There are many — far, far too many — Christian films based on the 19th-century concept of the Rapture and the various social and political problems that follow it. But how many non-Christian films have explored this territory? There is Michael Tolkin’s scathing The Rapture (1991), of course. But beyond that, nothing comes to mind — except, perhaps, for a low-budget flick-in-the-making that got some attention the other day in the Charleston City Paper:
It’s Judgment Day. Mankind has been nearly wiped out. Ruthless creatures roam the land to prey on the survivors, their small numbers dwindling. All of God’s chosen people have been beamed up to heaven.
For four nonbelievers who’ve been left behind, the world they’ve awakened to isn’t much different than the one where the Good Book says they’ll ultimately end up, that is if they don’t change their heathen ways. And in the days after the Rapture, that’s hard to do. After all, the survivors are more likely to be forced to summon the head-cracking power of a Louisville Slugger than the power of the Lord.
This is the world of The Man Who Shot God, written and directed by Mt. Pleasant filmmaker John Barnhardt. With five short films under his belt, he’s spent 2007 shooting and editing his first full-length movie with a dedicated group of local actors and filmmakers. Many of the crew members are from Trident Technical College, where he teaches in the film department.
“I want this to be the El Mariachi of Charleston,” he says, referring to celebrated director Robert Rodriguez’s first indie hit, which was shot for less than $7,000. “We’re making the equivalent for half the money. I want to carve a path for independent film here and get people saying, ‘Hey! Look at these guys. Look at what they’re doing!'” . . .
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