The Good Shepherd Review

The basic problem with the film "The Good Shepherd" is not the film itself but its advertisements.  Trailers imply that the film is another in the car-chasing genre.  Think Matt Damon is the Bourne film series.  How can there be any suspense in those films when you know the outcome, that is, Bourne must live so that there can be a sequel.  Most viewers see this film for the fun of it, to participate in the crashes and chases that would in the real world kill you instantly.    

The Good Shepherd is more along the lines of the classic "Day of the Jackal" based on the novel by Frederick Forsythe and released in 1973.  Both these films analyze the personalities of the characters.  In Jackal there is a cat-and-mouse aspect as two characters try and outwit each other and in the finale of the film the ending relies on the simplicity of how the French greet each other.  In Shepherd the protagonist Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) is first introduced as a six-year-old.  Without giving away the plot details, he witnesses an extraordinary event that he keeps secret for much of his life.  The film quickly advances to Wilson as an adult but any film lover knows this childhood event will come back to haunt him.

The remainder of the film is an examination of the culture of the intelligence business.  It is a nasty life lived by nasty people who do nasty things to everyone including their families.  Friendship and family are subordinate to the job.  Even God takes second place when oaths of allegiance are followed by the saying of grace at meals.  The viewer experiences little, if any, identification with any of the characters each of whom is either amoral at best or evil at worst.

The title of the film is suggestive of what is happening to Wilson.  It's a biblical reference to the Gospel of St. John 10:1-21.  The relevant verse here is "I am the Good Shepherd.  I know mine and mine know me."  The director, Robert DeNiro, takes this verse and turns it on its head.

The phrase should really be the attitude of the filmgoer.  I know my type of films and the films know me.