The
Cross & the Switchblade (1970)
Our rating: 4 out of 5
Rated: PG
reviewed by:
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, David's 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, David's hope is
renewed by the loving kindness of the Mexican minister and his family. They are
astounded and amazed by David's 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.