The Believer

A harsh, abrasive story, The Believer is the difficult directorial debut from Harry Bean, which deals with themes of hatred, self-identity and morality. The Believer is based on the true story of Daniel Burros, who committed suicide after the New York Times revealed that the member of the American Nazi party and the organiser of New York's division of the Klu- Klux Klan was actually Jewish by birth. Though fiercely intelligent, the main character's search for some sort of religious and cultural identity leads to him associating with some middle class racists, Linus Moebius (Theresa Russell) and her boyfriend Curtis Zampf (Billy Zane). Young Gosling gives a powerhouse of a performance, inhabiting the angry character of Daniel with a terrifying ferocity, and while the film doesn't attempt to provide any easy answers, it raises some pertinent questions about the nature of the religious identity. Go and see, but The Believer is hardly an easy ride.