The Hallelujah Handshake

I found this one really compelling, especially because of Tony Calvin's performance as an intentionally enigmatic figure who cannot help but lie and deceive his way into a community even when he does a poor job at it. That aspect of it, the fact that everyone seems to realize quickly that this guy isn't who he says he is and is prone to exaggeration, makes the story much more interesting because of their continued commitment to him. It's a story about religious faith and brotherhood, about the people in our communities who need salvation of some sort even if it becomes difficult to gauge just what they need. There's also an unspoken specter around Henry in viewing it today, a somewhat sinister underpinning to his insistence on working with children. I don't know how far Clarke was willing to go down that path because, importantly, everyone acknowledges how Henry isn't dangerous or anything other than odd and incompetent. The most we see of a "darker side" to him is his passionate reading of the Ten Commandments (in which he literally foams at the mouth) and an outburst with a woman he thinks is seducing him. It's a complex arrangement of expectation and reality, a character you can feel the entire time that you need to keep a close eye on even if he hasn't given you any reason to. Like the rest of Clarke's work, the actions taken are up for debate: what is to be done with someone like Henry?; what is our responsibility as a community, and a religious one at that, to watch out for someone like him? Great stuff.

I found this one really compelling, especially because of Tony Calvin's performance as an intentionally enigmatic figure who cannot help but lie and deceive his way into a community even when he does a poor job at it. That aspect of it, the fact that everyone seems to realize quickly that this guy isn't who he says he is and is prone to exaggeration, makes the story much more interesting because of their continued commitment to him. It's a story about religious faith and brotherhood, about the people in our communities who need salvation of some sort even if it becomes difficult to gauge just what they need. There's also an unspoken specter around Henry in viewing it today, a somewhat sinister underpinning to his insistence on working with children. I don't know how far Clarke was willing to go down that path because, importantly, everyone acknowledges how Henry isn't dangerous or anything other than odd and incompetent. The most we see of a "darker side" to him is his passionate reading of the Ten Commandments (in which he literally foams at the mouth) and an outburst with a woman he thinks is seducing him. It's a complex arrangement of expectation and reality, a character you can feel the entire time that you need to keep a close eye on even if he hasn't given you any reason to. Like the rest of Clarke's work, the actions taken are up for debate: what is to be done with someone like Henry?; what is our responsibility as a community, and a religious one at that, to watch out for someone like him? Great stuff.