilation by many American Jews will lead to their self-destruction, Danny advocates a more direct and violent approach in dealing with the "enemy." Danny gains the admiration of his fellow skinheads for his intelligence and commitment, and wins the affection of Carla (Summer Phoenix), a group member with severe masochistic tendencies. But in time Danny's beliefs begin to shift once again, just as the truth about his background becomes known to his comrades. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, The Believer was inspired by the true story of Daniel Burros, a member of the American Nazi Party who committed suicide in the 1960s when it was revealed by the press that he was born to a Jewish family. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 660200305727
• Source: PALM PICTURES / UMVD
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Alternate Wide Screen (1.78:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:39:00
• Sales Rank: 4,530

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