THE CROSS & THE SWITCHBLADE

REVIEWED BY CARISSA HORTON

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: violence, sexual content

Rated:

What compels a country preacher to leave all he knows and loves in Phillipsburg, PA and attempt to reach the worst kids in New York City? The only answer is the spirit of God, the spirit of love. David Wilkerson (Pat Boone) has a genuine love for these teens and kids who have no hope left in the world. These gangs hate, molest, and murder each other for sport. They cannot comprehend what true love is, until Preach walks into their lives.

David has never been subjected to such violence, hatred, and thievery before in his entire life. Learning about a gang of teens who murdered another, David heads into New York City with the inclination to do all he can for them. Viciously thrown out of the courtroom and forbidden access to the ones who need him most, Davids heart begins to quail. Was he following Gods will after all, or just his own instincts? Little Bo Peep (goes by Bo), a messenger between the gangs, is the last person David would expect help from, which makes him all the more grateful for it. Following Bo into the back alleyways of the Big Apple, David is lead into the heart of gang territory where he meets the Mau Maus and The Bishops, two rival gangs with enough hate inside to frighten anyone. After bargaining his way inside the hideout, David does his very best to reach through to the leaders; Israel of the Mau Maus and Big Cat of the Bishops. But their hatred runs deeper then David could have realized, and he leaves with an air of discouragement while the two separate gangs continue to harangue on each other and threaten, oblivious to David's attempts at peace.

Stumbling across a tiny church, nearly choked and nonexistent, Davids hope is renewed by the loving kindness of the Mexican minister and his family. They are astounded and amazed by Davids perseverance. No one had ever expected to discover a person with enough courage and faith in God to bring the gospel message to the streets and ghettos of New York City, yet here he is. There is one man who needs God more then anyone, but wont reach out. Nicky Cruz (Erik Estrada) is the heartless warlord of the Mau Maus and Israel's right-hand man. He's starting to feel fear and anxiety where the Preacher is concerned and reacts in almost blind anger. A rumble (street fight) is planned between the Bishops and the Mau Maus over a spit of land that has no value, just the fact that it exists warrants a battle. Israel is no longer the slightly softening man with a gentle heart; he's become a crazed, partly insane killer, and Nicky is worse if that's at all possible. Leaving their comrades scattered everywhere with varying degrees of injuries, the gangs find themselves on rooftops, fire escapes, and anywhere they can land blows. Finally, the cops catch up only to find themselves being attacked by the very gangs who were beating each other to death only a few minutes ago.

Nicky and Israel barely escape being caught, and, after wiping the telltale signs of blood away and changing shirts, head back out into public, where David just happens to be speaking. His words are of love, and Nicky reacts in confused anger. Israel begins to understand what Nicky is going through, and later that evening, explains to the tormented Nicky why David is doing his best to reach through the barrier. You're the worst of us. If he can reach you, he can reach anybody. Naturally, this just makes Nicky's hate grow stronger, and the death of Mingo (another gang member) doesn't help matters any, particularly since it was Nicky and Israel's fault. David isn't about to give up on Nicky, no matter what others say. His appearance at Nicky's door in the middle of the night does nothing to ease Nicky's anger, but he's starting to come through. No matter how Nicky threatens him, David still repeats that God loves him.

Nicky becomes so desperate to rid New York City of David Wilkerson, he even hires a prostitute, Rosa, from his gang to do the job for him. Rosa is a sweet girl, but she's a heroin main liner, and is due for her next fix. Addicts are willing to commit any crime for their next fix, so Rosa sets off after the Preacher. The will of God comes through here, for Rosa doesn't carry out her seek and destroy mission against David, but is lovingly cared for and coaxed through cold turkey (withdrawal pains) by David and the family he's staying with. Nicky, Israel and a few other gang members are attacked by some Bishops while at Mingo's funeral, and viciously wounded, Nicky makes his way home. He's losing control of everything; his life, his gang, his friends, the Preacher Davy wont take no for an answer, and God is searching for him. Nicky has his back up against a wall, and the only direction to turn is toward God and the love he so desperately needs. The question now is, will Nicky and the others take that step?

To accurately portray the struggles happening in these teens lives, there is violence, language, and drug abuse from necessity. You'll find a few uses of crap, d**n, and ba***rd, as well as Gods name used in vain. The rumbles are violent and frightening, and the opening scene shows a young man being beat to death with clubs, fists, and knives. The gang members have blood on their faces, as well as bandages. Once a young man falls from a fire escape and one side of his face appears to be caved in, with a lot of blood. There are scenes of implied sexual actions between gang members and their debs (prostitutes). Several people get high on marijuana, and you actually witness a young women getting shot up with heroin. The anger is also an issue. Some scenes are so tense, you can almost see the hatred broiling between these kids.

One of the best Christian films ever produced, The Cross and the Switchblade is a story you wont easily forget. The story of good prevailing against evil. A cross (the symbol of love) against the switchblade (the symbol of hate). Don't let the supposed "problems" I've mentioned dissuade you from watching this film. I came to realize just how potent the struggle was for these young souls, who had never been told that God loves them. Remember, this isn't just a made up story, these people do exist, this tale is true, and lives have been surrendered to God through the work of Minister David Wilkerson, founder of Teen Challenge. This film is priceless and the ending is worth the wait. Because of the violence, its not for children, but older teens and adults need to take the time to view The Cross and the Switchblade. There's never been a more poignant tale of Gods fight for human souls. Trust me, this movie is worth every minute.

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