Left Behind.

"How do you describe both a beginning and an end?" Asks the opening narration of this movie. The beginning of a movie about the end of the world. An idea most talked of in Christian churches and the theme of a book series and later movie adaptions. Since the canonisation of the Book of Revelation, preachers have been telling people that the end is near so we must repent. How the end as described in the final book of the Christian bible is shown here on film an a trilogy starting with "Left Behind"

Background:
Left Behind is an adaptation of the first book of the Left Behind series by Christian authors Tim LaHeye and Jerry Jenkins. The book being a depiction of the world as the events prophesied by Revelation begin to unfold after the "Born Again" are taken to heaven before the "Tribulation". The movie was produced Cloud Ten pictures and was directed by Vic Sarin.

Plot:
The movie opens in modern day Jerusalem where journalist Buck Williams (Played by "Way of the Master" co host Kick Cameron) is interviewing Israeli scientist Chaim Rosenzweig about a breakthrough that allows crops to be grown on infertile land like deserts. However, From Iraq, Syria and somewhere in the Mediterranean comes a mighty armada of tanks, fighters and helicopters making a surprise offensive into Israel.

Buck is lead into the Israeli war room by Chaim where the military attempt to coordinate a defencive but are unable to. However the invaders are soon defeated by an unknown, but powerful force.

The next day in America, we are introduced with the Steele family, where the mother is a born again and the father Rayford, a pilot, is not. This sometimes leads to tensions between them and their non believing daughter.

After their introduction we find that the world is changing. Countries changing their currencies to match, and we see the humanitarian efforts of UN Sectary General Nicoli Carpathia whom is later revealed to be the Anti-Christ, or "Beast from the sea" as depicted in Revelation.

So, as Rayford makes a routine flight, it is soon discovered that many on board the plane have disappeared, leaving only their clothes, including all the children. This naturally causes a panic among the remaining passengers. Not long is it revealed that this has happened all over the planet, people and all the children under the age of 8 have disappeared. This causes widespread chaos. Traffic accidents due to drivers going. Hysterical parents panicking over the missing kids.

After finding his wife and youngest son missing, Rayford starts reading the bible, meanwhile as Buck tries to contact a known conspiracy theorist in an attempt to find out what's going on, the American government declares martial law due to the anarcnhy.

Meanwhile, Rayford speaks to his wife's pastor, whom was left behind because, while preaching, he did not believe himself., so now we find that the event was the so called Rapture, where the born again Christians are taken to heaven before some freaky stuff happens.

Buck on the other hand still tries to connect the recent assassination attempt, the need for a formula that grows plants where, the disappearances and any other conspiracy stuff going on, just as Nicoli announces that the disappearances are the result of radiation from nuclear weapons, and asks for total disarmament in exchange for the formula.

After Buck finds that the UN seeks to control the world's food supply, he seeks refuge with the Steeles, where Rayford shows him and his daughter a video tape made by another preacher to explain the events including the upcoming rise of the anti-Christ. Buck has doubts and tries to warn Nicoli whom he believes is a puppet.

Buck is forced to think and he soon accepts Jesus as his lord and Savior, and when he does so, he becomes immune to Nicoli's deceptive hypnosis as he kills the men who was supposedly controlling him. Buck now realises Nicoli is the Anti-Christ who is now set to rule the world indisputably.

So Buck, Rayford and the others are now planing to survive the next 7 years before it literally goes to hell.

The Film's Intent:
Subtlety was lost on this movie in its message to show that the end of the world could happen without warning and that one must be "saved" to get through it.

Final Thoughts:
How long has the world been ending now? Almost 2000 years now right? Naturally the promise of the death of the old world and the new one in heaven has been a particular interest to Christians. Here is a movie that caters to that, and the NWO nonsence.

Must have been interesting to decide what events of Revelation to depict symbolically and literally. For example, depicting the anti-Christ as a human as opposed to a 10 headed sea monster while showing people actually disappearing.

The acting was ok. Not a fan of Kirk Cameron as a person due to him and his buddy Ray Comfort basically knocking anything that isn't their christianity on their show Way of the Master.